NEWS
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Our
look at the world of Music, its reproduction and delivery
Last
updated 28 April 2003
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Apple Computers
to buy Universal?
Apple Computers are in talks with Vivendi, the parent company
of Universal Music Group, with a view to buying it for a rumoured
$6bn. This would give them the potential for very high presence
in the on-line music world.
Vivendi seem
happy to sell as it hopes to raise around $7bn from some or
all of its entertainment assets.
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EMI Available
on line
EMI music have taken the bold step to make thousands of tracks
available on-line in the UK from more than 20 retail websites.
These will be predominantly from the world of rock and pop,
but will include high profile artists such as Simon Rattle.
Although HMV
currently charges £1 per download for pop tracks, no details
are available for classical tracks, which could be much longer,
and the quality more obviously compromised than with pop music.
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Collect
and Brass Labels Now at Budget Price
We have reduced the price of all of the Collect label from £6.99
(inc VAT) to £4.99 (inc VAT) ($7.49). We have also halved
the price of all titles (except one) on the Brass label. All purchases
will attract 4 loyalty points. (Click on the logos
to the right, to see complete list of titles) |
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New Release
Delivery Dates
Due to unforeseen problems with new releases, the delivery dates
have been revised - new releases will now be despatched on 16th
April and not 14th April as advised on the product details pages.
Griffelkin
(both SACD and CD) will be later than 16th April, dates still
to be advised but will be published here when they are known.
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Richard
Hickox CBE - MD of Opera Australia
'Richard Hickox, one of Britain's leading conductors
of opera and orchestral repertoire', states the news
release from his agent Intermusica Artists' Management Ltd,
'was today [6 March] announced as the future Music
Director of Opera Australia based at the Sydney Opera House.'
Hickox takes
up his appointment in January 2005, parallel with his position
as Principal conductor of BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
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he will spend a good proportion of each year in Australia
with his family in order to fulfil his Opera Australia commitments,
but will continue to maintain relationships in the UK, as
well as prestigious guesting in the US and Europe, including
at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden where he has three
productions already planned in forthcoming seasons. |
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Sound
Samples
You may have already noticed that the sound samples we add
to the site on the 'details' page of each new release are now
much longer, probably on average around five minutes, and are
often a complete piece or movement, although on large-scale works
it can still only be an excerpt.
Many of you
have asked for these longer
samples and we hope that they
prove enjoyable!
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DNSO/DR
The Danish National Symphony Orchestra has named Thomas Dausgaard
as its chief conductor and he will succeed Gerd Albrecht in the
fall of 2004 and will be the first Dane to hold that position.
In a statement
Dausgaard said 'As a boy I use to skip to school to listen to
the rehearsals of the Symphony Orchestra, and now I am its principal
conductor.'
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Classical
Sales Drop
Preliminary figures from the BPI (British Phonographic Industry)
for 2002 show a downward trend compared with 2001. A poor fourth
quarter trading left the year down 15% value and 17% volume, and
poor performace from heavily marketed titles did nothing to help.
Some independents reported increased market share, Hyperion reporting
a 23% growth in the vlaue of its market.
Classical and opera
DVD-Vs were up 186%.
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BMG Classics
Perhaps a shot in the arm and a psychological boost for the classics
is a new label launched by BMG, after the criticism of the apparent
side-lining of its classic operation just over a year ago, has been
called BMG Classics and will have its own New York based department.
A 'one world' approach will be taken in the exploitation of its
extensive backcatalogue with all marketing and origination coming
from the new central operation. |
Moscow
Conservatory
A fire at the Moscow conservatoire caused extensive damage including
16 concert grand pianos. Its priceless collection of manuscripts
was luckily spared. It is thought that an electrical fault was the
cause of the fire. |
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Royal Opera
House
Things are looking good for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
the company reported a cash surplus of £385,000. It is not
only the new management and musical director that take the credit,
but strict financial management and the recent redevelopment of
the area are big factors.
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ENO Chorus Settles
Dispute
The dispute between ENO and its chorus has been resolved.
the number will be voluntarily reduced to 50 singers and those
giving up their positions will be given first refusal when more
voices are needed. Chorus members will also receive a 4% increase
in pay.
All strike action,
which included the first night of Ruder's The Handmaid's Tale
has been called-off.
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Help for Pirates...?
Sony and Philips have released recording systems that will allow
the copying of between 30 and 100 hours of music onto a single
disc. This comes on top of a further turn-down in world-wide music
sales and is, according to a BPI spokesman a 'no-brainer'!
Sony's system will
use an MP3 data-compression system and playable on a personal
stereo which will cost less than £100. The Philips system
uses a computer DVD to save at least 100 hours of music onto a
portable DVD player.
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Maestro
for a night
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra has a £1million
deficit over the next three years to balance. A fundraiser of
great inspiration is to offer the prize of coaching from the orchestra's
music director Gerard Schwarz and to conduct a piece of their
choice. Keep an eye on their website
for details.
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ENO Chorus Strikes
The 60 chorus members of the English National Opera went on
strike on the night of 25 February tonight, and caused the cancellation
of Berlioz's The Trojans - The Capture of Troy.
The chorus voted
unanimously last week to take industrial action, after being told
of plans to make a third of their number redundant. The singers
staged a free concert in nearby St Paul's Church in Covent Garden
(known as 'the actors' church') for audience members, invited
guests and supporters.
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Ted Perry (1931-2003)
Founder and Managing Director, Hyperion Records
We were shocked
and saddened to hear of the sudden death of Ted Perry at the weekend.
The directors and staff of Chandos would like to offer their deepest
sympathies to Simon Perry and his family, and to Mike Spring and
the staff at Hyperion.
There has always
been a common bond between the 'Independents'. Brian Couzens and
Ted Perry started their companies within a year of each other
and there have been many points of contact along the way. We had
the utmost respect for Ted, he produced so many fine recordings
and he always put the music first. A bright light has been extinguished
in the classical industry this week.
We
hope that Simon and Mike will be able to continue in Ted's footsteps
and in his memory. We wish them well.
13
February 2003
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Special offer
on Enchant CDs
All Enchant
CDs have been reduced to half price, and the price of some boxed
sets has been reduced further.
Click
here to see the whole list of titles. The offer is limited
by stock availablility.
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For more information see www.kathrynstott.com
www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk
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PIANO
2003 MANCHESTER
A 17-day festival of keyboard music with 12 pianos and 28 international
pianists will take place at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester
14-30 March 2003. There will 68 events celebrating the piano including
150 years of Steinway - who will bring along their bright red
Ferrari piano!
There will be pianists
from all corners of the globe performing classical, jazz and tango,
in performances ranging from solo recitals, chamber and orchestral
concerts to poetry and piano-art.
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HONOURED I'M
SURE...
Peter Moores has been given a knighthood in the New Year's Honours
list. Moores is best known in the musical world for his generous
support of opera, particularly the promotion of opera in English
and the sponsoring of the Opera
in English label on Chandos.
Also knighted was
Brian McMaster, director of the Edinburgh International Festival.
CBE's go to the conductor Jane Glover, baritone Bryn Terfel and
Lady Sainsbury for services to music education and ballet.
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OBITUARIES
Ron Goodwin (1925-2003)
Ron Goodwin the film composer famous for the scores of 633
Squadron and Where Eagles Dare.
Doreen Carwithen
(1922-2003)
Mary Alwyn (aka Doreen Carwithen) composer and wife of William
Alwyn.
Roger Webb
(d. 2002 )
Composer, pianist, conductor and arranger.
More...
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ROMOPHONE
CEASES TRADING
The historic CD label Romophone, which has been part of the
classical record scene for the past ten years, has ceased
trading due to unfavourable market conditions which resulted
in poor sales and a cash flow problem created by monies owed
not being paid promptly. The company had been very successful
in the past winning a Gramophone award in 1996. |
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Meanwhile Vox has issued plans that makes custom CDs
available, thus negating the need for retailers by dealing
direct with the customer, not manufacturing larger runs at
CD factories and thus having a smaller stock-holding, while
at the same time as having most numbers constantly available. |
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MACMILLAN
GROUP
Seek New Owner for Grove Due to a new and tightly focussed global
strategy con concentrating on the groups particular strengths,
social sciences, humanities and business a new home is sought
for the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
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BMG and EMI
Since the last 'romance' between the companies a couple of years
ago, talks are again afoot, but this time as a merger of equals
not a buy-out as was previously negotiated, so no share bonuses
for those EMI shareholders.
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