Is Naxos feeling the pinch

[David Ayers]

The 'list price' of a Naxos CD in the UK seems now to be £7 (over $10 incl. sales tax). Some on UK amazon are listed at over £8. Only a few years ago they were £5. I'm wondering how is pricing elsewhere and whether they can't quite trade on the CD collecting bug as much as they used to. They record a lot of minor repertoire and maybe collectors are getting bored with piling up all that stuff. Any observations?

[A Lark Ascending]

23 new releases in February.

Still £4.99 downloaded from classics online. If there aren't many tracks you can get them much cheaper via e-music. A 4 track Bruckner 3 is £1.68 from there.

Naxos packaging is usually pretty minimalist (though they have done some fancy slipcases).

I'd imagine the rising price in the shops is just general inflation.

[David Ayers]

So much for my theory then.

[Chuck Nessa]

So much for my theory then.

Your theory was correct.

[Д.Д.]

There are quite a few lengthy recent interviews of Klaus Heymann (Naxos founder and CEO) online where he seems to be saying that all is going just fine for Naxos. "Fine" might imply us paying a bit more for Naxos CDs, but just today I placed an order at amazon.it with six Naxos CDs for less than €5 each.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Д.Д.

[A Lark Ascending]

I wonder if a lot of the outlets for physical Naxos discs have vanished. In the dying days of UK record shops they dominated the classical racks. You'd also find them in some book shops in limited numbers - Waterstone's often had a carousel with them.

[Rooster_Ties]

As long as we're in a thread about Naxos, I used to buy nearly every disc in their largely fantastic "American Composers" (which often included transplants to America).

I had an e-mail exchange with someone at Naxos years ago (around 1999, iirc) asking if/when Naxos was going to offer a disc (or two?) of music by Carl Ruggles. There was this (then thought to be) "Complete Works of Ruggles" 2-LP set that Michael Tilson Thomas was largely behind in or about 1980, but other than that - anything approaching a 'complete' set of Ruggles has never appeared on CD (much to my great disappointment). Seems like a Ruggles project (at least with all the orchestral works) would be a text-book case for the Naxos "American" series.

Back then (my exchange with the random Naxos person by e-mail), they indicated such a project was in the works (for Naxos).

Here it is 2012, and still nothing that I'm aware of. What the hell?

Edited February 28, 2012 by Rooster_Ties

[T.D.]

The 'list price' of a Naxos CD in the UK seems now to be £7 (over $10 incl. sales tax). Some on UK amazon are listed at over £8. Only a few years ago they were £5. I'm wondering how is pricing elsewhere and whether they can't quite trade on the CD collecting bug as much as they used to. They record a lot of minor repertoire and maybe collectors are getting bored with piling up all that stuff. Any observations?

I actually read that as a sign that Naxos is doing well. Prices seem to have drifted up over the years. I figure that the relative shortage of new classical releases from other labels gives Naxos some pricing power. The active labels I see most, e.g. Harmonia Mundi and Hyperion, have even higher prices for (truly) new releases.

[Disclosure: I'm not particularly a fan of Naxos, and buy their recordings only as a last resort, but give Mr. Heymann credit for developing a successful business model.]

On the other hand, I don't see how the Naxos catalog of "core repertoire" recordings could not be suffering as a result of the surfeit of cheap re-releases from EMI/DG/Decca/Philips/etc.

[MomsMobley]

Until our overdue Casella thread, comparing Naxos, Chandos & CPO... ** all ** the Naxos Casella discs I've heard have been excellent however.

 

 

 

 

[mikeweil]

I think in Germany Naxos has been outdone by Brilliant Classics, who are offering more bargain box sets on a much broader scale. But their new releases of original productions are on the same price level as Naxos' - who do not license recordings from other labels, whch is an important part of Brilliant Classics' approach at their box sets.

[StarThrower]

 

I like Naxos for their Polish composers series. They have many great recordings of Penderecki, Szymanowski, Lutoslawski, and the excellent quartet recordings of Bacewicz. They have also re-issued many fine recordings from the defunct Collins Classics label, and some Marco Polo recordings.

I also have the Marin Alsop Barber box, which is excellent! And the William Schuman symphonies by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony. And some Elliott Carter recordings.

[A Lark Ascending]

Naxos put most of the big record companies to shame when it comes to the breadth of the music they record.

[Rooster_Ties]

9 hours ago, StarThrower said:

...and the excellent quartet recordings of Bacewicz.

Hot damn!  Had no idea these had been recorded recently. I have 3 or 4 of her quartets (of apparently 7 total) scattered across as many  CD's, and they're all fantastic. Will have to get the complete set soon.  Thanks!!!

[MomsMobley]

Tons of great Naxos, the Bacewicz vc on Chandos w/ Kurkowicz estimable too. Antonio Wit cond. the Polish Radio... worth hearing in ALL repertoire, "even" Mahler. Nasvhille SO Villa-Lobos one of the finest & least expeted American (performed) orchestral sets of last decade

Mo' Greens & Casella cond. Francesco La Vecchia please

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2015 by MomsMobley

[Larry Kart]

I tried Casella's Symphony No. 3. Quickly slips into bombast, it seemed to me. By contrast, the Symphony No. 5 (with its "orchestra tuning up" beginning) of Karl Weigl (1881-1949), an Austrian composer of the same vintage as Casella (1883-1947):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPBrFKJVZbY
 

[johnblitweiler]

On 2/28/2012, 2:12:13, Rooster_Ties said:

As long as we're in a thread about Naxos, I used to buy nearly every disc in their largely fantastic "American Composers" (which often included transplants to America).

 

I had an e-mail exchange with someone at Naxos years ago (around 1999, iirc) asking if/when Naxos was going to offer a disc (or two?) of music by Carl Ruggles. There was this (then thought to be) "Complete Works of Ruggles" 2-LP set that Michael Tilson Thomas was largely behind in or about 1980, but other than that - anything approaching a 'complete' set of Ruggles has never appeared on CD (much to my great disappointment). Seems like a Ruggles project (at least with all the orchestral works) would be a text-book case for the Naxos "American" series.

 

Back then (my exchange with the random Naxos person by e-mail), they indicated such a project was in the works (for Naxos).

 

Here it is 2012, and still nothing that I'm aware of. What the hell?

That Columbia collection of Ruggles is now on CD. http://www.discogs.com/Carl-Ruggles-The-Complete-Music-Of-Carl-Ruggles/release/4369640

[MomsMobley]

On December 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM, Larry Kart said:

I tried Casella's Symphony No. 3. Quickly slips into bombast, it seemed to me. By contrast, the Symphony No. 5 (with its "orchestra tuning up" beginning) of Karl Weigl (1881-1949), an Austrian composer of the same vintage as Casella (1883-1947):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPBrFKJVZbY
 

Well, all those sons of Strauss have their bombastic moments-- Bartok too remember. It's a big orchestra, sometimes you wanna really use it! Look at Jon Leifs too, for example... Weigl I like, string 4-tets and the Syms 5 (as posted) & 6 most so far.

I like Ruggles a lot but I think his 'difficult' personality, in addition to more circumsribed achievement, has mitigated against his being considered with Ives and Varese (say).

We'll talk more about Franz Schmidt anon I hope (this from the Naxos symph cycle under Sinaisky's 'wand')

 

 

Edited December 17, 2015 by MomsMobley

[Larry Kart]

1 hour ago, MomsMobley said:

Well, all those sons of Strauss have their bombastic moments-- Bartok too remember. It's a big orchestra, sometimes you wanna really use it! Look at Jon Leifs too, for example... Weigl I like, string 4-tets and the Syms 5 (as posted) & 6 most so far.

I like Ruggles a lot but I think his 'difficult' personality, in addition to more circumsribed achievement, has mitigated against his being considered with Ives and Varese (say).

We'll talk more about Franz Schmidt anon I hope (this from the Naxos symph cycle under Sinaisky's 'wand')

 

 

Got the Weigl 5 & 6 and his string quartets (they got me into him), am about to order his piano and violin concerto. Like all the Schmidt I've heard, chamber works especially. Leifs -- I've got a fair amount -- seems to me another sort of cat altogether than any of these guys, more akin to Langaard (sp?).

[doneth]

I'm disappointed at Naxos's rising prices, but let's face it, the CD market is collapsing. One used to grab a handful of Naxos CDs like candy bars because they were so cheap, but fewer people were doing that (they want their music online or free), so Naxos had to raise their prices, so I can no longer afford to buy 'em by the handful. Until about ten years ago a Borders store in West Des Moines had a huge selection of Naxos CDs; Borders is gone and Barnes & Noble treats music like greeting cards...or candy bars...

[MomsMobley]

Shostakovich Podrugi (Girlfriends), note theremin in last clip