DECCA - very sad news..

[Norm@gear]

Shutting down at number one: death comes to Decca

[mljung]

Decca was one of the reasons why I wanted to record music!

Keep your DAV preamps get some M50's and plant new Decca trees; they made some of the best recordings over the years. Keep the albums and make safety copy's. Let the Decca sound live forever!

Best wishes
Mads

[climber]

RIP

[matyas]

Originally Posted by mljung

Decca was one of the reasons why I wanted to record music!

Keep your DAV preamps get some M50's and plant new Decca trees; they made some of the best recordings over the years. Keep the albums and make safety copy's. Let the Decca sound live forever!

Best wishes
Mads

This is sad.
I had no idea Julia Fischer had signed on with Decca. She had been on Penta-Tone, and her solo Bach disc on that label is outstanding. I haven't heard the new Decca recording the article speaks of, but she really is a great musician (I've seen her play), and it's sad if her major-label debut fails to do her justice.

[d_fu]

Wow....

This quote is interesting:

"These qualities have long been laid to rest, as the new Fischer dics all too grimly demonstrates. Fischer’s sound is poorly balanced and over-bright. Any subtlety she may have tried to convey is blown out of all proportion by all-purpose engineering from a freelance team that has no history with Decca. Nor is there much sign of a producer’s intervention. Fischer plays with steely athleticism but not much forethought or refinement. Comparison to the young Anne-Sophie Mutter, equally metallic but infinitely more controlled, puts Fischer firmly in the lower leagues. Decca in its heyday would not have passed this product."

BTW, I heard a movement of A.-S. Mutter's new recording of Bach violin concerti the other day on the radio, and found her constant vibrato a bit irritating...


Daniel

[hughesmr]

End of an era ....

What happens to the back catalog? Does Universal own it?

[David Spearritt]

Maybe skepticism is advised. Its stormin' Norman.

[mljung]

Originally Posted by hughesmr

End of an era ....

What happens to the back catalog? Does Universal own it?

I ask myself the same question
Will bits and pieces come out on cheap labels without proper credit's etc.
I really hope they'll at least archive the recordings as the treasure a lot of the recordings are. Just come to think about all the old Britten stuff, but that's just a corner of a big warm library...

[Plush]

Oh my root. . .

Actually quite hard to believe this news. Will wait for a confirmation.

[Chaellus]

the seems like a hoax

[sctt_stone]

Have any of you wondered if the music business is finished?
I think the closing words of the article imply that it is.
If a number one record can not support the people involved, whats the point in being involved?
Video killed the radio star.

[Jim Williams]

Ipod killed the stereo store.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[DSD_Mastering]

Originally Posted by hughesmr

What happens to the back catalog? Does Universal own it?

A friend of mine who owns an audiophile label bought the licensing rights to the entire archive. We are transfering about 4 master tapes at a time to release.


Regards,

[3rd&4thT]

Originally Posted by DSD_Mastering

A friend of mine who owns an audiophile label bought the licensing rights to the entire archive. We are transfering about 4 master tapes at a time to release.
Regards,

This is heartbreaking news.

Can you tell us the name of the audiophile label so we don't have to chase around looking for it?

Thanks,
3rd&4thT

[Chaellus]

so this aint BS i take it.....that sucks bad

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

Ipod killed the stereo store.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

Isn't that a Buggles tune?

[DSD_Mastering]

Originally Posted by 3rd&4thT

Can you tell us the name of the audiophile label so we don't have to chase around looking for it?

First Impression Music


Regards,

[mljung]

Originally Posted by DSD_Mastering

First Impression Music


Regards,

Just took a look at their web-site, looks like a mixed bag. I'm sure a lot sounds good, but when I think Decca I think of a company that made very good recordings without using the audiophile stamp. It was for people who enjoyed music - not just for hi-fi freaks.

[and it was British]

If "First Impression Music" have bought the rights now I'm afraid we will only see a few popular titles from the Decca coming out.
I'm skeptical about the future for the Decca heritage

==
Mads

[videoteque]

not just for hi-fi freaks

I try in every possible way to understand WHY audiophiles are hated by sound engineers.

I am sure there are too many "too-stupid-too-much-money audiophiles" going around. But leaving those aside, aren't audiophiles the ONLY people who can truly apreciate the quality of your work???

"Audiophile" here is a negative tag, but for me describes someone with a lot of love for music and for hearing that music in the best possible way and I have known a lot of those people, some with expensive stereos, some with cheap ones.

You hate iPods (but a lot of iPod people is actually paying for music) and you hate audiophiles (who are the only ones with good playback systems who can value your recordings). Who else do you hate, your boss? Your wife? Yourself???

Now that big corporation companies are (let me add: finally!) dying, it's time for smaller and niche record labels to spring out!!!

In iTunes/internet the little fish has more or less the same possibilities as the big fish!!! Use your new powers, you don't need to expect the everytime lower check from the everytime bigger corporation anymore!!!

Am I too optimistic?? Will my SXL LPs cost more if Decca closes??

Sorry if this post doesn't belong here.

[Remoteness]

Man, if this is true it's terrible news and a serious drag.

Perhaps there is still some hope for the Decca catalog and its future.

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by mljung

Just took a look at their web-site, looks like a mixed bag...

Unfortunately that is also the case when you look at Decca's contemporary website. But the old days were great. The back catalogue is a Fort Knox of classical music recordings.

[mljung]

Originally Posted by videoteque

I try in every possible way to understand WHY audiophiles are hated by sound engineers.

Just to make it clear: I love good sound, but for the sake of music. Audiophiles [or hi-fi freaks] can be, although I have to emphasize that they're not necessarily, kind of religious about sound and sound-systems; they hail quality of sound above all.
Decca made a lot of wonderful recordings that I consider "audiophile" - if you will - but that wasn't their selling point, and I like that, that's all.

[mljung]

Originally Posted by audio ergo sum

Unfortunately that is also the case when you look at Decca's contemporary website. But the old days were great. The back catalogue is a Fort Knox of classical music recordings.

Sure but I've always bought Decca albums in record-shops, not from their web-site!

[d_fu]

Considering that Decca is no longer an independent entity, I'm wondering what is actually being shut down. Just offices? Why would Universal (Or whoever owns the setup) do away with the brand name?

I've also been planning to back up my old CDs, some of which are over 25 years old. Plenty of the fabulous Montréal/Dutoit recordings from the eighties among these.

[Remoteness]

That's a good point.

Originally Posted by d_fu

Considering that Decca is no longer an independent entity, I'm wondering what is actually being shut down. Just offices? Why would Universal (Or whoever owns the setup) do away with the brand name?

I've also been planning to back up my old CDs, some of which are over 25 years old. Plenty of the fabulous Montréal/Dutoit recordings from the eighties among these.

[videoteque]

Decca made a lot of wonderful recordings that I consider "audiophile" - if you will - but that wasn't their selling point, and I like that, that's all.

The thing is in the end, the "earability" of music depends of both, music and recording. I agree there are audiophile records that may sound good, but the music is... well, not good!

Perhaps there is still some hope for the Decca catalog and its future.

They can't throw away all that catalogue!!! Let's hope good for the First (good!) Impresion Music!

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by d_fu

Considering that Decca is no longer an independent entity, I'm wondering what is actually being shut down. Just offices? Why would Universal (Or whoever owns the setup) do away with the brand name?
...

I'm not a lawyer and even if you ask two of them you get five opinions, but it might have to do with the commercial use of the back catalog. If you liquidate shop and reissue under a new company, possibly you can "screw" the artists and producers, anyone who has still rights in the recordings. Their contracts might not protect their rights, when the label liquidates. But that is pure speculation from my side. It has happened though in the past.
I just recently bought a CD that was originally from Teldec (RIP) and was reissued in the low price segment under the until then to me unknown label
"apex"

[DSD_Mastering]

Originally Posted by mljung

Sure but I've always bought Decca albums in record-shops, not from their web-site!

Most of First Impression Music is sold through a distributorship. There are 2 more labels under FIM which are LIM (Lasting Impression Music) and GS (Golden String Audio).

Elusive Disc
Music Direct
May Audio
and a crap load I can't remember right now.


Regards,

[mljung]

Originally Posted by d_fu

I've also been planning to back up my old CDs, some of which are over 25 years old. Plenty of the fabulous Montréal/Dutoit recordings from the eighties among these.

Ohh yes early Decca digital was not bad at all and the St. Eustache acoustics in the hands of the Decca team was glorious! There's of course the different Ravel and Stravinsky recordings, but for me the Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition from '87 is spectacular; listened at full level it has both brutal impact and beautiful poetic atmosphere - and what a sound stage!

[3rd&4thT]

Oh, you can guarantee the revenue stream will stop for all but the ones who need it least, like the Pavarotti heirs. When a classical CD reappears on another label, the residuals almost never follow.

I hope Universal will hold onto the business archives. There must be lots of good letters, memo's and session notes; I'd hate to see all that in a dumpster.

Universal also shuttered the Philips label within the last year. Funny that no one noticed. They had a lot of good recordings in their back catalog, even if the A&R tended to be duller.

While they occasionally dropped the ball, Decca had pizzazz, for an English company anyway. EMI, with a superlative classical list, never quite figured out how to sell a record, whereas Decca could really stir up some hoopla.

3rd&4thT