One name standing for all: Hermann Baumann A question: Do you think, the recording companies will still go on throwing their money out of the window ? The market for classical music is broke definitely, as people whine about lower prices & again lower prices for recordings.
Who eats up most of the cake ? The importers (less) & the distributers (most). Their parts together is over 50% of the price. And, most of them have the recordings on commission or pay every semesters, half year or years end. The risk is with the producers completely. And, do you have any idea, how much the production will cost in orchestra fees ? Strauss no.1 can be recorded within one three-hour session, but I doubt, if even the best orchestras would do Strauss no.2 in one session, as it is too complicate for the strings. So another two sessions necessary. Makes three full sessions, each calculated as full three hours, if fully needed or not. 12+10+8+6+4 strings = 40, plus 8 woodwinds, 2 horns, 2 trp, 3 trbn, timp. 1, perc.2 = 59 x 50.-USD (very low) = 2.950.- USD/hour x 9 = 26.550.- USD plus 40% for the performer royalties = another 10.000.-USD roughly This makes up to 36.550.- USD, plus conductor fee of several thousand USD, if a reasonable name is involved, rent of the hall = several thousand USD perhaps, if the orchestra has not its own recording studio. The editing of the master recording is labour intensive & also not free of charge. 50.000.- USD are easily spent for such an recording. There are additional expenses: pressing, printing but might be neglected nearly as 1000 CDs will cost around 3.000.-USD. How many CDs must be sold, that this amount will come back to the companies ? Well, the big EMI, SONY etc. have their own distribution system & advertising & marketing network. But this also does not work without money. And one expects a final price tag of 15.-USD maximum ????? Just 40% of this amount flowing back to the producers, 6.-USD in this example. This means, that ten thousand CDs must be sold to get the invested money back ????? Absolutely impossible for most recordings. Who invests in more than two or three CDs of a certain title, just because of another soloist. The number of these collectors is very, very limited. If an opera like "Mastersingers" is recorded, the costs go up to between 500.000 & 1,000.000 USD depending on the singers & the conductor. Some "famous" conductors ask for six-digit honorarium, plus royalties. Ooops, I forgot, that the companies have to pay the 8% royalties of the list price to the royalty collecting organisations. Strauss is still protected by copyright. Greetings Hans PS: It is very simple to discuss these things, if one is not "in the business". -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Leonard & Peggy Brown Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 11:21 PM To: hornlist Subject: [Hornlist] turnabout Natural Horn Considering the number of records and disks out there of natural horn music (Beethoven, Mozart, etc) played on valved horns it would seem that turnabout would be fair play. Have any of our wonderful natural horn artists recorded valved horn music such as the two Strauss Concertos? Leonard _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hans.pizka%40t-online.de _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
