The Record Labels Resources Thread

[Que]

Fellow GMG'ers,

A new thread with the purpose of recommending interesting labels and providing links to relevant online resources where we can see, listen to, or buy these recordings.

Naturally the smaller, specialised "boutique" labels, sometimes hard to find and with rarities in terms of repertoire and performers will be of the most interest.

I give the floor to you and will from time to time post my own "special labels".

Q

[Que]

I'll start off with recommended two very interesting Czech labels, specialised in Czech Early Music & Baroque repertoire and HIPPI recordings.



Nibiru publishers also issues CD's.

Some Zelenka rarities have been critically acclaimed:






Arta Records is another beauty.

Loads of HIPPI stuff, for instance by the Antiquarius Quartet Praga or organist/ harpsichordist/ clavichordist/ pianist Jaroslav Tůma for instance!



In short: heaps and heaps of pure musical gold, ready to be dug up by GMG members!

Q

[Bogey]

I have always been a big fan of the label:

Perfect timing Que!  I am about to snap up a couple from this label, that headquarters out of the U.S. and Canada:





Most of their covers for cds and lps were simply black and white.





I found them to be the Naxos of their time, where some of the artists were a bit more obscure.  They still exist as a place where you can find cds (like a record club, but I do not believe that they continue produce their own cds, which were, I believe just repackaging from other labels). 

The ones that they transferred that I have always been of superior sound quality.  I guess I enjoyed them also because my father-in-law had a few on the shelf and they just stood out.

[Antoine Marchand]

Difficultly I can think a more appropriate label to be posted here than the Spanish Cantus Records. Going to "Catalogue"/"Audio" you can check out a lot of samples of their releases (basically Early and even Medieval Music). 

[mc ukrneal]

I had posted a list of some earlier, so I repost it here as it may be useful:

CD Companies (producers)
BIS
Capriccio
Chandos
Dacapo
Decca
DG: Also see Decca
ECM EMI
Genesis
Harmonia Mundi
Hyperion
MDG
Naxos: Marco Polo and other labels can be found here as well
Ondine
Onyx
Parnassus
Philips: Same site as Decca
Qualiton
Regis
Sony
Sterling
Warner Classics and Jazz

[Que]

Difficultly I can think a more appropriate label to be posted here than the Spanish Cantus Records. Going to "Catalogue"/"Audio" you can check out a lot of samples of their releases (basically Early and even Medieval Music). 

The recommendation for Spanish Cantus strongly seconded!

And what about the newish Dutch Early music and primarily Baroque label Ramée?



I have only one issue so far, but: superbly recorded and stylish packaging.

Its relatively little spoken of in the Anglophone press, but several issues got raving reviews in the German and the French speaking press

All those mouth watering goodies out there!

Q

[George]

(photo of Ward Marston)

Marston Records

412 North Chester Road, Swarthmore, PA 19081 - 610.690.1703 [voice] - 610.328.6355 [fax]
info@marstonrecords.com [e-mail]
http://www.marstonrecords.com/html/about.htm [website]

about Marston

    A new classical and opera reissue label, Marston was founded by the respected producer and re-recording engineer Ward Marston. In 1997, Mr. Marston was nominated for the "Best Historical Album" Grammy Award for his production work on BMG's Fritz Kreisler collection. According to the Chicago Tribune, Marston's name is "synonymous with tender loving care to collectors of historical CDs." Opera News calls his work "revelatory," and Fanfare deems him "miraculous."

    In 1996, Mr. Marston received the Gramophone award for "Historical Vocal Record of the Year," honoring his production and engineering work on Romophone's complete recordings of Lucrezia Bori. He also served as as re-recording engineer for the Franklin Mint's Arturo Toscanini issue and BMG's Sergei Rachmaninov recordings, both winners of the "Best Historical Album" Grammy.

    Born blind in 1952, Mr. Marston has amassed tens of thousands of opera classical records over the past four decades. Following a stint in radio while a student at Williams College, he became well-known as a reissue producer in 1979, when he restored the earliest known stereo recording, made by the Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1932.

    In the past, Mr. Marston has produced records for BMG, EMI, CBS, Biddulph, and Romophone. Now, he is bringing his distinctive sonic vision to bear on works released by his own label. Ultimately, his goal is to make the music he remasters sound "as natural as possible" and "true to life" by "lifting the voices" off his old 78s. Superior liner notes and performances are also part of the plan for Marston, which aims to "promote the importance of preserving old recordings" and make available the works of "great musicians who need to be heard."

[Coopmv]

(photo of Ward Marston)

Marston Records

412 North Chester Road, Swarthmore, PA 19081 - 610.690.1703 [voice] - 610.328.6355 [fax]
info@marstonrecords.com [e-mail]
http://www.marstonrecords.com/html/about.htm [website]

about Marston

    A new classical and opera reissue label, Marston was founded by the respected producer and re-recording engineer Ward Marston. In 1997, Mr. Marston was nominated for the "Best Historical Album" Grammy Award for his production work on BMG's Fritz Kreisler collection. According to the Chicago Tribune, Marston's name is "synonymous with tender loving care to collectors of historical CDs." Opera News calls his work "revelatory," and Fanfare deems him "miraculous."

    In 1996, Mr. Marston received the Gramophone award for "Historical Vocal Record of the Year," honoring his production and engineering work on Romophone's complete recordings of Lucrezia Bori. He also served as as re-recording engineer for the Franklin Mint's Arturo Toscanini issue and BMG's Sergei Rachmaninov recordings, both winners of the "Best Historical Album" Grammy.

    Born blind in 1952, Mr. Marston has amassed tens of thousands of opera classical records over the past four decades. Following a stint in radio while a student at Williams College, he became well-known as a reissue producer in 1979, when he restored the earliest known stereo recording, made by the Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1932.

    In the past, Mr. Marston has produced records for BMG, EMI, CBS, Biddulph, and Romophone. Now, he is bringing his distinctive sonic vision to bear on works released by his own label. Ultimately, his goal is to make the music he remasters sound "as natural as possible" and "true to life" by "lifting the voices" off his old 78s. Superior liner notes and performances are also part of the plan for Marston, which aims to "promote the importance of preserving old recordings" and make available the works of "great musicians who need to be heard."

George,  Thanks for this wonderful information.  Ward Marston reminded me of Helmut Walcha, who also became blind when he was in his late teens.  But what an organist Walcha subsequently became.  He is still by far the most outstanding organist from the second half of the 20th century in my book ...

[Bogey]

Great post, George!

[George]

Great post, George!

Thanks. It was all lifted from the Marston site, I just cut and pasted it here. 

My experience with Marston is that if you call them during business hours, you'll get a hold of a human being without getting placed on hold. Old school, down home service. If a case gets broken during shipping, they'll send you another.

They also have a subscription service where you can subscribe to all of their piano and/or vocal releases. This gets you a free CD every year or so, free/automatic shipping on all new releases and the warm feeling that you are helping to ensure that they can continue to produce the same type of stellar releases that they are known for.   

[jlaurson]

I really hope this thread isn't going to be 'pinned' for much longer, but while it is, let's get a few labels in that I find interesting and that not everyone might know:

Phaedra
http://www.phaedracd.com/
dedicated to Flemish/Belgian composers with some great recordings:
http://www.weta.org/fmblog/?p=293
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-recordings-of-2008-almost-list.html


Genuin
http://www.genuin.de/en/04_d.php?k=66
small German label with a good hand for fine artists.

[Que]

I really hope this thread isn't going to be 'pinned' for much longer

I really do not see why you should have a problem with that. It is meant to be a thread for future reference.

I second the recommendation for Genuin BTW, some nice fortepiano recordings by Koch there.

Another Belgian label - HIPPI & Baroque  - is Flora, run by violinist François Fernandez, gambist and conductor Philippe Pierlot and cellist and Rainer Zipperling.



Q

[The new erato]

Difficultly I can think a more appropriate label to be posted here than the Spanish Cantus Records. Going to "Catalogue"/"Audio" you can check out a lot of samples of their releases (basically Early and even Medieval Music). 

But not easy to find a distributor that actually sells these discs. I did a search for some of the titles on some of the usual suspects in countries where the discs are distributed according to the website (no UK distribution BTW); but drew a blank. Let's hope their own webshop soon will be up and running.

[jlaurson]

A few labels dedicated to new music ...

https://neos-music.com/

Love Wergo, too... btu NEOS really rocks. Their Weinberg solo viola sonatas disc is fantastic. In fact, I hope they will start including more 20th ct. modern-non-modernist repertoire, too!

[The new erato]

Their Weinberg solo viola sonatas disc is fantastic.

Thanks for the hint. I'm into Weinberg, but haven't seen that disc reviewed. A short notice in the Weinberg thread perhaps will alert more people to this?

[canninator]

But not easy to find a distributor that actually sells these discs. I did a search for some of the titles on some of the usual suspects in countries where the discs are distributed according to the website (no UK distribution BTW); but drew a blank. Let's hope their own webshop soon will be up and running.

Yes, I've been in contact with Jose about getting discs in the UK and he offered to ship some to me but postage was really high. Last I heard he was migrating from his usual host in Nov 2009 but still no webshop. 

[The new erato]

Yes, I've been in contact with Jose about getting discs in the UK and he offered to ship some to me but postage was really high. Last I heard he was migrating from his usual host in Nov 2009 but still no webshop. 

Did't find them on amazon.fr and amazon.de either, even though those countries are lissted as having distribution. Perhaps somebody should tip him that a list of retailers would be a good thing? 

[jlaurson]

Thanks for the hint. I'm into Weinberg, but haven't seen that disc reviewed. A short notice in the Weinberg thread perhaps will alert more people to this?

1.) Where is the Weinberg thread?

2.) Reviewed & raved about (by the Dubster) in the last (or maybe next) Fanfare Mag.

3.) Essay about the interpreter in next Fanfare issues.

4.) Disc here:


Mieczyslaw Weinberg
Viola Sonatas (solo)
+ Viola Sonata (transcr. from Clarinet Sonata)
+ Fyodor Druzhinin, Viola Sonata (solo)
Rebecca Adler
NEOS SACD

[The new erato]

1.) Where is the Weinberg thread?

2.) Reviewed & raved about (by the Dubster) in the last (or maybe next) Fanfare Mag.

3.) Essay about the interpreter in next Fanfare issues.

4.) Disc here:


Mieczyslaw Weinberg
Viola Sonatas (solo)
+ Viola Sonata (transcr. from Clarinet Sonata)
+ Fyodor Druzhinin, Viola Sonata (solo)
Rebecca Adler
NEOS SACD

The Weinberg thread is here:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,9883.0.html

And it seems like I should get my Fanfare online subscription in order! Who is the Dubster BTW?

Interesting amazon review BTW though I don't agree that the Hindemith sonatas are bone dry!

[Que]

But not easy to find a distributor that actually sells these discs. I did a search for some of the titles on some of the usual suspects in countries where the discs are distributed according to the website (no UK distribution BTW); but drew a blank. Let's hope their own webshop soon will be up and running.

Recommended Spanish seller to order Cantus:

http://www.gaudisc.com/shop/

Q