Is it Difficult for an Orchestra to Make a CD?

[Hofrat]

Sponsors are a very good thing to have.  Some unsungs have associations backing them which have the resources to finance the many sides needed to record and distribute a CD.  An excellent example of this is the unsung Swedish composers.  Joseph Martin Kraus has an association to back him and as a result Naxos has recorded at least 10 CD's of his music (with more in the making).  The Stuttgart State Opera staged one of his operas a year or so ago (and it was not a little singspiel but a full fledged opera).  On the other hand, Joachim Eggert does not have an association to back him, rather a hand full of fanatics (myself included!!) who are paupers compared to the associations.  It took us over 10 years to get him recorded.   

[Ilja]

A source of income that shouldn't be forgotten is tied in with the composers that are performed. Their families will often subsidise recordings to keep the composer's name alive, and there are also many societies devoted to a certain composer's heritage, such as the Raff, Draeseke, Urspruch, etc. societies. Also, ad-hoc subsidies are often acquired from institutions devoted to national musical heritage. Swedish classical music, for instance, is relative well-represented in the catalogue because there are many Swedish institutions that give money to have it recorded.

[monafam]

Very good information and discussion so far!  I don't mind if the topic goes on a tangent because that's what helps it to move and stay interesting.  While I had an idea that a lot went into it, I didn't realize the cost or HOW much actually went into making a CD.

It makes it all the more frustrating when "Sung" works are recorded almost ad nauseum by so many conductors/labels/artists.  Couple this with the fact that there are also a lot of recordings by more contemporary composers that write more dissonant pieces**, and it's tragedy that we don't have more to enjoy by the "unsungs."   

**I state this as someone who is not opposed to all contemporary music, but one who does prefer tonality and some semblance of order to my music!