Post by Arthur September 12, 2007 (1 of 7)
|
|
I just sent Hyperian the following e-mail (I am extremely disappointed!):
I was delighted to see you were releasing Marc-Andre Hamelin's latest installment of his Alkan survey. But inasmuch as the Concerto has been available on a competing label (in a well-nigh definitive performance), I can't understand why you haven't taken the single step that could have given this new recording a competitive advantage: releasing it on SACD!
Such a pity that labels are so short-sighted.
|
|
|
Post by Castor September 13, 2007 (2 of 7)
|
|
Arthur said:
I just sent Hyperian the following e-mail (I am extremely disappointed!):
I was delighted to see you were releasing Marc-Andre Hamelin's latest installment of his Alkan survey. But inasmuch as the Concerto has been available on a competing label (in a well-nigh definitive performance), I can't understand why you haven't taken the single step that could have given this new recording a competitive advantage: releasing it on SACD!
Such a pity that labels are so short-sighted.
Hi Brett,
I think you are being a little tough on Hyperion with regard to their CD only release of this recording. Remember they are still trying to recover from the financial effects of the law suit against them and the publicity surrounding Robert King won’t have helped either.
I heard an interview on BBC Radio 3 with Simon Perry, a while ago, in which he said that he was very enthusiastic about SACD and wished that he could issue more recordings in that format. It was only the extra costs involved that prevented this.
I do, however, share your frustration when a long-awaited release only appears on RBCD.
Best wishes
Graham
|
|
|
Post by hasbro September 13, 2007 (3 of 7)
|
|
Arthur, what is the "well-nigh definitive performance" of the Concerto for Piano you mentioned in your email? I'm curious to hear it.
|
|
|
Post by wehecht September 13, 2007 (4 of 7)
|
|
hasbro said:
Arthur, what is the "well-nigh definitive performance" of the Concerto for Piano you mentioned in your email? I'm curious to hear it.
Presumably Brett was referring to Hamelin's recording on Music and Arts CD-724 issued in 1992, which is magnificent. Nonetheless I will certainly buy the Hyperion because other Hamelin remakes have been worthwhile alternatives.
It is peculiar, though, that all of Angela Hewitt's more recent solo piano recordings for Hyperion have been on SACD but Hamelin's and Hough's have not. It's hard to imagine Hewitt's Rameau and Couperin outsell Hamelin's Haydn and Alkan but then what do I know. My personal guess is that it's more about engineers/producers and venues than cost.
Bill
|
|
|
Post by Arthur September 14, 2007 (5 of 7)
|
|
hasbro said:
Arthur, what is the "well-nigh definitive performance" of the Concerto for Piano you mentioned in your email? I'm curious to hear it.
Wehecht is correct: I was refering to Hamelin's earlier performance. (Interestingly, International Record Review carefully worded their review to make it sound as if there never had been an earlier recording.)
For Ramesh: I think Hyperian too often gets a free pass (to whit, the review mentioned above) because they are "recovering" from that wicked lawsuit. Perhaps it is too expensive for them to release on SACD. But alas, as a person who used to buy whatever he fancied, but who now only has enough for one, maybe two discs per month, an RBCD is too expensive for me to support with my hard earned dollars, but an SACD would have been purchased immedaitely. (I can see Edvin grimacing now! Yes, I am that shallow!)
And only slightly off topic, I don't understand how I can buy BIS (for example) for $15 on RBCD and $15 on SACD, but Hyperian's cost $16 on RBCD and $22 on SACD. It seems like SACD buyers are being asked to pay a disproportionate share of the "lawsuit penalty". I'd gladly pay an extra dollar "penalty", but $7? It gives me pause on every release!
|
|
|
Post by TerraEpon September 14, 2007 (6 of 7)
|
|
Even before the lawsuit, Hyperion was at the same retail price - $22 in the US -- as now, and charge $26 for SACDs. That's $4, not $7. I don't think your logic follows. Consider Alia Vox which does exactly the same thing -- of course, Alia Vox packaging goes the xtra mile as well.
Also, BIS retails for $20, RBCD or SACD, whereas Chandos, Albany, all the major labels, and many others retail for $18 if not $17. Telarc adds $1 to their SACDs nowadays IIRC, too.
-Joshua
|
|
|
Post by Johnno September 18, 2007 (7 of 7)
|
|
Castor said:
Hi Brett,
I think you are being a little tough on Hyperion with regard to their CD only release of this recording. Remember they are still trying to recover from the financial effects of the law suit against them and the publicity surrounding Robert King won’t have helped either.
I heard an interview on BBC Radio 3 with Simon Perry, a while ago, in which he said that he was very enthusiastic about SACD and wished that he could issue more recordings in that format. It was only the extra costs involved that prevented this.
I do, however, share your frustration when a long-awaited release only appears on RBCD.
Best wishes
Graham
I remember being bitterly disappointed when the promised SACD of Hamelin's marvellous recording of the Busoni concerto never materialised.
|
|
