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hiredfox said:
I really enjoyed your entry until this last declaration, which did not seem to follow from what was said before and is also grossly unfair. The dinosaurs were those who failed to embrace SACD / DVD-A when it was there for the taking ten years ago. Full support then would likely have assured it's success.
The only retrogressive step made by BIS since then (IMO) was to let DSD slip away from them too easily, when smaller companies pressed on regardless. Otherwise they have been a SACD flag-bearer for mch enthusiasts; all strength to them for that.
I think BIS is great. Robert von Bahr is the casandra here. And, he should know better than anyone.
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Post by bissie October 4, 2012 (2812 of 4131)
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hiredfox said:
How can they be now that HMV seem not to stock them any longer. I asked the local guy why and he said " all of the SACDs we get are from a single distributor".
Seems that's their business model so unless you find out who it is and seduce him into taking your product as well BIS has in effect disappeared from our High Streets.
You can find Chandos, LSO lIve, Mariinsky and the odd Audite there - an eclectic mix for sure...
I have checked with my UK distributor and they say that it isn't BIS that is disappearing from the streets, however, HMV are. The chain is in dire straits and they have cut back classical to a bare minimum, and much of BIS's repertoire is simply too esoteric to suit them.
Robert
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Robert-all of the Aho has been great. How about an opera? I just wikid and there are 4, but what struck me was the number of concertos that he's written. you could do a series (after the opera). It may be in bad taste to say it here, but the I'd like to see the breadth of available Aho recordings on BIS comparable to the Ondine Rautavaara series. Perhaps that is what you are in the process of doing! which reminds me - I need to order the new Aho organ sacd.
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Post by bissie October 4, 2012 (2814 of 4131)
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scotttiger said:
Robert-all of the Aho has been great. How about an opera? I just wikid and there are 4, but what struck me was the number of concertos that he's written. you could do a series (after the opera). It may be in bad taste to say it here, but the I'd like to see the breadth of available Aho recordings on BIS comparable to the Ondine Rautavaara series. Perhaps that is what you are in the process of doing! which reminds me - I need to order the new Aho organ sacd.
If you go into the Ondine catalogue, they have 55 CD:s/DVD:s containing at least something by Rautavaara (incl. the Double-bass Concerto they have licensed from BIS). This is one of the great achievements in the history of contemporary recorded music, and all hats off for Reijo Kiilunen, who has - somehow - managed to do this.
Of course, we're no slouch either - we have 15 CD:s, more or less devoted to Rautavaara, incl. things that even Ondine don't have (for instance the specially arranged songs for Jyrki Korhonen that regularly go down to contra Bflat, even once to a contra F!!!!! - that's the 4th line under the bass clef).
When it comes to Kalevi Aho, we have 25 CD:s/SACD:s with his music - almost all of them with nothing else on and we're working very hard to keep up with his writing. The operas are not planned for the time being - we simply cannot set them up, it's far too expensive. We are, though, keeping up with his concertos, with the rather fantastic Oboe Concerto coming quite soon (now that's a masterwork), and we're going to record his Horn and Theremin (yes, indeed!!) Concertos in January 2013. Since we are not regularly - unlike Ondine - being subsidized for this series, it is somewhat difficult to bring off for us, but I am firmly convinced that Kalevi Aho is one of the greats, and therefore we fight along. And - again unlike Ondine - on hi-res SACD:s.
Robert
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so sorry to draw an unfair comparison. I was thinking sheer numbers but when you mention subsidization, then your efforts probably exceed their's, given relative funding models. I agree, Aho is one of the greats. And I know why I like him. I'm never quite sure why I like Rautavaara, although I do. Your Aho recordings were one of my primary reasons for upgrading my cd player to sacd - I just wasn't getting enough of the dynamics/details in the symphonies. And now that I think about it, you were the reason that I upgraded my turntable back in the day - I needed to be able to play the Dag Achatz Stravinsky Rite at the correct 45rpm! That was a hall of fame item all the way.
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Post by hiredfox October 5, 2012 (2816 of 4131)
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bissie said:
I have checked with my UK distributor and they say that it isn't BIS that is disappearing from the streets, however, HMV are. The chain is in dire straits and they have cut back classical to a bare minimum, and much of BIS's repertoire is simply too esoteric to suit them.
Robert
HMV were re-financed earlier in the year but presumably that was not new money in the sense of trying to preserve and grow the business. Apparently they will not stock anything that will not sell at least 25 copies from each branch. That sounds challenging but is not such a big deal as few of their stores specialise in classical anyway.
We are luckier than some in these parts as Southampton is still a significant source although alas the SACD stockpile is gradually being greatly reduced as part of their M.A.D. strategy.
John
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Post by bissie October 5, 2012 (2817 of 4131)
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scotttiger said:
so sorry to draw an unfair comparison. I was thinking sheer numbers but when you mention subsidization, then your efforts probably exceed their's, given relative funding models. I agree, Aho is one of the greats. And I know why I like him. I'm never quite sure why I like Rautavaara, although I do. Your Aho recordings were one of my primary reasons for upgrading my cd player to sacd - I just wasn't getting enough of the dynamics/details in the symphonies. And now that I think about it, you were the reason that I upgraded my turntable back in the day - I needed to be able to play the Dag Achatz Stravinsky Rite at the correct 45rpm! That was a hall of fame item all the way.
The comparison isn't unfair at all - how we get the products done is really of no consequence to the buyer - the main thing is that or if the job gets done. And I go back a long time with Einojuhani, having been a personal friend of his since the early '70's (when Reijo still was attending school); his Flute Concerto (1975-76) is a commission from me personally and privately.
But, if you take away all duplications and count minutes, our Aho Edition isn't that far behind their Rautavaara (as if that matters).
Yes, that Stravinsky recording - the first ever of the Rite of Spring for solo piano for a pianist with 2 hands, 2-3 feet and one nose (sic!) was - and is - pretty spectacular and the 45 rpm treatment was the only way of getting the dynamics correct on an LP at the time. Oh, memories...
Robert
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The Brahms symphonies and Vanska/Minnesota seem like an ideal match. Perhaps there are already too many good Brahms sets, although the SACD field isn't that crowded...
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bissie said:
...
Yes, that Stravinsky recording - the first ever of the Rite of Spring for solo piano for a pianist with 2 hands, 2-3 feet and one nose (sic!) was - and is - pretty spectacular and the 45 rpm treatment was the only way of getting the dynamics correct on an LP at the time. Oh, memories...
Robert
Your re-issue strategy, when you think of the Stravinsky recording vs. something like La Spagna/Paniagua, must make for some interesting discussions. Great performances vs. interesting reportoire vs. what's already available I suppose. But anything that needed 45rprm surely cries out for sacd. (says the man who would try to talk you into just putting your entire catalog out on sacd)
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Post by Sigr October 6, 2012 (2820 of 4131)
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canonical said:
...I can see the time not too far away, when most downloads (even classical downloads) are illegal downloads, and it may be prudent to prepare for that too.
Where are you getting this information from? Piracy has always dominated over legitimate downloads.
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