Classical label in US takeover
NewsOne after another, the indy classical labels are giving up.
Hyperion was bought by Universal, BIS by Apple, Chandos by Klaus Heymann.
Now Albany Records, which has championed such composers as George Lloyd, Morton Gould, Florence Price and Bernard Stevens, has accepted the best offer it could find.
As of today, the label is owned by the Parma group, run by Bob Lord from North Hampton, NH.
Albany founders Peter Kermani and Susan Bush ‘will continue to serve as artistic directors for the label’. The label was named for its home town, Albany, in the state of New York.
Sic transit.
who needs another George Lloyd recording?
No one, and no one needs another George Floyd recording either – by which I mean the laughably overrated Florence Price, who would have remained a non-entity had not every orchestra and white musician had to quickly cast around for some playable music by a Black composer. Total joke.
I couldn’t agree more agree about ‘George Floyd’ but George Lloyd is shamefully underrated, a major figure several of whose symphonies are among the finest by a British composer – Nos.4, 5, 7 and 8, and No.6 is a small delight. Perhaps more recordings aren’t needed but some live performances would be very welcome. Why has the Prom season only programmed No.6 (his shortest symphony)? – and that as a last-minute substitute thanks to Sir Edward Downes who fought the good fight on George Lloyd’s behalf.
Hate that you’re gonna be ratioed to death, but I 100% agree. Warmed over Dvorak is fine, but the fawning over a very mediocre composer simply because of her race was crazy.
Thank you, re FP.
Yeah, but we desperately need the 5 millionth recording of a Beethoven symphony. Some people have the curiosity of a rock. I love new musical experiences – even if they are, admittedly, inferior to Beethoven’s music. So what? Be open, listen to something new or forgotten!
That’s exactly how I feel. Looking at the summer music festival offerings is just depressing. Same old stuff we hear in the regular season. Only one Prom concert piqued my interest: Schoenberg’s Pelleas und Melisande couple with Zemlinsky’s The Mermaid. Bravo to Ryan Bancroft and National Orchesta of Wales for something daring.
My thoughts precisely. Nobody, NOBODY needs a new Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, or Bruckner symphony recording! Yes, the classical music community is deeply reactionary, that’s why it’s becoming increasingly irrelevant.
PARMA seems kind of like an indy label itself. I don’t think this acquisition is similar to BIS, Apple, or even Naxos.
Florence Price is an amazingly talented composer who nobody knew about until recently. Unfortunately, because of racism and sexism, she will never know the extent of her gift to the world. I live only a few miles from her summer home in St. Anne, Illinois. I wish I had an opportunity to know her!
I sometimes wonder what the “great” composers of the past would think of the many recordings of most of their works if they could listen to them today. In their opinion, which ones hit the mark, so to speak. And, if the greats could opine on this from the beyond, would that put the critics out of business?