I've been musing about Naxos, the super-budget label, based on the company's phenomenal recent output.
Look at the list. This month, Marin Alsop and her powerhouse Baltimore Symphony Orchestra release a new recording of Mahler's First Symphony. Jun Markl, former principal conductor of the Orchestre Nationale de Lyon, whose seven-volume survey of Debussy's orchestral music for the label was hugely successful, has moved on from Lyon, but pops up immediately in a new Naxos recording with the RSNO of yet more Debussy (the two books of Preludes in an orchestrated version).
Meanwhile, back in Lyon, the orchestra (and Naxos) have netted themselves another biggie with Leonard Slatkin, who has taken over from Markl and produced a monster first recording with Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique and the Corsaire Overture. Then next month, I can tell you, there will be another Naxos debut: from the King's Singers (don't knock 'em – they have a global following).
And all this from the company, founded by Klaus Heymann 25 years ago, that challenged and took on the big-name corporates which ruthlessly controlled markets, pricing, artists and repertoire. The Goliaths mocked the puny minnow. There's a true Naxos story about a big-name metropolitan critic who, in the early days, would not allow a Naxos disc to cross his desk. And now we know the outcome: Naxos wiped the floor with all detractors.
Naxos is now one of the world's leading independent companies. It has led the way in technological and digital developments. It now attracts top-flight conductors, orchestras and soloists. Look at the incredible, ongoing Shostakovich symphony series with the amazing Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. And look at the list of artists above. Alsop, now a figure of total influence in the US, always goes to Heymann and Naxos first with her projects.
All of this, and more, is documented in an endlessly informative book about the company: The Story Of Naxos by Nicholas Soames, published by Piatkus priced £25, which embraces everything everyone has wondered about this unique company. An educational read, with great stories.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article