Medici Arts
Mon, Oct 18 2010, 11:39AM
What has happened to this organisation? I am trying to find a BBC Legends disc which, suddenly, no retailer can supply or offer any information about. Contacting them by phone finds someone operating under a different corporate name who says Medici Arts simply rents a desk in their office and who takes messages. At least one US blog claims BBC Legends has gone out of business. There would appear to have been a US lawsuit between a body which may the Medici Arts running the label and another, quite different, Medici Arts, which seems to have come to some sort of dead stop in September 2010, but it's hard to discover which side won, or what it was about. If this label has actually gone out of business that would be a bit more than sad, since a good number of issues, not least the current Government's attitude to the BBC, would seem to be involved, as well as the loss of much important content. Does anyone know what is going on?
Tue, Oct 19 2010, 11:46AM
#2
RE: Medici Arts
Third and I hope last post from me. I found someone this morning at BBC Worldwide who confirmed the demise of BBC Legends. Oddly enough, he couldn't put a date on it, but he was able to confirm the licence no longer exists. Apparently the retail side of the business, not to mention "Gramophone", is expected to work this not insignificant piece of information out for itself. The consumer likewise. If anybody wants to revive the licence they are welcome to ask the BBC but the chances of most of the catalogue itself becoming available again are very remote.
Thu, Oct 21 2010, 2:42PM
#3
RE: Medici Arts
I am Managing Director of Select, BBC Legends' UK distributor. The BBC Legends label is still very much alive. Some titles have been out of stock for the last few months (although most are still in stock). It is expected that the titles which have been out of stock will be available again within the next month or so.
The contract between BBC and Euroarts is still very much current and you will be glad to hear that new releases on the label are expected in the late Spring of 2011.
Fri, Oct 29 2010, 2:12PM
#4
RE: Medici Arts
Mr Antand's post is noted. Select, of course, is part of the same group as Medici Arts and Euroarts. Perhaps he knows something the BBC doesn't. Equally, perhaps BBC Worldwide knows something he doesn't. Perhaps he should check with BBC Worldwide. They might then be able to decide between them which hymnsheet to sing from.
Fri, Oct 29 2010, 2:42PM
#5
RE: Medici Arts
Hi Peter, I too have checked into the BBC Legends discs [Ah, the lengths we music lovers will go to hunt down those discs on our "wants list"! :D :lol:]. The email that I received around mid-October from a gentleman at Euroarts told me that they were "working on making the BBC Legends catalogue available worldwide again"....and that [re the UK at least] "most of the cds will be back in retail within the next 6-8 weeks." Unfortunately, the cd that I was most (for the moment anyway! ;)) interested in obtaining would need to be remanufactured and that might take a bit longer.
Another gentleman from a UK source (a distributor I believe) told me that they will eventually be offering them also as downloads [sorry that I don't remember the name....I've deleted the email...and am also working on my morning coffee...stayed up too late last night in part due to trying out G's iPlayer--pretty nifty! :)].
Hopefully all of this helps to alay your fears....I'm "keeping the faith" as it were yet!
Best wishes,
Petra
p.s. How about listing some of your favourite BBC Legends discs in the meantime? I don't own very many of them--yet anyway! :)
Mon, Nov 1 2010, 10:29AM
#6
RE: Medici Arts
For Petra - Medici Arts's catalogue for BBC Legends is still accessible on the web (Google BBC Legends). It has not been updated since the autumn of 2009, and though it nominally runs to 25 pages most of the last half-dozen or so are blank. As a rule, performances counted more than recording quality with this label - which with archive material is how it should be. I would go for Richter, Gilels, and anything involving Benjamin Britten, the Janet Baker Aldeburgh recital, and Horenstein in Mahler - especially the Song of the Earth, and Bruckner. I once knew an ex-BBC Northern bass trombonist who'd begun his career under Harty. Of Horenstein, under whom he'd played, he opined "he's no better than he thinks he is, mind", (this was while Horenstein was still alive) but that "Song of the Earth" is very good, and justifies whatever opinion of himself Horenstein may have had. My friend played in the Harty performances of the Berlioz Requiem at the end of the 1920s, and the catalogue's first entry is a performance of the Berlioz Requiem under Beecham - its first official publication, which we all waited for breathlessly when the label was launched. More than a few of the early issues had been withdrawn before Medici Arts went into limbo (if not down the tubes), and they included a whole clutch of live performances under Britten which didn't deserve to have been, especially a near-perfect Mahler Fourth from Blythburgh, which I remember hearing broadcast at the time, and feeling then, as I did when the CD came out, that Joan Carlyle's early entry towards the end of the finale didn't really spoil anything. Two of his accompaniments to Richter's Mozart concerto playing are listed on the site, and K482 is well worth getting, since Richter's EMI disc with Muti doesn't work all that well. There's also a valuable series of Mahler performances under Barbirolli, some of which I value personally, since I heard him conduct the Ninth in the Free Trade Hall in the fifties. The Third Symphony, I'd say, is well worth trying. But you may have to scour the net to get your hands on some of these. One of my unexpected favourites is the Stokowski Symphonie Fantastique, which is properly mind-bending- you can almost smell the opium. Your faith does you credit, however misplaced it may turn out to be.
Mon, Nov 1 2010, 3:14PM
#7
RE: Medici Arts RE: Medici Arts
For Petra - Medici Arts's catalogue for BBC Legends is still accessible on the web (Google BBC Legends). It has not been updated since the autumn of 2009, and though it nominally runs to 25 pages most of the last half-dozen or so are blank. As a rule, performances counted more than recording quality with this label - which with archive material is how it should be. I would go for Richter, Gilels, and anything involving Benjamin Britten, the Janet Baker Aldeburgh recital, and Horenstein in Mahler - especially the Song of the Earth, and Bruckner. I once knew an ex-BBC Northern bass trombonist who'd begun his career under Harty. Of Horenstein, under whom he'd played, he opined "he's no better than he thinks he is, mind", (this was while Horenstein was still alive) but that "Song of the Earth" is very good, and justifies whatever opinion of himself Horenstein may have had. My friend played in the Harty performances of the Berlioz Requiem at the end of the 1920s, and the catalogue's first entry is a performance of the Berlioz Requiem under Beecham - its first official publication, which we all waited for breathlessly when the label was launched. More than a few of the early issues had been withdrawn before Medici Arts went into limbo (if not down the tubes), and they included a whole clutch of live performances under Britten which didn't deserve to have been, especially a near-perfect Mahler Fourth from Blythburgh, which I remember hearing broadcast at the time, and feeling then, as I did when the CD came out, that Joan Carlyle's early entry towards the end of the finale didn't really spoil anything. Two of his accompaniments to Richter's Mozart concerto playing are listed on the site, and K482 is well worth getting, since Richter's EMI disc with Muti doesn't work all that well. There's also a valuable series of Mahler performances under Barbirolli, some of which I value personally, since I heard him conduct the Ninth in the Free Trade Hall in the fifties. The Third Symphony, I'd say, is well worth trying. But you may have to scour the net to get your hands on some of these. One of my unexpected favourites is the Stokowski Symphonie Fantastique, which is properly mind-bending- you can almost smell the opium. Your faith does you credit, however misplaced it may turn out to be.
Hi Peter,
Thanks for getting back to me. :) I have some of "Britten the Performer" Series--volumes 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 12. Vol. 4 includes the Mahler 4th). I also have two Beecham discs one of which includes Sibelius 4 & 7 and the other of Schubert Sym. no. 3, Mendelssohn 4, etc.; the famous Rostropovich playing Dvorak at the Proms. What else: the Ameling Baker St. Matthew Passion excerpts. And I'm pretty positive that I have the live Baker from Aldeburgh Fest, however, I'm in the midst of ripping my cd collection, so my shelves are a bit disorganized at the moment!
Thank you for sharing your stories of your friend's performances and of the concerts that you remember....they're nice to read and it makes the world a smaller place. :)
I'm dying to get my hands on at least some of the Richter performances....I've recently "discovered" his performances (due to some nice folks' suggestions on another website) and have really been enjoying listening to them! Gilels I enjoy too.
I only have one performance with Barbirolli but I really love it! It's with Cortot playing Chopin....I find it incredibly moving. It's one of my favorite Chopin discs period. :) How do you like this one? I'd love to hear some more Barbirolli recs from you if you have a chance?
Better get moving and get started on non-musical things for the day [late start for me! Eek!].....have a lovely day!
Best wishes,
Petra
p.s. Have any of our friends at Grammophone heard any more recent news about when the BBC Legends discs will be available once again? I live in the States, but often order from places like MDT, etc.].
Thu, Nov 11 2010, 1:42PM
#8
RE: BBC LEGENDS
Just a few points of clarification.
While some titles from the BBC Legends catalogue have been out of stock for a while (a situation which Euroarts is rectifying) most have always been in stock and available, certainly in the UK. However, I should point out that some titles have also been permanently deleted in CD format.
Select is not, in fact, part of the Euroarts Group, but part of the Naxos Group. You mention downloads and Euroarts has done an agreement with the BBC to make the catalogue avaialble in digital format so it should be available on i-tunes, classicsonline.com and other download websites shortly.
Hope that helps.
Thu, Nov 11 2010, 3:21PM
#9
RE: BBC LEGENDS
Just a few points of clarification.
While some titles from the BBC Legends catalogue have been out of stock for a while (a situation which Euroarts is rectifying) most have always been in stock and available, certainly in the UK. However, I should point out that some titles have also been permanently deleted in CD format.
Select is not, in fact, part of the Euroarts Group, but part of the Naxos Group. You mention downloads and Euroarts has done an agreement with the BBC to make the catalogue avaialble in digital format so it should be available on i-tunes, classicsonline.com and other download websites shortly.
Hope that helps.
Antand,
Thank you so much for taking the time to keep us informed; we appreciate it! :)
May I ask if there is currently a relatively complete listing/catalogue of what is currently available and also if it is possible to get or access a copy of what has been put out over the years on cd of the BBC discs? [Perhaps if I sent you my email address?] I'm hoping also that none of the Richter and Gilels discs have been deleted as I've been looking forward to exploring those ones (particularly the Richter/Beethoven sonatas one!).
I've been enjoying listening to the "Britten the Performer" series (as I had mentioned above). May I ask if those have been permanently deleted (as I haven't seen current listings of them...:(). I'm curious as to how many were released in that series.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to exploring more of them! And thank you again for filling us in as to what is going on with the availability of the label.
Best wishes,
Petra
Fri, Nov 12 2010, 2:07PM
#10
RE: BBC LEGENDS RE: BBC LEGENDS
If you send me an e-mail to aanderson@selectmusic.co.uk then i can tell you pretty much what should be still available, what is temporarily unavailable and what has been permanently deleted.
Best wishes
Fri, Nov 12 2010, 3:58PM
#11
RE: Medici Arts
Useful to have the clarifying post from Mr Anthony Anderson, and something of a relief to hear that Naxos has nothing to do with Euroarts - apologies therefore are due. But I'll wait to see if the BBC confirms what he says Euroarts say they have agreed with them.
Wed, Nov 17 2010, 10:40AM
#12
RE: Medici Arts
I have just churned through all the BBC Worldwide press releases for the past six months (I can find none for Euroarts) without finding anything to confirm or contradict Mr Anderson's last post.
Thu, Jan 13 2011, 1:50AM
#13
RE: Medici Arts
Well, perhaps, things are looking up. Passionato now posts 9 BBC Legends titles for downloading and 8 are available in FLAC, at a price. Perhaps there will be more. Meanwhile Amazon market place CD issue prices are yo-yoing, mostly upwards, and eBay, less easy to draw conclusions from, seems to show similar signs. But of the major download sources telegraphed by earlier posts, iTunes at least shows no sign of availability, and there would appear otherwise to be no more than pirate lo-fi downloads of a few issues. If the label revives, it's going to take a long time - and some folk feel this bit of the CD market has collapsed anyway. Have any new CD pressings of any existing title been made available to the distributor in the past 12 months?
Wed, May 18 2011, 6:07PM
#14
RE: Medici Arts
Last October Mr Anthony Annand indicated that new BBC Legends issues were expected to be available in the late spring of 2011. It has of course been an early spring, but we are now a month away from midsummer. Perhaps an update might be forthcoming?
Wed, May 18 2011, 8:29PM
#15
RE: Medici Arts
Go to www.icartists.co.uk/classics/catalogue/cds. I believe they are now the new source of what would in the past have been issued on BBC Legends. The Gilels/Boult CD has received positive reviews, by the way. Another Boult CD will be issued later this month - Brahms 1st performed at the RAH in 1976, and Elgar Enigma Variations at the same venue in 1971, both with the BBC Symphony. The BBC is the source of the performances. There is also an interview with Sir Adrian on the CD. Check out the other available CDs too.
Just to add to the above entry. It appears that Medici Arts has migrated to Berlin and that Euroarts answer for them. The contact is a Dieter Gross. I have just emailed him, mentioning the item I am trying to find. The response was an internal memo addressed to someone called Hanno, enquiring (in German) whether they had a copy, so that they could sell it to me as a special offer for 150 euros - approximately £132. Of course, that's only a personal experience and it may be that officially their customer service will be less explicit. But it does look rather as though BBC Legends is going - or may have gone - down the tubes. My advice to its followers, though it goes against the grain to spend money which will go to paying the salary of folk like Herr Gross, would be to snap up any titles quickly.
Peter Street