Naxos Classical I: A Snapshot of the Changing the Face of Classical Music Marketing

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Last year, 2002, Naxos Records celebrated its 15^th Anniversary. In those early days of the label, Klaus Heymann, CEO of Naxos Records, was interested in two things: (1) building a large catalog of a diverse selection of "Classical" music for (2) a reasonable price. In an interview in the Wall Street Journal, Heymann stated, "Our Business model is simple?You record things people want to buy. And you produce it, market it, distribute it, and sell it, all at a cost that lets you make a profit."

Mr. Heymann, European educated (Frankfurt University, The Sorbonne, King?s College) avoids big-named artists and orchestra, the majority of whom are under contract with the major labels. Instead, he opts for orchestras of a more regional than international reputation such as the National Symphony Orchestra of ireland, the Queensland Orchestra, and the exquisite period-instrument group, The Scholars Baroque Ensemble. The artists receive a flat-fee for their performances as opposed to royalties, instead, these artists can take advantage of the exposure they receive from the distribution Naxos provides them both in notoriety and music. This leads to these performers attaining worldwide credibility that can ultimately parlay into further funding or their artistic endeavors.

This is all well a good, but what about repertoire? When founding the label in 1987, Heymann concentrated first on budget releases of the standard repertoire. Gradually, the label began to devote its attention to more obscure composers. One can look at it like the label first took care of documenting Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Mahler and then turned their collective attention to the contemporaries of these giants. Thus, in addition to Bach, the label addresses his family (CPE Bach, etc.) and contemporaries like Deitrich Buxtahude. Mozart's colleague Muzio Clementi, with whom WM Mozart had a friendly competition, is well represented.

The present discussion focuses on some of the most recent Naxos Classical releases, a set that illustrates well the depth and breadth of the Naxos vision.

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Gyori Ligeti- Etudes Books I & II, Idil Biret, Piano (8555777). There is no pianist on the Naxos roster better to tackle Ligeti?s prickly Etudes than Idil Biret. She has already burned her way through the Chopin catalog and even provided Naxos a best seller (and an unlikely one at that) with her recital of Pierre Boulez's Piano Sonatas. Ms. Biret's extremely personal reading of these modern classics make them provocative, if not demanding, listening.

Franz Liszt- Complete Piano Music Volume 19: Piano Transcriptions of Beethoven?s Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6 (Pastoral) (8557170). Naxos? series of Liszt?s Complete Piano Music was begun just as Leslie Howard was finishing his for Hyperion Records. The Naxos series finds itself in the middle of Liszt's piano transcriptions of Beethoven?s Nine Symphonies. While there are notable sets of these pieces recorded, none are as unified and consistent as Konstantin Scherbakov?s readings so far. Scherbakov?s 4^th and 6^th are light, sensitive and full of color.

Muzio Clementi- Early Piano Sonatas, Susan Alexander-Max, Fortepiano (8555808). Clementi is not new to the Naxos catalog. Several other Clementi piano collections have previously been produced (8550452 and 8553500, the former being particularly fine). Here Susan Alexander-Max performs Clementi on the precursor to the Hammerklavier, the fortepiano, whose sound gives the music an authentic flavor.

Domenico Scarlatti- Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Volume 5, Benjamin Frith (8554792). Five discs into a 20-plus disc set of Domenico Scarlatti?s Keyboard Sonatas. Only one complete recording, on harpsichord, current is available. Vladimir Horowitz helped the cause of Scarlatti on piano with his celebrated Scarlatti recordings. Here Benjamin Frith adds talent to this multi-talented reading of the Scarlatti canon.

Gerald Finzi- Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice and other choral works, Choir of St. John's College, Christopher Robinson, Conductor (855792). Naxos, more than any current label is championing the music of the multifaceted Englishman Gerald Finzi. Here are a reading of Finzi?s post-world War II choral works by the Choir of St. John?s College whose majesty recalls earlier English choral masters Purcell and Blow.

Jules Massenet- Werther, Orchestre National de Lille, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Conductor (8660072-73). After waltzing through the basic opera repertoire, the label begins at the edges and works in with a performance of Massenet's Werther, the story of a melancholy boy whose fictional suicide almost single-handedly gives birth to the 19^th Century Romantic Movement. The performance and conducting are uniformly fine with excellent performances by the cast and principals.

Arvo Part- Passio, Tonus Peregrinus, Antony Pitts, Conductor (8555860). The addition of Part's Passio is the current star in the crown of this progressive label. This piece based on John's account of the Passion has only been recorded twice before. Antony Pitts consults the famous Estonian composer on the finer points of silence for this recording. Excellent in every way.

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This is just an average month of releases from this progressive and daring label. The releases are well priced for anyone to easily acquire and the recording sonics are superb beyond belief. While Naxos Jazz sleeps, let us celebrate Naxos Classical.