After Guild have closed down their Switzerland Office, Guild UK have decided to cancel their Swiss catalogue, including my 9 Fritz Brun CDs - this with immediate effect.
I am dealing now with the take-over by another label (preferably in the form of a boxed bargain edition, including the Sterling issue of the 3rd Symphony as well). Since these CDs were all commissioned productions, all rights remain with the sponsor, which is the Brun estate.
Keep your fingers crossed with me that this deal will be successful!
Oh, that is very worrying news. We wish you well, of course, Adriano.
Indeed. I do hope that all goes well for you, and Brun.
Thans, Mark and Alan ;)
Average sales pro item so far were between 200 and 500 copies, which is, actually, not too bad for that kind of repertoire...
No. Not bad at all. Publishing these sales figures on this forum provides a useful note of reality to our discussions. That said, the prospect of a boxed set might be an incentive for some collectors who have yet to purchase these fascinating and rewarding symphonies.
Quote from: hadrianus on Thursday 13 July 2017, 12:01
Average sales pro item so far were between 200 and 500 copies, which is, actually, not too bad for that kind of repertoire...
Is this just physical CDs, or does the figure include downloads?
I have all 10 symphonies - as far as I remember I downloaded them all, from iTunes or from Chandos.
Those wishing to audition before buying should note also that they are, for the moment and as of this writing (the Guild symphonies CDs only) still available on NML, I see... (might stop being true 5 seconds from now, for all I know.)
Downloads will also be discontinued, but certainly re-installed after having found a new label. The figures refer only to physical CDs. Download figures are not reported, but this seems to be a no real winning business anyway in the classical music field, unless you offer Bartoli or Kaufmann, but these stars are asking for high royalties.
Shhh - don't tell anyone, but I'm allergic to Bartoli too.
I worked with her since her Zurich débuts as Cherubino and Rosina and we are very good friends since over 25 years. However, I could add some "shhs" too, especially after she started singing soprano and castrato repertoire and Bellini...
It's the way she 'hits' her coloratura runs - she can sound hard and juddery. As for her Norma, well, don't get me started...
Sorry to hear that Adriano!! Hopefully, it will work out.
I'd certainly buy a boxed set of the Brun symphonies!
Adriano, I sincerely hope the new deal will work out.
Yes, do keep us posted on the outcome, Adriano. These are magnificent recordings and they should be 'out there'. :)
I'd buy that box of Brun as soon as it was known to be available.
Thanks, chill319
And I can tell you that this Brun boxed re-issue becomes increasingly probable :-)
I also offer myself to sell this or that missing single CD from my own left-over stock, which gets smaller every week. But who knows, I may buy up some left-overs from Guild UK, depending from what they will ask for it. I was used to buy them at distributor's price. Fram Naxos I can still buy at a very low "artist's copies" price...
At this occasion, the liner notes, songetxts and biographies will be available on a bonus CDR. I am in process of revising all texts (and translations) and correct some early mistakes or wrong infos, especially from the time I started my Brun researches - and could not find enough information. During these last years I have consulted many Swiss and foreign archives and libraries, since in the composer's estate at the Zürich Zentralbibliothek too many documents were missing, particularly on Brun's enormous conducting activities. To assemble over 200 subscription, choral and chamber music programs between 1904 and 1950 I needed to pass days in 5 different Berne libraries, 3 in Lucerne, 2 French Swiss ones, and to correspond with 3 libraries in Berlin, 2 in Cologne, 1 in Dortmund, 2 in Vienna, 2 in The Netherlands and 2 in France. I was hoping to find documents on Brun's short London 1902 stay (where he also performed with a ladie's string quartet), but was not lucky at all...
Now I am still editing my film biography on Brun, which will be some 70 minutes long...
That's a lot of work! Thank you!
yes thank you !! I have almost all the Brun CDs... except for 8
I had planned to stream them on Qobuz, but I downloaded them instead, just in case they disappear... They are all there except the Cello concerto + songs, which I found on chandos.net, available for downloading...
They won't disappear. Very soon I will come up with good news :-)
Present downloads will be deleted soon - and taken over by another company!
I'd love to get just the cello concerto, but I'm having trouble connecting with Chandos.net.
Hello everybody :-)
Learning now that Brun's "Complete Orchestral Works" box on Brilliant Classics will have to wait until April 1st, 2019 to be issued. Well, it's still a wonder I could find another label - and I know Brilliant has a lot in their channels.
Still :'(
It'll be worth the wait for those who don't know these powerful works.
I'll buy the Brun box no doubt; it'll be worth the wait........
Thanks, dear friends :-)
I recently gave most of my CDs to my local university library with the exception of my most beloved ones, and among those kept were all the Guild CDs, but especially the Brun series and the Marco Polos that Hadrianus gave us. Guess the recently emerged American cultural marauders will have to pry the beautiful sounds from my cold dead ears!!!
Thanks, Jim, although I have no idea who you are and to which Library I gave my CDs :-)
Thanks, minacciosa :-)
It will in any case, since the contract was stipulated and signed 4 months ago already. Brun's heirs costed this an attorney's bill of 1600 CHF, in order that Brilliant's drafted contract became a mutually agreed one.
A somewhat belated but very favourable review of Brun's symphonies on the Dutch site OpusKlassiek https://www.opusklassiek.nl/cd-recensies/cd-aw/brun01.htm
Thanks, Yaskovsky
It's not as "very favourable" as that: the author says that I - and all the soloists (!) - did not bring out enough "colour" in our interpretations. And that we could have been more "flexible". Which I both strongly disapprove.
Aart van der Wal apparently expects music from an extravert and "big orchestra" composer like Strauss or Respighi - an does no realize that Brun's concerns were all other than that. And that his orchestra formation is mostly Brahms-sized! In his Symphonies, the only percussion instruments are timpani; and there is no triangle, no harp, no celesta etc.
This review is unfair - although the author writes a lot of useful info about Brun and his time (from where elase he could get it than from my 164-page booklet?) - but this is not the real purpose of a CD review.
He also says that, compared to the historical bonus CD included, I have a better control of the orchestra than Brun (who is conducting there). Brun worked many times with the Swiss Radio Orchestra; and he was active from 1909 until 1941 with his regular Berne Symphony, with whom he gave over 250 concerts.
As a reviewer, I would never dare to affirm such things on music unknown to me before having consulted the scores - and, realizing that those Brun scores are hardly available - I would therefore not issue such a global judgement of a 10-CD box! Like many other reviewers he may perhaps just listened to bits and pieces...
Will come back later with more criticism. I only refer to the last paragraphs of this review, which have been translated into German so far. A full translation is being made.
It's frustrating to be confronted with such superficial critcism - considering that I was seriously involved in this project from 2003 until 2015 - and that I am still working daily on this composer.
My Fritz Brun video documentary (now at its end state) will have a duration of over 2 1/2 hours. It will not be for public viewing, but a kind of "biography with pictures and audio" for personal - or didactical use. It will not be released commercially - otherwise I would have to pay a fortune of music and pictures copyright fees.
At my age of 75 I can certainly look back to an interesting CD conducting career, but it was all other than a finacially rewarding one. The only satisfaction one can get, are some positive reviews and personal reactions from friends and admirer. But nobody takes into consideration struggles and disappointments experienced with CD company bosses.
And now it looks as nobody wants me anymore, since I am unable to raise more sponsorships. Luckily, I still can enjoy listening to music and studying scores - the only thing keeping me alive in this world, which is getting crazier day by day.
I'm sorry for using 'favourable'; my native Dutch is far better than my English or German; my Russian is basic. By using 'favourable' I thought of the Dutch word 'gunstig'. A positive word because the reviewer encourages potential customers to have a look at this release. OpusKlassiek is, in my opnion, the only serious website in Dutch about classical music in general. They comment on releases far and wide, sure not middle-of-the-road, f.i. the Winbeck cd-set just released. They happen to be Bruckner-crazy and I'm happy they made a case for Brun too.
Thanks, Yaskovsky :-)
Of course "gunstig" is still a miracle today for a maverick conductor with no concert-hall appearances like I am - doing such strange repertoire. The author could have been more cruel - and with cruel judgements I had to deal a lot in the past. The problem is that, with unknown repertoire, a reviewer often finds the music or the interpretation not good enough because he simply has no idea, or, more simply, it's not of his taste.
Forget the review, Adriano. It's not worthy of your attention. Be assured that your Brun project is fully worthy of the music it is promoting.
Thanks very much, Alan :-)
In the meantime I could learn from a friend that the originally designated reviewer of OpusKlassiek had refused to write, since he apparently couldn't do anything with Brun's music. Aart van der Wal was more than happy to take the Brun box out from his hands.
Now I am all in suspense of whatever may be coming from over the Ocean - after remembering some earlier sentences by David Hurwitz & Co...
I think we have to be aware that Brun's music requires careful listening - it doesn't immediately reveal its secrets. Any reviewer who rushes into print or has a tight deadline to meet will almost certainly miss the essence of the music. Brun takes time to appreciate...