Records International - still in business?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Hurray!

[MartinH]

Dealing with RI has been frustrating lately. He's just down the highway an hour's drive, but I find Presto so much easier. I'll place an order with RI and fingers crossed it may or may not be delivered. Now that Arkivmusic seems to have gone to pot, getting some music has been difficult to say the least. I still really miss Harold Moore's!

[Alan Howe]

It's a shame, though, isn't it? I appreciate JJ for his mini-reviews and for his evident love of neglected repertoire, but for me, ordering from him would always be a last resort.

[Mark Thomas]

What's going on with RecordsInternational? First there was a notice saying that the December Catalogue would be delayed for a few days, and now I'm getting "403 Forbidden. Access denied" when I try to access the site.

[Alan Howe]

I got the same message earlier today. All very odd.

[Mark Thomas]

The website is back online but the December catalogue is slim pickings.

[Alan Howe]

Much as one appreciated RI in times past, what exactly is its current raison d'être - especially if its web presence is, to say the least, unreliable?

[John Boyer]

Much as one appreciated RI in times past, what exactly is its current raison d'être [...]?

Sic transit gloria mundi. 

[eschiss1]

The December catalog is briefer, but still does have the Sgambati symphony and Marschner overture to the overtures series (also the 1927 Wolf-Ferrari opera and a disc of Margola's almost certainly Romantic music). Also it does contain several issues of interest -outside- our remit that are of interest to some (well, at least this one) member of our forum (e.g. Meyer's symphony, which has been recorded before - as I remember seeing in my library's catalog... a 1985 release of the 1982 premiere, so this is new.)

[Mark Thomas]

Indeed, Eric, but the point is that once upon a time many of RIs offerings were only easily obtainable from them. Nowadays the ubiquity of online sources, either to purchase physical CDs or download tracks, makes RI a very long way from being the unique one stop shop it once was. I don't want to see RI disappear, of course, but it no longer has a USP.

[Alan Howe]

Mark's right. If RI are no longer offering anything unique, then they're going to go under.