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Presto News - 16th February 2009Copyright to be extended |
 I feel I've got a challenge on my hands this week - how to make an article about copyright interesting! The thing is, something happened this week that is likely to have a significant impact on the availability of many older recordings. Last Thursday the European Parliament’s influential legal affairs committee recommended extending the copyright term for recordings to 95 years. It still has to be approved by the Council of Ministers, but most insiders expect this to be passed into law without any further problems. So what effect is this likely to have on the classical record industry? At the moment the European copyright term is 50 years from the date of recording. That means that anyone with a 50-year-old LP can transfer it to CD and put it out on their own label. Several labels have made quite a business out of this, led particularly by Naxos and Regis. In reality it is not as simple as that as, to produce a good quality transfer from a recording fifty years old, you need several copies of the original LPs and an outstanding remastering engineer. Naxos have two such engineers in the form of Mark Obert-Thorn and Ward Marston, and it is not unusual for reviewers to find their remasterings (from LPs) actually sound better than the originals (from the master tapes).  Elgar conducting in 1931 The major record labels - who are generally the ones who own the copyrights in the first place - have been fighting for years to have the current 50 years extended (in the United States it is already 95 years). If (when) this copyright extension becomes law, the likes of Naxos will have to negotiate and buy the rights if they wish to continue their historical series. I'm not convinced that there is enough money in these re-issues for them to do that so suspect they might just stop. Now, this of course won't be a problem for us music lovers providing the label that owns the copyright re-issues the discs themselves but, if current form is anything to go by, they won't. Often the major labels don't even seem to know what they have got in their archives as the people who really know the catalogue have now long since moved on. It is all very worrying and although there are genuine arguments as to why the copyright term should be extended, if the net result is that many fascinating, and sometimes great recordings become unavailable, that is - in my view - a too hefty a price to pay. Just last month Naxos re-issued the recording of Elgar conducting his own First Symphony. The recording used to be available on EMI, but was deleted about 4 years ago. I've asked them many times to re-issue it but they haven't. Thankfully Naxos now have, but in the future they might not be able to. This is just one example of many. When you start looking at some of the great opera recordings they have bought back to life, as well as the series' on singers like Gigli, Caruso, Björling and McCormack, you realise quite quickly that if Naxos didn't do them, no-one else would. I hope I turn out to be wrong, but at the moment I fear the worst.
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 Elgar conducts Elgarincluding Symphony No. 1, recorded 1930London Symphony Orchestra, Edward Elgar |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
New Releases16th February 2009 |
This is just the pick of the recent releases. The New Releases and Future Releases pages are always available for browsing all the new and forthcoming releases. |
 Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 104 (complete) - LIMITED EDITIONPhilharmonia Hungarica, Antal DoratiI wouldn't normally start with a re-issue, but this is a really important set of recordings and it is limited edition and may only be around for a few weeks, or less (the recent Messiaen Collection on DG lasted only 9 days). We have a lot of pre-orders already, but if you're still considering it you may end up disappointed if you don't move quickly. Recorded between 1969 and 1972, this was the first complete cycle of Haydn’s symphonies. Hungarian-born Antal Dorati was a Haydn pioneer and specialist who also recorded Haydn operas for Philips during the same period. |
 A Spotless RoseGabrieli Consort, Paul McCreeshFrom music spanning the 15th century (Josquin, Mouton) to the present (Adès, Tavener), Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort pick a bouquet of choral music composed in homage to the Virgin Mary that enchants and cleanses the ear. |
 Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel“As usual, the forces wielded in this live recording from Caracas approach the gargantuan: they include 17 trumpets, 15 trombones and a mere 96 strings. And again the playing quality is exceptional. Brass shining like gold; velvet, purring double-basses; gambolling woodwinds; killer percussion; violinists with 20 fingers, never afraid whatever the speed.” The Times, 6th February 2009 **** |
Prokofiev - Incidental MusicRadio Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Michail JurowskiA very nice box set from Capriccio of Prokofiev’s complete incidental music, featuring some of his most well known musical scores. The Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin play with fire and panache under the baton of conductor, Michail Jurowski. |
 Foerster - Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra, Hermann BäumerJosef Bohuslav Foerster (1859-1951) gave his 3rd Symphony the title “Life” and it is easy to hear the influences of Wagner and Dvorak in this stunning work. Symphony No. 4 was the Bohemian composer’s most ambitious work and this superb performance by the Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra under Hermann Bäumer is sure to bring this sadly neglected work to a new and admiring audience. |
 Haydn - Late Keyboard WorksGary Cooper (fortepiano)"The inspiration for this recording was derived from that all-too-rare occurrence: a perfect marriage of instrument and composer's music. The language of Haydn's later keyboard writing, containing such infinitesimal subtlety of expression, inflection, dynamic range, colour, and every mood under the sun, from tempest to sunny wit, seems to me perfectly matched by the gem of a piano used for this recording,dating from Vienna c.1785. In truth, I have never encountered an instrument capable of such breadth of touch and response from this period: to my mind, Haydn's last, and greatest, keyboard works, richly deserve being heard on such a piano, in order that the fullest range of expression and depth of imagination contained in these remarkable pieces may be brought alive.” Gary Cooper |
 12 new Brilliant Classics releasesA really strong, and astonishingly varied bunch this month including the Lasalle Quartet playing composers of the Second Viennese School, Lutoslawski conducting his own works, a big collection of the Russian pianist Maria Yudina, Volume 7 of the Boccherini Quintets, and a lot more. |
 7 new Dutton Epoch releasesFebruary 2009 sees the release of seven superb Dutton Epoch titles, the majority of which are world premiere recordings. |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 14th February 2009 |
Building a Library - Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet: Fantasy Overture |
 First Choice(5 CD set - coupled with the Complete Symphonies)London Symphony Orchestra & Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati |
 Single Disc Choice(coupled with Symphony No. 5)Royal Philharmonia Orchestra, Daniele Gatti |
Disc of the Week |
 Sibelius - Night Ride and SunriseNew Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Pietari Inkinen |
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