Presto Classical launch Presto CD

[doversoul1]

Over recent years we've noticed an increasing number of very good (and sometimes outstanding) recordings being deleted on CD as they're not selling 'enough' to apparently warrant their continued existence in the CD catalogue.
Of course downloading is increasingly becoming an alternative option for these recordings, but what about those people who still prefer CD? Or if the repertoire in question is perhaps a song or opera and you particularly want the booklet so you can read the translations?[…]

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/features/1041/Presto-CD-launched-today

Although my area of interest is too obscure to be covered by a project like this, it looks a worthwhile effort. Any thoughts?

[visualnickmos]

I think it's a brilliant idea. I really hope it is a resounding success; it certainly deserves to be. But I suppose the pricing will be a key issue, here.

[french frank]

I think it's a brilliant idea. I really hope it is a resounding success; it certainly deserves to be. But I suppose the pricing will be a key issue, here.

In fact, is this a rival/parallel for Brilliant? (The more the merrier in any case).

[kea]

Are these CDs or CD-Rs?

[Sir Velo]

A quick look at the initial launch tells me that their prices mean that they are not competing against Brilliant in the Bargain and SuperBargain arena. In fact these Cds are at mid price. Moreover, despite their press release, many of the recordings are still available from other on-line retailers (e.g. Kocsis' Bartok) at, in some cases, considerably lower prices.

Having said that, a cautious welcome for any initiative which seeks to extend the list of available repertoire.

[Roehre]

...
Having said that, a cautious welcome for any initiative which seeks to extend the list of available repertoire.

Available recordings of generally widely available repertoire, I'm afraid.
Of these first 43, only 5 are in that respect "special":
French Coloratura Arias,
English Recorder Concertos,
Recorder Sonatas,
Rossini - Heroes and Heroines and
Kenneth McKellar - Sleep the noon in the deep blue sky,
leaving 38 in a wide and very competitive area.

[Tony Halstead]

Available recordings of generally widely available repertoire, I'm afraid.
Of these first 43, only 5 are in that respect "special":
French Coloratura Arias,
English Recorder Concertos,
Recorder Sonatas,
Rossini - Heroes and Heroines and
Kenneth McKellar - Sleep the noon in the deep blue sky,
leaving 38 in a wide and very competitive area.

There is a somewhat depressing paucity of HIPP performances ( 2 out of 43 I think)

[mathias broucek]

I've been hoping for a while that there would be a European version of Arkivmusic in the US which offers a similar service but is vulnerable to annoying customs and handling charges....

However, although there's some excellent material here most of it is quite easy to source in other editions and/or second hand. It would be more helpful if they'd put out some genuinely hard-to-find material. For example Sinopoli's Bruckner 8 is far rarer than his 5th - both excellent BTW.

[amateur51]

It's inevitable that the first tranche of such releases will not find favour with everyone, but as we know from his appearance recently on CD Review, the young man from Presto is a very approachable sort and I would have thought that he would be happy, indeed grateful, to receive sensible suggestions for future releases.

As to comparisons with Brilliant ,this service seems to me to be more the equivalent of Eloquence, albeit at a slightly higher price and more recent recordings.

The market will decide

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There is a somewhat depressing paucity of HIPP performances ( 2 out of 43 I think)

Which perhaps suggests the possibility that such recordings stay in the catalogue longer (because more popular) than those on "modern instruments"?

the young man from Presto is a very approachable sort and I would have thought that he would be happy, indeed grateful, to receive sensible suggestions for future releases.

I do hope his idea of "sensible" coincides with mine: I could make him very happy and grateful!

[amateur51]

I do hope his idea of "sensible" coincides with mine: I could make him very happy and grateful!

Drop him a line ferney and prompt his commercial leanings

[johnb]

Manufactured by us here at Presto Classical under licence from the original record labels, Presto CD produces a finished product almost indistinguishable from the original factory pressed version. Each disc includes full booklets and inlays, whilst the audio, (sourced directly from the factory) is 100% identical to that found on the original CD version.

Perhaps I'm wrong but I read this as implying that the discs are CD-R. That raises the issues of storage and lifespan. For maximum life they should be stored in their jewel boxes in a cool, dry, dark place. Leaving them out in sunlight is a really bad idea!

[kea]

That's what I'm wondering. $16.50 + international shipping is typically going to be a lot more than I'm willing to pay for a CD-R (also why I have avoided "ArkivCDs") unless the item is a rarity of significant interest.

[richardfinegold]

Arkiv Music has been selling CD-Rs like this for some time now. A substantial part of their catalog seems to consist of deleted recordings that they offer at full price. The recordings come in a jewel box and with a set of Cd Liner notes that are made with a copier from the original.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

On the opposite side of the coin, on Music Matters there is to be a discussion about online only labels such as Barenboim's new one. Big Brother strikes again.