# Hyperion / Helios



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

If I've got this right, Helios is the budget label of Hyperion.

Anyway, Hyperion may be the label I most trust now. For a long time I was a DG/EMI/Decca guy, and for the past couple years or so I got into a lot of Sony, RCA, Virgin and Philips recordings. (DG, especially Archiv and its 20-21 series, is as good as ever, which is not generally appreciated.)

But lately I've been favoring Harmonia Mundi and Hyperion, and especially the latter. Some of my favorites:

















Everything I have heard performed by Hamelin is great.

















Same with Hough.

















The Nash Ensemble is another group that I like.

Anybody relate to this?


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Oh yes. I would say that Hyperion, Chandos, BIS and Naxos are my favourite labels.


----------



## Dowd (Jan 15, 2012)

science said:


> Anybody relate to this?


Definitely. I feel like I grew up on EMI/DG (as it seemed those were the labels the "big" review books always pushed. But I would say that Harmonia mundi and Hyperion make up a good percentage of my purchases now. Some of my favorites:



























I think it also has a lot to do with many of my favorite performers appearing on these labels.


----------



## tgtr0660 (Jan 29, 2010)

The major labels retain some of the glory of the past days but are not needed to have a good recording anymore. In fact, some of the smaller labels have clearly surpassed them specially in some areas (baroque music a good example). Harmonia Mundi, Chandos, Hyperion/Helios, Bis, Naxos (yes, Naxos) have a staggering amount of fantastic recordings that in many cases are way better than modern ones in the old majors (DG, Sony/RCA, EMI, Philips, Decca). Also, nowadays when you but a record by a major label, you see a big photo of the interpreter and the name of the composer buried somewhere in the cover; the minor labels still put an emphasis in the work, in the composer, even though some of the musicians they work with have achieved big status too (Hamelin, Jacobs, etc.).


----------



## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

I'd say that Hyperion and Bis are very 'useful' labels, along with Channel Classics, because of their artists and engineering. I also have heard some fine music on the Ondine and Aliavox labels. I have the impression that the majors are not adventurous - in any regard - and I have most of their elderly releases in tolerable or better sound.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I'm going to big up the German cpo (use of lower case intentional) label - in my experience definitely one of my favourite labels in terms of recording quality and varied repertoire (and buck-trending to the point of not having a website!).


----------

