So this is what BMG is doing with their classical catalog...

Out of the countless masterpieces sitting dormat in BMG's vaults since the murder of the Classical division, this is what "classical fans" are offered.
Got this email and link today from the "RCA Victor Group".

http://www.lovenotes.info/

The record industry is dead. Good riddance.
Dan C

 

04FS!!

Or, "How to sell great music to people who have no taste"

 

This is ridiculous. I've been waiting for the 1963 version of the Munch/BSO version of Ravel's "Bolero" all this time; I'm still waiting. What are they thinking?

ED

 

That is worse than "Hooked on Classics"....

 

Wow , this is sad. It makes you wonder if anyone from the younger generation will ever get into classical music. This sleazy cheapening of a whole significant genre of music is depressing. The riches of classical music are nearly boundless. There is as much excitement, aggression, intelligence, and beauty in classical music as there is in any genre. Only how are those who are not familiar with it supposed to find this out. Certainly not from ads like this. I really fear that classical music is in danger of dying out, which would be a disaster, in my book.


Jeff

 

This is one of the poorest marketing schemes I have ever seen. Starts to remind me of cig ads.

 

This is so stupid - a marketing disaster for the books. What's with the parental advisory? Do the illustrated figures on the cover "get it on" in the liner notes?

 

What's up with the "Parental Advisory" labels?

 

Actually BMG is a marketing disaster for the books....this is really beyond any common sense to market in this manner.

 

This is a stupid way of marketing classical music. It needs to be marketed to the fans, not the teenagers who buy the flavor of the month. The parental advisory label is for the covers only.

 

Actually that could be part of their marketing ploy, such as it is. Perhaps they think whomever would be attracted to that kind of sticker, but not necessarily the music, might purchase it. Salacious cover shot and a warning sticker.ooooooohhh..have to see what this "classical music" is all about. WTFever...and those of you know what that means, know how annoying this is to me.

 

Relax, everybody. Classical labels are always putting together cheesy compilations ("Mozart's Greatest Hits") and crossover releases (Three Tenors, Charlotte Church) to entice people who have no real knowledge of classical music. These BMG offerings may be more, uh, graphic than most, but the fact remains that the people who buy these probably wouldn't own any classical music otherwise, so what's the harm in giving them an introduction? It's true that most purchasers of "Shacking Up to Chopin" (gawd, it pains me to type those words) won't move on to buy, say, Rubinstein's recordings of the Nocturnes, but maybe a few will, and in the meantime BMG makes a few bucks that (hopefully) will support its classical division.

Which is not to say that I won't mock these releases at every available opportunity...

 

The companies have been marketing classical music like this for a whole decade. It is to sell to people who aren't familiar with classical music. A good way is to do greatest hits type stuff of well-known melodies we have all heard in TV commercials and concerts.

I say, as long as people hear the music, what does it matter how it's presented? Some people are just never going to be fans of classical music just like there are people who will never be big on country or R&B.

As far as reducing or closing classical divisions, it's all about what sells and what the companies and retailers will make their money on.

 

Wow. And I thought this was dumb.

 

There isn't a thing wrong with some of those samplers; I have several of the older ones, and for casual listening, they can be fun. But to let a rich catalog like RCA Red Seal go to seed....I know some titles have been issued overseas, but they're a bitch to track down. The trouble is this buys into the disposable mentality of the modern age, that music is to be heard and then tossed aside. If they had a deep CD catalog it would be one thing, but RCA's classical catalog is overloaded with customized composer compilations and samplers. What we need and want are all those superfine Living Stereo titles of yesteryear, lovingly remastered. Not nearly enough of them out there.

ED

 

It's true that packaging gimmicks have been in the label's bag-O-tricks for ages, but there's something extremely cynical and crass about this one. It tells me that BMG has nothing but uneducated pencil pushers who don't give a rat's ass about music that's over three days old (that's if they care about music at all in the first place, which is doubtful).

The Living Stereo era is one small part of an incredible history of music that RCA recorded in the last century. It all sits unused.

BTW, notice that there's no mention of the artists who performed on "Shacking Up to Chopin".

Makes sense. Who cares who played on Muzak recordings, right?

Such a disgrace.
Dan C

 

I was expecting something much worse after reading some of your comments. I actually thought the disc covers were amusing, in a tacky sort of way. My other reaction is that the covers are so tacky that I think the "artist" had his/her tongue firmly in cheek.

I'm not sure that these discs are designed to attract teens. The drawings aren't particularly "appealing" in an MTV-sort of way like Britney's midriff or Usher's abs. It seems to me more of an effort to cash in on Valentine's Day sales, like all of the "Love Songs" collections that get issued at this time of year.

 

I would be surprised if this stopped at Valentine themes. I'm sure others will follow.

It's not just the ridiculous marketing and packaging that ticks me off to no end, it's the sad fact that these cheesy CDs represent most if not ALL of BMG's classical output.

After over 100 years of recording, this is what it's come to. That's depressing.
Dan C

 

It's kind of sad that classical music that has been popular for hundreds of
years seems to be dying a slow death in many social circles.

Understandably so desperate measures are being taken to keep classic
music alive.

It is interesting to note though that many rock artists have borrowed from
the classical composers.

Providing classical music education is very important to understanding
music theory.

No other music Genre has stood the test of time and flourished as long
as classical music has.

I was very moved after watching the movie "Mr Holland's Opus". It became more obvious than ever that Classical Music and music in general
is one of the cornerstones of culture in a healthy society.



Sorry, Hope I didn't drift too far off topic here

 

I think it'll sell. It is sad but that's how to get classical out to the market these days.
It's kind of like the ads for Classicals Greatest Hits - just the catchy melodies cut down to a few minutes each. Give the people what they want. I bet these discs will be good sellers.

 

Perhaps they could call this line "F@#$%d on Classics"?

 

Or maybe "Hookered on Classics".

 

or....."hooking" to the classics?
"hooking" with the classics?
"tricking" with the classics?
"tricking" to the classics?

Sorry..thats thread hooking....

 

I wonder what these discs are actually like . . . ?

**Fur Elise plays, and is abruptly interrupted mid-note by a deep male voice:

"It is now time to insert the birth-control device."**

(Anyone here seen "Kentucky Fried Movie"?)

 

Maybe the sticker is there for the booklet contents...perhaps a "G Spot" essay or a condensed, illustrated version of "Joy of Sex."

I'll get out some Brazilian music, Michael Franks or even Barry White before shacking up with one of these duds. One could hope some of the more astute listeners would want to seek out more classical music after hearing these, but I doubt it.

We do need to give RCA some more new titles, though, lest their "creative" (heh) juices run out:

Humpin' with Holst
Stravinsky for Studs
Passion with Puccini
Vicious Visions with Wagner
Doin' The Nasty with Debussy
Bach Door Baby

Have I missed others?