Topic: Looking for that OOP classic? Try here!

[adamdavid80]

Are you all familiar with this site? 

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp

Apparently, they have licensing agreements with record companies to burn a copy of OOP music.  I just got the Haskil/Fricsay renidtion of Mozart's PCs 19 and 27, and the sound is TERRIFIC.  Packaging kind of blows, no liner notes, a badly photocopy of the cover, and it's a little pricey ($15 bucks for a burnt CD), but, hey, if you gotta support your jones, you've gotta do what you've gotta do, right?

[PerfectWagnerite]

Are you all familiar with this site? 

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp

Apparently, they have licensing agreements with record companies to burn a copy of OOP music.  I just got the Haskil/Fricsay renidtion of Mozart's PCs 19 and 27, and the sound is TERRIFIC.  Packaging kind of blows, no liner notes, a badly photocopy of the cover, and it's a little pricey ($15 bucks for a burnt CD), but, hey, if you gotta support your jones, you've gotta do what you've gotta do, right?

The later releases in this series is supposed to have the liner notes. I have the Klemperer Haydn London Symphonies set and it looks almost identical to the EMI set. Sure they could have used a less cheap-looking ink but everything that should be there is there.

What I wonder is why they call it ON-DEMAND. ON-DEMAND from whom ? Do they survey a bunch of classical music lovers and ask them which OOP recordings they want reissued?

[Bulldog]

What I wonder is why they call it ON-DEMAND. ON-DEMAND from whom ? Do they survey a bunch of classical music lovers and ask them which OOP recordings they want reissued?

Yes.  I even got an e-mail from them asking if there were any oop discs I might want.  I cited one, but it hasn't yet been added.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Yes.  I even got an e-mail from them asking if there were any oop discs I might want.  I cited one, but it hasn't yet been added.

Hmm I ordered from them also but they didn't aske me 

[Gustav]

Are you all familiar with this site? 

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp

Apparently, they have licensing agreements with record companies to burn a copy of OOP music.  I just got the Haskil/Fricsay renidtion of Mozart's PCs 19 and 27, and the sound is TERRIFIC.  Packaging kind of blows, no liner notes, a badly photocopy of the cover, and it's a little pricey ($15 bucks for a burnt CD), but, hey, if you gotta support your jones, you've gotta do what you've gotta do, right?

Yes, and buying from websites such as this is idiotic. They severely overcharge the CD "copies" that they sell. I mean, no liner notes, a photocopied cover, and 32 dollars for a one dollar effort?  Whhaaaa?? They must be crazy! even crazier, it appears that there are idiots who actually buy from them.

A better idea, why don't they just offer downloads instead? Just let people download the OOP music by paying a lesser fee.

[adamdavid80]

Yes, and buying from websites such as this is idiotic. They severely overcharge the CD "copies" that they sell. I mean, no liner notes, a photocopied cover, and 32 dollars for a one dollar effort?  Whhaaaa?? They must be crazy! even crazier, it appears that there are idiots who actually buy from them.

A better idea, why don't they just offer downloads instead? Just let people download the OOP music by paying a lesser fee.

My understanding is that they do have to pay for the licensing rights, and the rights to reproduce this copyrighted information.  So, their "one dollar effort" is actually more. 

But that IS a damn good idea.

p.s. I get mine "wrapped", unused, at academy in nyc for 5 bucks.  But for what I got, I would have been willing to pay the full 15, no doubt.  (but not to reproduce the liner notes is incomprehensible)

[Brian]

What I wonder is why they call it ON-DEMAND. ON-DEMAND from whom ? Do they survey a bunch of classical music lovers and ask them which OOP recordings they want reissued?

They produce/print the CDs after you order them.

[Bulldog]

Hmm I ordered from them also but they didn't aske me 

Maybe they only ask their most frequent customers.

[Bulldog]

Yes, and buying from websites such as this is idiotic. They severely overcharge the CD "copies" that they sell. I mean, no liner notes,

How many times do you have to read that they now do provide liner notes before you believe it?  At any rate, liner notes are not a big deal (at least not to me).

[Brian]

Maybe they only ask their most frequent customers.

I suspect random sampling. They asked me if I was interested in a possible ArkivMusic MP3 shop. In unrelated news, Naxos asked me if they should move into the LP business 

[Gustav]

How many times do you have to read that they now do provide liner notes before you believe it?  At any rate, liner notes are not a big deal (at least not to me).

I dunno, it all depends really. Some people just want to listen to the music, in that case, liner notes/CD copy, no big deal; but collectors really don't like that kind of cheap effort, they'd rather "overbid" on eBay.

[Bulldog]

I dunno, it all depends really. Some people just want to listen to the music, in that case, liner notes/CD copy, no big deal; but collectors really don't like that kind of cheap effort, they'd rather "overbid" on eBay.

Collectors are a diverse group of folks, and you don't speak for all of them.  It's obvious that you see recordings without liner notes as a cheap product; I just see them as recordings not including liner notes.

[Brian]

Collectors are a diverse group of folks, and you don't speak for all of them.  It's obvious that you see recordings without liner notes as a cheap product; I just see them as recordings not including liner notes.

And in any case, many lines (like RCA Red Seal) eschew liner notes in the original, and some liner notes (like DG's pretentious new fake interviews with the artists) are frankly worse than no notes at all.

[Daverz]

The later releases in this series is supposed to have the liner notes. I have the Klemperer Haydn London Symphonies set and it looks almost identical to the EMI set. Sure they could have used a less cheap-looking ink but everything that should be there is there.

What I wonder is why they call it ON-DEMAND. ON-DEMAND from whom ? Do they survey a bunch of classical music lovers and ask them which OOP recordings they want reissued?

They don't burn the CD until you demand it.  I thought that was fairly clear usage of the term.

I bought some Japanese RCA Ormandy isues from them, and it was a good deal compared to ordering from Japan.  They include liner notes, but like the Japanese issues they copy, in Katakana only.

I like having having a nicely labeled CD with the tray papers.  Otherwise, if I'm downloading and burning myself, the disc will probably just get lost, and the files will probably get destroyed in a disk crash.

Considering the ridiculous prices that so many OOP CDs command on Amazon, I no longer find the Archivmusic prices unreasonable.

[Gustav]

And in any case, many lines (like RCA Red Seal) eschew liner notes in the original, and some liner notes (like DG's pretentious new fake interviews with the artists) are frankly worse than no notes at all.

false, any liner notes is better than no notes at all!

[Gustav]

It's obvious that you see recordings without liner notes as a cheap product

Well, aren't they?

[Lilas Pastia]

false, any liner notes is better than no notes at all!

I understand, but I disagree. With internet, there are no bounds to the information you may need about any music. 30-35 years ago I used to studiously read liner notes (they were well done then), but as I came to know music better, I relied less and less on liner notes. The only ones I read nowadays are from labels that feature little-known music, such as Timpani or CPO. For the rest, most wiki articles are better written (or translated) than those on commercial issues.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Well, aren't they?

Are you interested in the liner notes or the music?

For me it was worth it to buy one of these CDRs sans liner notes for the valuable performances otherwise not available or commanding sky-high prices on the secondary market.

Pretty easy decision for me.

[Joe_Campbell]

I find Hyperion/Helios liner notes to be a cut above. They always have thoughtful comments, sometimes even by the artist. However, most of their liner notes are also available on their website (as an exact copy of the booklet).

[Bulldog]

Well, aren't they?

Saying that recordings without liner notes are cheap products is an opinion; that's how you look at it. 

As an aside, liner notes are most needed by folks not very familiar with either the music or composer.