# The Grim Reaper announces another classical music label death



## Kuhlau (Oct 1, 2008)

For those who don't subscribe via an RSS feed reader to Lebrecht's often sensationalist style of music journalism, here's his latest cry of 'Death!': the end of Telarc, apparently.

FK


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

This is a shame. It's not good to see a well-known and loved label bite the dust like this. Kinda makes you wonder who's next.

I contend, though, that Telarc's "famous" sound is certainly good...and sometimes great, but no better or worse than other labels who also produce quality records. Not bashing the Telarc sound, just saying it's perhaps a tad over-hyped.


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

I hate to hear about this. Hopefully, there will be no more to come. I own very little albums under the Telarc label, so I am not as familiar with its output as I am with others'. I certainly hope this is not the tip of an iceberg; the demise of labels such as DG, Naxos or Decca would certainly be a sign of a musical apocalypse, in my opinion.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

I think DG and Naxos are the two best-known labels today. I agree...if one of these also went to Hades, we should all be VERY worried,


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## Kuhlau (Oct 1, 2008)

Yes, we'd all have a reason to worry if DG and Naxos went. But hey, thousands of their recordings would still be in circulation. 

FK


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Agreed, Kuhlau, but new records would cease. If Naxos went under, especially, would I be upset. I have been a fan of this label since the early 90s and I have always thought their product was solid, and often great. They provide a huge service in cranking out multitudes of high-quality recordings of lesser-known repertoire. It would make exploring new music much more difficult.


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## Gorm Less (Dec 11, 2008)

Does it matter? It just means there is overcapacity in this industry and one of the weakest companies has gone. It happens all the time in other industries.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Interesting. Is Telarc one of the weakest? Perhaps. But this label has such a following, I'm surprised that is is dying and not another one.

Telarc is not very prolific, though, so perhaps that has something to do with it. Lables like DG and Naxos are constantly producing new recordings...Telarc not so much, as far as I know.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

This is a sad happening. I very much hope Decca isn't next... what with all of these "Live" labels springing up (SFSO, LSO, RCO, etc.) who also more or less constantly churn out new CDs, it's a bit worrying for the more "established" companies who aren't quite so prolific.


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## Kuhlau (Oct 1, 2008)

According to Lebrecht, Decca has already bitten the dust.

FK


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Kuhlau said:


> According to Lebrecht, Decca has already bitten the dust.
> 
> FK


Well then that's just a tragedy... EMI? (grasping for labels other than DG and Naxos that are still alive...)


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## Kuhlau (Oct 1, 2008)

Does EMI have much credibility left in classical music terms? I think we need to look to the independent labels to secure the industry's future on record.

FK


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2009)

Don't feel too sorry they have been on a pigs back for years, I never pay more than NZ$7.00 for a CD these days, I have some in my collection from say 15 years ago @ NZ$43 and the average just a few years ago was about NZ$24-36, we can now pick up specials at 97cents each. I feel that perhaps the CD has had its day, I am not a tech guy but is there another media that will give the same or better quality?? some thing like a memory card etc??


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Well, the fact that you can buy mega box sets for the same money for which you in the past could only get a few cd's is lots of fun now of which I take full advantage, but it also speaks volumes about the state of the record industry in my opinion. I would hate it - truly hate it if a few years from now the cd era would be gone.


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

I also have a number of albums under labels such as EMI and Sony, but, while I believe it would be bad if these went south, I'm quite sure they are pretty resilient--at least compared to the smaller or independent labels.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2009)

jhar26 said:


> I would hate it - truly hate it if a few years from now the cd era would be gone.


Would it not depend upon what replaced it, look at the benefits of the CD compared to the tape and vinyl, 
The downside is the CD was supposed to last forever, what a con,


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## nickgray (Sep 28, 2008)

jhar26 said:


> I would hate it - truly hate it if a few years from now the cd era would be gone.


I vote for digital. No more plastic boxes and discs, no more 700mb limit (and 16/44), doesn't take any apartment space (unless you have >10tb of external drives). And it's so much easier to find a record you wanna listen.


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

Telarc is a decent label. I think I only own one or two recordings on that label, but their output has never interested me that much. In regards to both classical and jazz. I have never heard a Telarc recording I was head over heels for, so I think that says a lot.

Most of my classical collection is comprised of DG, Sony, EMI, Decca, Chandos, and Naxos, so I think that within itself speaks volumes.

I'm not at all surprised to see them go to be completely honest.


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

jhar26 said:


> Well, the fact that you can buy mega box sets for the same money for which you in the past could only get a few cd's is lots of fun now of which I take full advantage, but it also speaks volumes about the state of the record industry in my opinion. I would hate it - truly hate it if a few years from now the cd era would be gone.


I usually go for the mega box sets. I especially love EMI's "budget" box sets. I own about 6 or 7 of those EMI budget box sets and I love them. They save a lot of room on the shelves.

In fact, about 90% of my classical collection is in a box set. I'm looking forward to the new Langgaard box set on Da Capo. I already pre-ordered it.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

nickgray said:


> I vote for digital. No more plastic boxes and discs, no more 700mb limit (and 16/44), doesn't take any apartment space (unless you have >10tb of external drives). And it's so much easier to find a record you wanna listen.


Finding records isn't a problem if you rank them in alphabetical order. But I admit that my preference for the cd may have more to do with sentimental than practical concerns.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

JTech82 said:


> I usually go for the mega box sets. I especially love EMI's "budget" box sets. I own about 6 or 7 of those EMI budget box sets and I love them. They save a lot of room on the shelves.
> 
> In fact, about 90% of my classical collection is in a box set. I'm looking forward to the new Langgaard box set on Da Capo. I already pre-ordered it.


Much of my classical collection also consists of box sets - not 90% though. But if I also count the operas (almost every opera recording is technically speaking a box set) it's near 75% I think.


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

jhar26 said:


> Much of my classical collection also consists of box sets - not 90% though. But if I also count the operas (almost every opera recording is technically speaking a box set) it's near 75% I think.


What I do is usually wait for the box set of something, especially if it's a lot of individual releases that I know will probably be released as one.

There have been occasions, like with Bax's orchestral works, where I bought the individual releases or if it's something that is a specialty or one-time thing, then I usually just break down and buy them individually.

Like let's take Langgaard for example. I pre-ordered the new symphonies 7-disc box set on Da Capo coming out, which all of the CDs are hybrid SACDs, and they have all been previously issued, but the individual releases of this set will cost you about $16-$18 a piece. This box set I pre-ordered of the same material is $69, which is $40 less than what it would cost you to buy them all individually.

Sometimes it pays to just wait on the box and buy it then.

As far as the CD medium which is being discussed, it's still the best way to hear music, besides actually being there. I do like MDs slightly better, but these are for reasons mainly concerning the editing capabilities of this medium, but I also think the MD sounds a bit warmer than the CD.


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