I've just noticed in this month's Gramophone that Channel Classic's confirmed policy now is that all new recordings will be recorded in DSD and released in SACD hybrid format. As Channel SACD's currently retail at the same very reasonable price as their redbook cds anyway, no one's pocket will suffer. It'll hopefully provide place more pressure on those majors who operate dual inventory/dual pricing (like Sony and Universal) to become more competitive if the "minors" aren't to pinch all their classical sales.
That policy note appeared alongside two announcements of forthcoming (SACD) releases on Channel: (1) Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra have signed a deal for 3 SACDs a year and are currently recording the Rachmaninoff Second Symphony; and (2) the (New) Amsterdam Sinfonietta are laying down performances of the Verdi string quartets (I always thought he only wrote one) in their chamber versions and the Tchailovsky Souvenir de Florence (also in the more commonly recorded chamber version rather than as a sextet).
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