Mercury Classics
Wed, Apr 11 2012, 10:02AM
Did anyone else's heart sink when reading the news item on this website about the launch of Mercury Classics? Perhaps it will have some good projects - but the absence of any named ones, and the transparent management/marketing 'speak', make me suspect that this will be a crossover label.
Which I suppose is fine if you like crossover. The only problem is that I've never met anyone (whose opinions I value) who does like it: neither followers of pop nor classical. Perhaps I've just been unlucky and not seen the light?
Wed, Apr 11 2012, 1:14PM
#2
RE: Mercury Classics
The logic of the major companies continues to mystify me. Decca (Universal) have been reissuing some great recordings from the early days of LP & stereo on the Australian Eloquence label (some appearing on CD for the first time) but do not distribute them here. In the early days I bought by mail order from Australia, now they are available here via an independent distributor. With surely a smaller market in Australia than here this seems to defy all common sense.
Wed, Apr 11 2012, 3:55PM
#3
RE: Mercury Classics
Yo Yo Ma has done some interesting explorations of other cultures, but i don't suppose that that would be considered "crossover" (which usually seems to be "opera"* singers singing more popular songs.
It's a case of wait and see really.
best wishes,
P
*sometimes "opera" singers who have ony ever sung one or two arias in concerts.
Wed, Apr 11 2012, 11:02PM
#4
RE: Mercury Classics
Anything Universal does should be treated with the utmost suspicion.
I, also, fear the worse but it could end up with young musicians traversing the standard repertoire.
Thu, Apr 12 2012, 1:50AM
#5
RE: Mercury Classics
What is the thinking behind this new label? I agree that the short extract in the News section only feels me with a mixed sense of foreboding and relief. Foreboding about the concept for the label and relief that I can choose just to ignore the darned thing...
It is such a shame that some labels far more identifiable, such as the 20/21 DG series, have got pushed out in favour of 'crossover'. It always seemed to me that signing somebody like Aimard and then not relesing anything through 20/21 is rather silly. But then again DG dropped Oliver Knussen rather quickly and seem incapable of releasing contemporary music unless it involves a star soloist. With the probable closure of the SWR Orchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg there will be one less orchestra willing to release large scale comtemporary scores.
And then I heard that DG had signed Yannick Nezet-Seguin and would be releasing another Tchaikovsky 6th from Rotterdam. Hmmm...
Thu, Apr 12 2012, 3:40PM
#6
RE: Mercury Classics
Let's not speculate or keep guessing. Let's see what this Mercury General Manager can do and, then, we may start the attack.
My main preoccupation is the name of Warner Classics. The label seems to drag to survive. We have not witnessed any great project over the last years. However, let's see what they may have in store for us.
Parla
Thu, Apr 12 2012, 11:40PM
#7
RE: Mercury Classics
Let's not speculate or keep guessing. Let's see what this Mercury General Manager can do and, then, we may start the attack.
My main preoccupation is the name of Warner Classics. The label seems to drag to survive. We have not witnessed any great project over the last years. However, let's see what they may have in store for us.
Parla
Warner announced this some time back, if you remember.
Lousy label. They encode everything.
I avoid them.
Sun, Apr 15 2012, 8:15PM
#8
RE: Mercury Classics
Hi John. I'm not feeling extremely optimistic about it, but I would be delighted to be pleasantly surprised! Meanwhile, I have PLENTY of other recordings to listen to (as I'm guessing that you do too?). ;-)
Best wishes,
Petra
Hi John.
Yes it does sound like crossover, doesn't it?
I think it will depend to a certain extent on what the music projects are.
Parla had a good point on the prog-rock thread when he said that he thinks crossover doesn't really work because it leans more towards one form (rock say) than the other (classical).
I don't want to re-hash that debate again, but having been away for a few weeks I can't locate it on a cursory search.
I grew up liking that form, but we didn't call it crossover then. Obviously it was called 'progressive'. But I still have a soft spot for say Mike Oldfield and composer David Bedford did some slightly similar stuff with The Odyssey and Star's End, both of which I have on vinyl.
It's interesting to see that a Nitin Sawney gets a prom all to himself nowadays. Does he come under 'world music'? I have just one CD by him which is I suppose a mixture of forms - like ambient and jazz.
I think we'll have to wait and judge the music on musical merits, and hopefully not commercial ones.
Regards
Mark