Never-released unsung recordings

[Gareth Vaughan]

A commercial download of the Herbstsymphonie in an absolutely superb performance conducted by Michel Swierczewski was once available from MicMacMusic - no longer, unfortunately.

Oh dear. I missed that completely. But am I correct in saying that no physical CD of the work has been released? Of course, it was supposed to have been done by ASV but they gave up their Marx series.

[Alan Howe]

You are correct, Gareth. The only hints as to possible recordings have involved Rasilainen (for cpo) and Chailly (presumably Decca).

One can find excerpts from the Swierczewski performance on YouTube (I haven't checked whether it's all there).

[minacciosa]

I have that performance, indeed downloaded from MicMac music. I find it musically superior to Botstein, though Botstein has a marginally superior orchestra.

[adriano]

I am of your same opinion, minacciosa :-) Incidentally, I also have broadcast audios of Marx's Nordland-Rhapsodie, Verklärtes Jahr and Festliche Fanfarenmusik.

[jerfilm]

Whatever became of the Paul Graener Cello Concerto recording that CPO was to have released LAST year???  Also there was a 2 CD set of Hausseger works also set for 2015........

Jerry

[adriano]

Don't forget, we UC fans and specialists are a big minority!

But even top repertoire sales have become higly problematic.
cpo may also have to go over their books from time to time - and to face constantly sales dropping figures! Some cancellations will become necessary, since also private sponsor's money runs out. Even to noble institutions like Palazzetto Brun Zane I give just a couple of year's life. I hear from unofficial channels that also Hyperion are in need to discuss about future programs, which were enthusiastically planned years ago

http://slippedisc.com/2015/04/classical-record-sales-just-keep-on-falling/
http://slippedisc.com/2016/06/worst-ever-us-classical-sales-chart/

and look at the crap which is selling, in a way or another:
http://www.billboard.com/charts/classical-albums
Brahms at place 12 and Bach at 14, then, of course, a Kaufmann - but only at place 16, etc. etc.

A bit diifferent, but tragic enough also on
http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/classical-artist-albums-chart/

Now just some figures: If, for example, you want a recording published by Guild, you have to pay everything, except for the booklet and CD pressing. In some cases they also finance the liner notes' translations. So, if you show up with a finished master (production fully sponsored) and the liner notes, you willl also have to purchase 350 CDs at 12 Euros each (which finances Guild's pressing and printing expenses, plus some little advertising). Depending from sales, there are some royalties paid, which makes 15% on sales prices, but only after Guild has recouped the total costs of production (??). Compared to labels like Naxos and Hyperion etc, Guild is still paying royalties, and this is fair, even though it does not bring in much.
I have never seen sales statistics of my Brun CDs there, I have diverted royalties' payments to the Brun estate, and just wonder how all this sells! This Brun project was fully financed by the composer's son (who, unfortunately died before it was completed) - it costed over 400'000 Euros! This sum was fully managed by myself, and don't think I took care to get big conductor's fees!
Before and without this, there was no company who ever showed any interest in this composer, even at a time I enquired at other labels, mentioning that some 50% of the sponsoring was already secured. And this budget could only be realised with Eastern orchestras. Over here in Switzerland or even in Germany, it would have costed almost the double; since also no Radio orchestra/station wanted to co-produce; some of their mangers found Brun's music not good or not interesting enough.
So I always have mixed feelings reading those rewievers writing "thanks to Guild this has become available"...

One day or another, we UC fans too, we will have to face reality - just look at all the shops closing down!

[Richard Moss]

My interest in 'unsungs' (composers and works) is only 10-15 years old so others will have a much better perspective than me.  However, in response to Hadrianus' point about a disappearing market, it seems to me we have had maybe three 'good' eras of unsungs: (i) the BBC (and continental) radio  broadcasts over many decades and which may (or not?!) have been preserved - for example BBC R3 'composer of the week' series has, I understand, often commissioned first performances of hitherto unsung (or even unheard) works - oh that Dutton could have the freedon, under contract, to go to work on these!!!, (ii) particularly former soviet regimes who deemed it necessary to record ALL their 'cultural' music - good, bad and worse (MELODIYA etc) and (iii) in more recent times, BIS, CHANDOS, HYPERION, CPO, NAXOS and many others who have brought both unsung composers and/or their unsung works to the market.

If Hadrianus is right, we might be shortly entering a bit of a cultural dark age in respect of unsungs as internet downloads and self-publishing of 'pop' music will (probably?) reduce even further record label margins (I doubt i-tunes type pricing is long-term sustainable!) and hence their willingness to fund unsungs being prepared and recorded.  Perhaps our way forward lies in an organised programme (rather than haphazard one-offs) of releases via crowd-funding (Kickstarter et al) like the recent Reinecke Cello concerto.  The obvious downside is that this mechanism will tend to exclude many top-class performers - will they end up pricing themselves out of a lucrative job or will the appeal of the  'latest' artist - Lang Lang or whoever - still sell enough CDs to keep things going?

Back in the box Richard!

[Alan Howe]

Mind you, I don't think of the US as particularly fertile soil for the promotion of unsung composers. I'd really like to know what jpc/cpo's sales figures are like.

[adriano]

I think, just the fact than any of those enterprising labels (cpo, Chandos, Hyperion etc.) do not reveal sales figures is a proof for, that golden times are gone by and that something is not right.
At the time I was working for Marco Polo, Klaus Heymann was continuously complaining how bad this label was selling and that he would be happy if that catalogue would at least break even; that's why he invested with small budgets. This was sometimes compensated by better Naxos sales figures - and certainly for using the revenues of his business in the audio device fields to finance his labels. He was not a real pioneer as far as unsung repertoire is concerned, but for engaging cheaper (and idealistic) musicians to realise some good/interesting reacordings - and, at the same time, budget classical CDs. But remember that Vox-Turnabout had done this long before with their LPs: those were the pioneers - toghether with some other smaller (not not cheaper) labels. Genesis & Co were sold at usual expensive prices.
But today, most labels lack investing capitals; sales have become so low that producing unsung repertoire (not to spaek about current repertoire; this sells already miserably!) has become a purely prestige thing and depending also from private sponsorings. They are carefully enough not to admit this. Even Naxos now are preferring musicians paying for their recordings - and look at how strange thir catalogue has becoe witgh all those contemporary titles, which in earlier times were higly despised.
The unsung repertoire will become saturated in a short time too, I suppose, or I am almost sure. I doubt that there will be so many hidden masterworks left over still waiting for us. The contributions in this thread already demonstrate how difficult it is - and will increasingly be - looking for more good unsung pieces. And who is going to buy them to have them produced without loss? A minority like us?
The only chances left would be some radio stations and their orchestras, but they too are closing down one after another. The BBC, France Radio and some bigger German stations will survive (after so many other with classical departments had to cut, or even close down) but they have enough troubles already keeping up with current repertoire!
And what about the concert-hall business? Just have a look around how desperately those too many orchestras are trying to survive and to change their politics to win back audiences.
Let us admit: classical music has become more and more a luxury. Earlier "nationalistic" cultural engagements were not bad ideas as that, but, unfortunately, they were set up by the wrong political régimes, favorising only composers and performers who would join their parties. But a lot of money was invested! This conception could be a good one: use more state money for culture. But it's too late now, which goverment/state is not complaining of having enough money anymore? Cultural budgets are always the first ones to be cut down in difficult times. Now, even here in Switzerland they start doing this.There is, generally, not even enough money around for our secure social survival - looking at all what happens around today - so why support culture, which is a minoritie's affair?
I am perhaps too extremely pessimistic. And I even dare to admit to be happy of being already old. Cannot guarantee to be able to face all what is ready to come. Politically first, culturally second. Mankind's has sunk considerably in the last years: brutality, ignorance and stupidity prevail. People walk aroun d with weapond in their pockets and kill eachother for the silliest reasons; goverment are ruled by uncapables, by ignorants and by psychopaths, etc. etc. Under such conditions, how can art survive, where to is it going?
Coming back to "UC's future" theme, I have personally witnessed its raise since 1987 - or even before this year of my first Marco Polo recording. I was struggling for Raff & Co. already in the 1970's - but these were golden years, where producers had enough money coming from current music repertoire - or pop sales, in order to finance their classical frivolities (Legge was producing mostly for himself and for his wife, not really for mankind). And since this euphoria carried on not controlled carefully enough, the decline had to come just with the birth of internet, where pop music on CD started having big sales losses. A former manager of DGG-Polydor told me that already in Karajan's pre-digital LP times, without Polydor's pop and light music repertoire, he would never having been able to finance all this craze. Decca had their Rolling Stones financing Wagner's (Culshaw's) "Ring" and Tebaldi and EMI/HMV had their Beatles financing (their) Karajan, Callas & Co. Don't forget, immense producing budgets were needed to set up such kind of productions!
So, just let us pray (to whom is a personal matter), that all what is already happening, does not happen all too fast - or that a few miracles will happen one of these days!
Frankly, there are some days I even get bouts of bad conscience for being a composer and conductor! It's too late now to switch over to more urgent and socially useful activites... I was never convinced that music would save humantity anway; to those saying that after the great wars, concert-halls were always the first buildings to be re-built, I used to answer: no, it was the hospitals.

[Alan Howe]

The unsung repertoire will become saturated in a short time too, I suppose

I sincerely hope not. There's still an enormous amount of music left to discover if the history books are any guide...

[Mark Thomas]

I've written several times before here that we have been living through a golden age for unsung music recordings and, like every golden age, its time will pass. I'm not as pessimistic as hadrianus, though. Certainly, it's clear that most recordings of unsung repertoire are made now with private funding, but at least the sponsors are there and are still coughing up the money. Luckily, most of these aren't vanity projects either, but do result in very worthwhile extensions of the unsung repertoire. Although times are tougher for recording labels, they do seem to be finding ways to survive, and the music schools continue to churn out (probably way too many) skilled young performers who are eager for novel repertoire and seem happy with the idea of recording for nothing, just to give themselves a showcase.

That said, the market for classical music generally does seem to be in steady decline, be it recordings or live performance. As an example, I was giving a talk last night to a local music society, whose membership had declined by 50% in the last five years as older members left and couldn't be replaced. The same with a society I spoke to last month. Even an opera house like the Met is struggling to rise above 60% occupancy, and I too have heard of the financial woes of some of our prominent recording labels. Despite that I'll keep on promoting my own unsung causes both by persuasion and, occasionally, with money even though this golden age may just prove to be a glorious sunset.

[MartinH]

There are too many music school graduates, to be sure. Where I live there are many players I know who have their PhD in music performance on oboe, bassoon, clarinet, horn...all unemployed, or at least not working in music. They don't get it: music is a tough business and those few orchestral jobs that open are going to go to the best players out there, and the competition in fierce. So they sell coffee by day and play in usually crappy amateur orchestras at night. But they have zero interest in obscure repertoire. What's worse, they don't even know the standard repertoire. How can someone graduate, with a PhD even, from a music school having never heard Beethoven 7, Brahms 3, Mahler 1? The percussionists are the worst of all. No longer can a conductor assume the drummers know the instruments to use, the style, the traditions. So when the supposedly musically educated don't know or care about classical music, what chance will it have? The unsung have even less. I do what I can. I conduct an annual Christmas concert and always find a way to get something not very well known into the program. Some Victor Herbert, obscure Tchaikovsky, George Chadwick, and Lumbye never hurt anyone and the audiences have always responded well. If only Raff had written something suitable!

[Alan Howe]

How can someone graduate, with a PhD even, from a music school having never heard Beethoven 7, Brahms 3, Mahler 1?

Easily, apparently. But that's all part of the dumbing-down of education that's been going on everywhere for years now.

Anyway, we're veering wildly off-topic here. Let's stick with never-released recordings, please.

[Double-A]

How can someone graduate, with a PhD even, from a music school having never heard Beethoven 7, Brahms 3, Mahler 1?

Easily, apparently. But that's all part of the dumbing-down of education that's been going on everywhere for years now.

Anyway, we're veering wildly off-topic here. Let's stick with never-released recordings, please.

You are right about getting off topic but you opened up an important can of worms here.

Do we know that musical education is worse than earlier times?  If anybody should question conventional wisdom before applying it, it is people at this forum.  The problem that young (and even not so young) musicians don't have depth of repertoire is not new; I remember reading such laments when I was young.

The reason was and is the focus of the students:  The young students spend years of many hours of daily practice acquiring the skills of a virtuoso--and getting to know the standard concerto repertoire for their instrument.  But those skills are not required for good performance in an orchestra.  The result is players with little orchestra practice and knowledge about the broader repertoire and often insufficient sight-reading ability.

[eschiss1]

Re music education being worse: it isn't worse in all places now than in the mid-19th century in a number of places (England on average...), that's sure, anyway...