EMI Sale to Universal
Mon, Nov 14 2011, 9:18AM
Much in the press on the sale of EMI to Universal but little coverage of what this means for the classical music world. Just looking at my shelves (pretensiously arranged by record label) I can easily see the dominance of EMI; overshadowing DECCA, DG and Philips. But now of course they are all the same company and I reckon that about 80% of my collection is now Universal owned. The remainder made up of Telarc, RCA BMG, Sony and Naxos.
My question: is this a concern? A monopoly such as this might have made a difference during the 50's, 60's and 70's when labels were actually making studio recordings, but these days a look at the back pages of Gramophone reveals that it is the smaller labels that are making the more interesting and rewarding recordings.
This coupled with the news that copyright remains with Universal for recordings from the 1960s places even more onus on them to open up their archives (as downloads please - no need for more CDs).
It also means that many singers and recording artists who recorded for EMI and DECCA et al can now have their entire legacy re-issued as more massive box sets that I never find the time to listen to. Although I may be tempted by the 178CD box set of Joan Sutherland operas if it contained the Giulini Don Giovanni and was available for less than £50!
Mon, Nov 14 2011, 2:08PM
#2
RE: EMI Sale to Universal
I don't quite understand why it is so important to Martin to exclude the production of CDs?
It's not THAT important to me but I think download only back catalogue releases for those recordings that have not already been re-released makes sense for the following reasons:
- Reduce resource use - the physical process of creating, labelling, packaging, transporting a CD adds to our environmental foot print and downloads have, while not zero, fewer environmental impacts;
- Save space - one would tend to purchase archive items to duplicate rather than develop a classical library so i see no reason for many copies of the same piece on CD;
- More likely that they will be released - i doubt production costs - including artwork, translations, essays, labels etc - make many re-releases (other than the usual suspects) viable so I see downloads as the only feasible / economic option attractive to record companies
- Death of the record/CD shop - part of the joy of CDs was comparing physical LPs / Cds in shops. Who does that these days? The classical store is all but gone - in part thanks to downloads but that ship of resistance has long sailed. All you end up doing is comparing reviews or pictures on on-line sites. So why does the physical disc need to enter into the equation?
- Most are AAD or ADD so there are few if any sound loss issues.
- Massive record collections neatly lined up on purpose built shelves (and arranged by recording label) do not attract members of the opposite sex. I speak from experience. No woman has ever walked into my lounge and said "oh - you've got the Varviso Norma...that turns me on..." So perhaps I'm just bitter!
Mon, Nov 14 2011, 3:41PM
#3
RE: EMI Sale to Universal
The "death" of EMI was inevitable once it fell into the Hands of somebody who could not pay for it.
I hear that Citibank took a haircut but it was nowhere near being a "number 1."
The company, of course, has been split with the recording business going to Universal, a French company, and the music publishing side to Sony.
If Universal pursue the same practice as they have for the other labels then that is the end of the back catalogue other than reissues in massive boxes that are, mainly, artiste driven.
If the only way of getting to the largest back catalogue in the recorded universe is through downloads then so be it. One can always transfer any download to a CD.
Incidentally, both Bertlesmann and Warner were interested but could not match either Universal's offer or the deadline set by the bank, or chose not too.
Mon, Nov 14 2011, 10:10PM
#4
RE: EMI Sale to Universal
Massive record collections neatly lined up on purpose built shelves (and arranged by recording label) do not attract members of the opposite sex. I speak from experience. No woman has ever walked into my lounge and said "oh - you've got the Varviso Norma...that turns me on..." So perhaps I'm just bitter!
Mrs P has that status, when after walking into my bachelor pad, she said "what a splendid selection of Mozart Piano concertos!"
Other ladies with their mutterings of "they'll have to go" ruled themselves out.
Remember, you choose the lady, not the other way round. (I do hope Mrs P doesn't read this!)
P
Mon, Nov 14 2011, 10:18PM
#5
RE: EMI Sale to Universal
I am not yet much tempted by many downloads, but I accept that somewhere, we will reach a tipping point. I imagine that Universal are not going to but the EMI back catalogue and not sell it - but possibly to get the Beatles and other plum popular stuff, they had to take on all that HMV classical stuff.
The advantage of downloads for the music company is the reduction in cost - the storage of the files on the web site rather than an enormous pile of unsold polycarbonate.
I wonder how much longer some of the "golden classics" will remain saleable. Surely there cannot be many more collectors interested in Callas or Klemperer who haven't bought them already.
P
Mon, Nov 14 2011, 10:58PM
#6
RE: EMI Sale to Universal
I think it was almost inevitable for Emi to concede defeat. Their productions, the last two decades, were mostly recycling than major new works. However, the greatest problem is the major decline in the world of the classical music, the rather mediocre level of the artists of today, the way audience, people, politics (official policy on culture) and the institutions face the fate of this great legacy of western Art. I won't be surprised if rather soon we have practically only the shadow of what we used to experience and enjoy in the 50's, 60's, 70's and somehow even in the 80's.
For the same reasons of my affection for these bygone years, I still believe that a form of "tangible" collection (CDs, SACDs, LPs, etc) is absolutely needed, if we don't want to move to a complete virtual reality listening experience. Fortunately, there are plenty (numerous in fact) independent labels worldwide that offer products of very high standards...still.
Your argumentation, Martin, on this matter might make sense to you and some others, but not for me and I'm sure for quite a few others (judging from responses in these forums and from all my friends, musicians, artists and collectors). The death of the record or CD shop will come with the end of Music and Arts (it might be near, but as long as they are still alive -and rather well- I will enjoy the real thing, the closest to "live"). By the way, high-end equipments require hing-end "products". And the listening experience is a ritual (appropriate space, the best possible seat in the listening area, highest possible reproduction of the playback and so on) that cannot be confined in a hard disc and some software. Finally, the good independent labels create a repertory and guide collectors in a way that simple downloading cannot do. Reviews on magazines and printed matter cover only a rather quite small fraction of what may be available in the world market (Gramophone reviews annually about 210-250 CDs, while worldwide there are at least 60.000).
Anyway, we live in very difficult and ominous times. As the wise Chinese say: We have to hope for the best, but (most probably) we have to be prepared for the worst.
Parla
Mon, Nov 14 2011, 11:25PM
#7
RE: EMI Sale to Universal
Phlogiston. Perhaps you are being sarcastic regarding collectors buying Callas and Klemperer. Both were long dead when I entered this world, yet that didn't stop me. In the same manner, I think my children will make up their mind about these superior artists and buy their records after me. (That is if music critic mafia hasn't killed their reputation in cobwebs, on historic performance practice, beforehand.)
Tue, Nov 15 2011, 1:34AM
#8
RE: EMI Sale to Universal
Mrs P has that status, when after walking into my bachelor pad, she said "what a splendid selection of Mozart Piano concertos!"
Girl in a million there, phlogiston. Even so, I bet she doesn't put them back in the right place.
While I agree with the overall concern of the recording industry turning into a monopoly situation, I don't agree that the back catalogue should just be available as downloads. I for one still prefer the CD as I rely heavily and on an ongoing basis on information provided in the accompanying booklet.
I don't quite understand why it is so important to Martin to exclude the production of CDs ? - I've seen you advocating this before. For all I care, I would support the issuing records on vinyl as well, as long as people want it. Also, bearing in mind the resistance which ensued when Gramophone went to download-only with its Editor's choice, the CD clearly (to me anyway) still has a place.