DG - The yellow label

[pianoman53]

I'm sorry to sound snobbish, but... (minor rant ahead)

How the .uck can the manager of DG still be manager there?! I "like" them on facebook, and therefore get updates a bit now and then.
Latest was Daniel Hope's new CD, and here it comes, with music by Contemporary Masters like *** Ludovico Einaudi! How is he even worthy of being called composer?!?! Why not revive the old school mastery of Clayderman once they are at it?! Ballade pour Adeline is not that much crap compared to anything Einaudi "composed".

It's so freaking disappointing that the label of Karajan, Fischer-Dieskau and Gilels now is a freaking commercial public toilet for the most pretentious crap there is today. WHY ARE THE JUSSEN BROTHERS THERE?!?!? AND WHO IS ALICE OTT?!?!?! The new Label of meritocracy. It's like watching Kitchen Nightmare - Label-edition.
 

[awesom_o]

Well, they managed to get you to "like" them on facebook! (maybe it's time you 'unlike' them?)

Ask yourself... is this a sacred institution with the noble goal of upholding excellence in art?

Or is it a business, like any other, with the obligation to make money by any means necessary?

 

[pianoman53]

Yes, I no longer like them on facebook.

And well, if they ones had the greatest artists one could find, I think they do have a goal to keep that standard. Clearly they think differently.

[awesom_o]

Money and artistic standards are very different things, I'm afraid.

Did you know that Shostakovich made more money from his film scores than from all of his symphonies and string quartets combined?

DG's goal is to make money, plain and simple. That's getting harder and harder to do. I suspect they will be releasing LOTS more Einaudi in the future.

[quantum]

On a lighter note, one can find many older DG recordings in yard sales and used book sales.  Good stuff to be had there for little $.

[j_menz]

(minor rant ahead)

Minor? 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I've got a fair amount of sympathy for pianoman53's views. Is nothing sacred? Clearly not, but if DG wish to prostitute their name with musical wallpaper, so be it. It's possible it finances more worthwhile projects.

[awesom_o]

It's possible it finances more worthwhile projects.

"Worthwhile" for them and "worthwhile" for connoisseurs are unlikely to be the same.

One involves Einaudi.... the other means flushing money down the toilet. 

[hardy_practice]

Well, I've kept all my yellow label vinyl so I'm OK.  

[ronde_des_sylphes]

"Worthwhile" for them and "worthwhile" for connoisseurs are unlikely to be the same.

One involves Einaudi.... the other means flushing money down the toilet. 

I'd like to synthesise these two "worthwhiles".. by flushing Einaudi's "music" down the toilet 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

.. but more seriously, there are a remarkable number of CDs getting commercially released: even though the market's by all accounts in a very poor state, there are still plenty of enterprising small record labels who don't involve themselves with that sort of thing but nonetheless seem to survive. Why must DG degrade themselves and their reputation?

[awesom_o]

.. but more seriously, there are a remarkable number of CDs getting commercially released

Maybe there IS a remarkable number.... but I don't think it's a remarketable number. 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Haha, possibly true.

But https://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/AlbumGroup?album_group=1 look at the sheer volume of new releases, and releases per month! It can't be totally unviable, or else lots of companies will be going out of business pronto?

[slane]

Technically I think DG's recordings are very poor too. There are some very fine small record labels to be found on theclassicalshop. Chandos, pentatone etc. With very fine performers too.
Hyperion, Linn, Melba ... all have there own online stores and sell beautiful, beautiful recordings.
I think DGs choice of performers reflects thinking more along the lines you'd expect from someone engineering a boyband.

There we are ... my minor rant.

Oh and another reason I rarely buy DG .. they won't let me buy things from their online store because I'm Australian. Don't get me started on companies that discriminate against me on my nationality. I really don't want to compare this trivial inconvenience to serious discrimation but imagine if I walked into a store and they wouldn't serve me because I was Australian???

EDIT: Just discovered Barenboim's new label https://peralmusic.com/philosophy
Designed to appeal to the music snob. Only available on iTunes. Hmph! That means no FLAC format. Grumble bumble. But I'm looking forward to the educational bit.