New Duttons on the way

[JeremyMHolmes]

Buried in their website (found by a number search!) are four new releases:

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7279

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7278

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7277

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7275

Frustratingly the Widor disc has the 'wrong' track details linked to it, as it is surprsing that it is being released within weeks of the Hyperion RPC Vol 55.

The Benjamin and Holbrooke CDs were known to be on their way for a few months now, but the Converse will be inetresting.

[eschiss1]

Hrm- as to the mislabeled Widor description... - American Sketches- music by Converse?...

[Alan Howe]

The Benjamin CD will be especially interesting - such a fine composer.

[Dundonnell]

Hmmmm from me too.

Not quite sure what is happening with Dutton. The recent decision to diversify into issuing non-British music is slightly odd considering the marvellous job the company has done for a number of years now in promoting British music which had, in most cases, never previously been recorded. There is still so much they can do. I used to look forward three times a year to being able to count on around four new Dutton cds of unfamiliar British music that I would certainly buy. Now, it seems, there will be much less.

If Dutton is indeed releasing the Widor Piano Concertos a month after Hyperion are doing the same that appears a trifle silly.

[jerfilm]

I didn't see a release date??  Or are these already on the market in the UK?

Jerry

[Alan Howe]

I imagine that they will be released soon-ish. But there appears to be no official date as yet.

[Dundonnell]

November....I think

[Alan Howe]

That would certainly be about right...

[Gareth Vaughan]

If Dutton is indeed releasing the Widor Piano Concertos a month after Hyperion are doing the same that appears a trifle silly.

An understatement if ever there was one. It's disturbing that Dutton seem to wish to expand their area of repertoire. There is so much good English music that needs recording. Trespassing on Hyperion's RPC territory seems silly. OK, they gave us a disk of Godard's 1st PC and the Introduction & Allegro, but not the 2nd PC. Now these works I know were on Mike Spring's list to record for Hyperion. He would have given us both PCs and the Intro. & Allegro - but now it is unlikely that Hyperion will bother to record a Godard CD in the RPC series, so we shall be deprived of the 2nd PC, unless someone else issues it.

[Dundonnell]

If Dutton is indeed releasing the Widor Piano Concertos a month after Hyperion are doing the same that appears a trifle silly.

An understatement if ever there was one. It's disturbing that Dutton seem to wish to expand their atea of repertoire. There is so much good English music that needs recording. Trespassing on Hyperion's RPC territory seems silly. OK, they gave us a disk of Godard's 1st PC and the Introduction & Allegro, but not the 2nd PC. Now these works I know were on Mike Spring's list to record for Hyperion. He would have given us both PCs and the Intro. & Allegro - but now it is unlikely that Hyperion will bother to record a Godard CD in the RPC series, so we shall be deprived of the 2nd PC, unless someone else issues it.

I know a little (but only a little ) about the way record companies operate.Some employ repertoire managers, others are more the personal fiefdom of the owner. Decisions on what repertoire to record are based on a number of factors including commercial viability, current availability or non-availability of particular pieces of music on disc, personal taste and these vary from time to time and from company to company.

Given the profit margins on individual cds issued by the smaller companies I cannot see the sense in not making every possible effort to engage in more effective liaison between companies to avoid this sort of situation.

Or is this naive in the extreme?

[Gareth Vaughan]

It sounds to me like sound commercial (not to say common) sense.

[Dundonnell]

Better let CPO and Cameo Classics  know that Dutton are bringing out the Holbrooke Saxophone Concerto before we end up with a Saxophone Trio

[Alan Howe]

It's not always a bad thing to have duplication of repertoire - especially if a particular label produces a dud. But of course I understand the arguments against such duplication.

[albion]

Not quite sure what is happening with Dutton. The recent decision to diversify into issuing non-British music is slightly odd considering the marvellous job the company has done for a number of years now in promoting British music which had, in most cases, never previously been recorded. There is still so much they can do. I used to look forward three times a year to being able to count on around four new Dutton cds of unfamiliar British music that I would certainly buy. Now, it seems, there will be much less.

I also felt a slight pang of alarm at Dutton's 'toe-in-the-water' exploration of more nationally-diverse repertoire. Of course, this is purely selfish on my part - but I've come to regard Dutton as very much the modern-day equivalent of Lyrita. Like Dundonnell, every release-month has been such a treasurable event for several years now that I sincerely hope initiative and production will not tail-off. Having said that, a company that gives us two substantial works by Holbrooke (Aucassin and Nicolette and the Saxophone Concerto) can't be all bad!

Given the profit margins on individual cds issued by the smaller companies I cannot see the sense in not making every possible effort to engage in more effective liaison between companies to avoid this sort of situation.

Or is this naive in the extreme?

Certainly, it is likely that two competing recordings of by-the-wayside repertoire will effectively 'pinch' customers from each other. In this particular instance, many listeners intrigued by the prospect of hearing Widor's PCs will content themselves with one or the other. This is where communication is vital, and not only between MDs and A&R personnel: many members of this and other forums constantly lobby recording companies for specific works and many of us have personal or associative contacts within relevant organisations.

Anyway, I collected Macfarren's Robin Hood and the Hyperion Stanford Cello disc from the record shop today, so these are top-priority for the moment!

[RoothamRVWFinzi]

If Dutton is indeed releasing the Widor Piano Concertos a month after Hyperion are doing the same that appears a trifle silly.

An understatement if ever there was one. It's disturbing that Dutton seem to wish to expand their area of repertoire. There is so much good English music that needs recording. Trespassing on Hyperion's RPC territory seems silly. OK, they gave us a disk of Godard's 1st PC and the Introduction & Allegro, but not the 2nd PC. Now these works I know were on Mike Spring's list to record for Hyperion. He would have given us both PCs and the Intro. & Allegro - but now it is unlikely that Hyperion will bother to record a Godard CD in the RPC series, so we shall be deprived of the 2nd PC, unless someone else issues it.

I am in agreeance with the above. There is still an extremely rich vein of neglected English music yet to be mined. I am very disappointed..........for purely selfish reasons, I have to admit. However, the Holbrooke, the Benjamin and especially the Ronald Corp choral music (interestingly, Mr. Corp is also a Church of England priest) all sound mouth-watering.

More Rootham, W.H. Bell and some R. O. Morris pretty please!!!!!!

Sincere regards,

Eric.