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Volume 4, Number 43
Wednesday, November 7, 2001
IN THIS ISSUE: The Season of Change
FROM THE PRESIDENT
FREE MUSIC
CLASSICAL NEWS
BROADWAY NEWS
SONY CLASSICAL RADIO SHOW
FROM THE PRESIDENT
October 24, 2001
Mr. John Rockwell
Editor, Arts & Leisure
The New York Times
229 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Dear John,
Anthony Tommasini's article in last Sunday's The New
York Times is disheartening in its lack of understanding
about the classical record industry, the misinformation it
imparts and in the way it ignores the positive measures
being undertaken to stimulate the public with new
recording repertoire. It seems that from Mr.Tommasini's
critical perspective, the classical record industry should be
expected to exist with practically no audience or
compensation, an unfortunately naive recipe for failure.
One example of the article's misinformation is the
observation that classical records are being sold on
consignment for the first time; in fact, recordings
(pop and classical) are traditionally sold with returns
privileges to the retailer, and this has been the case for
years. The assertion that classical records have always
been specialty items for small numbers of informed buyers
is also incorrect; classical recordings have been very much
a part of the mainstream of the recording industry from its
beginnings, selling millions of recordings on an annual basis
for a large part of the past century. (It has only been in recent
years - as consumers tired of hearing the same repertoire
recorded - that sales of traditional repertoire declined and
the major record companies were forced to re-focus their
artistic vision, becoming more entrepreneurial in the process).
There is also misleading information about the costs of
recordings; while it is true that the manufacturing costs of
CDs are lower than ever, this represents only a tiny fraction
of the actual costs of recording, producing and marketing a
CD so that more than a handful of consumers will be inspired
to listen to it.
One of Mr. Tommasini's more significant and erroneous
assertions, and one which I find personally offensive, is that
Sony Classical -- the label of which I am president --- has lost
its artistic direction in its pursuit of making money. While it is
certainly true that any for-profit business must generate a profit
to stay in operation, the fact of the matter is that Sony Classical
has been responsible for the creation of new and vibrant
repertoire in its recordings and related concert and television
events in recent years and that they have had a significant and
positive impact on the public.
Sony Classical has actually commissioned major new works
by important composers - something that classical record
labels of the past rarely, if ever, did. Among our commissioned
composers are Tan Dun, Pulitzer Prize winner John Corigliano,
and Avery Fisher Prize winner Edgar Meyer and we have found
creative and stimulating ways to place them and their works in
the center of our cultural lives --- Dun and Corigliano through
their scores for the Academy Award winning films
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Red Violin and Meyer
through recordings, concert and television appearances that
have resulted in the distribution of hundreds of thousands of
copies of his Appalachia Waltz and Appalachian Journey CDs,
which he composed and arranged together with Mark O'Connor.
Sony Classical has made significant investments and efforts
in producing public television specials (our recent television
concert from Central Park of Joshua Bell and The New York
Philharmonic performing arrangements of Leonard Bernstein
compositions that we commissioned is a good example) and in
the funding of concerts to help bring this new music to the public.
In his article, Mr.Tommasini singles out our new Christmas
recording, Our Favorite Things, as a damning example of our
desire for "anything for money." Well, we're proud of this
recording, and do not believe that popular appeal, commercial
success, and artistically pleasing performances are mutually
exclusive. Our Favorite Things contains all new and artful
arrangements by Jorge Callendrelli, a wonderful arranger of a
variety of works, ranging from classical to Latin to popular
music. Although the article makes it appear that this might be our
only current release, we actually have our usually well rounded
release schedule this month and next, consisting of new recordings
of French arias by tenor Marcelo Alvarez; Italian arias by soprano
Jane Eaglen, Esa-Pekka Salonen's LA Variations - first recordings
of his own compositions; Bela Fleck's Perpetual Motion, an album
of all new arrangements of classical music with guest artists Joshua
Bell, John Williams and Edgar Meyer, new recordings of Stravinsky
and Brahms violin concertos by Hilary Hahn with the Academy of
St. Martin in the Fields; a new recording of Il Trovatore from
La Scala; and Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman in their recording
of Rachmaninoff Suites for Two Pianos.
Perhaps misunderstanding that art and commerce can be successfully
married, Mr. Tomassini cites the glory years of Columbia Masterworks
(the former entity of Sony Classical) as an example of how a classical
record label should be conducting its business today. After all,
Tomassini argues, Goddard Lieberson, the visionary record executive
who ran it, was "a trained composer and a critic."
Well, Lieberson was great, not necessarily because he was a critic,
but largely because he understood and supported the balance between
art and commerce. After all, it was Lieberson who championed
Columbia's investment in and recording of My Fair Lady, which not
only was an artistic triumph, but also transformed the fortunes of
his record label at the time and helped contribute to his legendary
status today.
Earlier this year, we joined forces with Mel Brooks and recorded
his incomparable musical, The Producers - perhaps the greatest
Broadway success since My Fair Lady. We also produced the
lauded cinema verite film of the recording sessions that was seen
by an audience in the millions on PBS (incidentally providing
significant "pledge" and fundraising opportunities for public
television) and that will soon be seen on television throughout
the rest of the world. Did we do it to make money, as well as
art? Yes. Is that bad? No.
The true future of the classical record industry - and classical
music, too - will come from new and more frequent surges
of mainstream creativity that will be conceived to appeal to the
public, and which the record companies, symphony orchestras,
opera companies, concert halls and that even the critics, too,
should be encouraging with all their powers.
In the spirit of fairness, I hope that you will print this letter
in its entirety in the next issue of the Sunday Arts and Leisure
section. Thanks.
Best wishes,
Peter Gelb
Top of page
FREE MUSIC
Classic Yo-Yo
BBCMusicMagazine.com
is giving away five signed copies of Classic Yo-Yo for a limited time only.
Perpetual Motion and The American Seasons
The grand prize: 1 signed copy of Mark O'Connor's The American Seasons CD. 2 First prizes: one Bela Fleck
Perpetual Motion CD AND one Mark O'Connor The American Seasons CD.
Sign up today!
Top of page
CLASSICAL NEWS
Rachmaninoff -- Ax/Bronfman -- In Stores Now!!
For the first time, Grammy award-winning pianists
Emanuel Ax
and Yefim Bronfman
combine poetic lyricism, tension and character to produce a spectacular
performance of Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances and Suites for 2 Pianos.
Go sample it here.
Hilary Hahn Tour Postcards: Albuquerque, NM
"On Monday I went hiking. The altitude didn't prove to
be too much of a problem for me, contrary to what I expected:
it was a little hard to get enough oxygen during the first 45
minutes of the hike, but after that, my body adjusted and
I fell into a rhythm."
Read more!
Look for Hahn's highly praised new album
Brahms/Stravinsky Violin Concertos in stores next week!!
Also, stay tuned for the launch of the all NEW
HilaryHahn.com.
World-Premiere Performance of The American Seasons
Mark and the Metamorphosen Orchestra are featured on
NPR's SymphonyCast this week for the world-premiere
performance of The American Seasons. The Web site
will be live on Friday. Don't forget to
tune in!
On the Road with Mark O'Connor: Week IV
"A Melungeon briefly, is a person who is of Turkish and
Middle Eastern descent and whose family has lived in the
Appalachia's since the 1500's. It is an amazing existence
Largely kept out of the public knowledge. Incidentally I
am working on music that will feature Melungeon culture
as inspiration." Read Mark's thoughts from the road in his
regularly updated online diaries.
http://www.Mark-Oconnor.com
Download The American Seasons ecard.
Vangelis wins IFPI Platinum Europe Award
Vangelis has been honored with an IFPI Platinum
Europe Award after his compilation album Portraits
(So Long Ago, So Clear) passed the 1 million mark
in European sales. Listen to his new album here:
Mythodea.com
Keeping Up with Change
If you have not yet taken a look and listen to the latest
additions to the Sony Classical repertoire, don't miss out:
Our Favorite Things
Béla Fleck: Perpetual Motion
Top of page
BROADWAY NEWS
The Best Musicals under One Roof
A collection of favorite award winning musicals
on one Web site. Catalog highlights include "Annie", "Kiss Me Kate",
"South Pacific" and for the first time on CD, Hal Holbrook in
"Mark Twain Tonight" Stay tuned!
BroadwayMasterworks.com
Top of page
SONY CLASSICAL RADIO SHOW
An Inspiring 3-hour Line-up!
Not fully satiated with the Web site audio samples of
Sony Classical artists? Fill your mind's eye with the
complete tracks of recent classical, crossover and soundtrack releases.
Tune in to the Sony Classical Radio Show
and listen for the full three hours, or hit your Windows
MediaPlayer fast-forward button to jump ahead to the next
genre hour.
Top of page
Purchase Sony Classical recordings online at Amazon.com.
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