New releases

[Richard Barrett]

We work on very tight margins indeed, on costings that allow for very modest sales numbers. Those numbers I would suggest aren't far from what record companies budget for. It isn't unusual to publish a book that will turn a small but acceptable profit on 1000/1500 copies. And we manage to produce some terrific book covers, that often stand up well to those of much bigger outfits. Budgets are a big help of course, but imagination and research into the market go a long way to helping produce a good product.

Edit: Just to flesh this out,( and I'm not claiming that all of our covers are wonderful) decisions on covers , at least for us, involve a wide range of considerations. Other costs in the project, projected sales, likely market, time constraints, where the book sits in the market, current fashions ( or is that styles ?!) are just a few. and sometimes the cheapest option , or path of least resistance is taken.

Thanks, that's all very interesting. I'm sure you've noticed though that some labels, among which I'd count BIS, even though it has improved massively in this regard since the horrible covers they used to do, really don't seem to care very much about what their products look like.

[teamsaint]

Of course, doing other peoples jobs can be very easy.....politics, football referee, that sort of thing !

Looking at this release, I would have thought that with such a popular work, and this ensemble, BIS would have been reasonably ambitious in its aspirations.
If that is the case, it doesn't seem to me to reflect in the cover. But then, perhaps covers aren't so influential for music as for books , and doubtless they know their market. Perhaps other people like it.

My guess would be that extra resource put into cover design on a CD would go quite a long way. In general they wouldn't incur the extra costs that publishers do for things like textured hardback covers, and all the myriad design features built into many modern book covers. It is probably true to say that good cover design can make a book, in a way that is less likely for a CD.

Oh, and just to add a ( probably obvious )point , publishers would tend to put resource into the covers in proportion to the expected market, very broadly. So that niche titles , with a limited and defined market, will likely get something functional, whereas a title with " Breakout " potential will likely get a bit of extra in the way of bells and whistles in its treatment.

[jayne lee wilson]

Thanks, that's all very interesting. I'm sure you've noticed though that some labels, among which I'd count BIS, even though it has improved massively in this regard since the horrible covers they used to do, really don't seem to care very much about what their products look like.

It is very idiosyncratic about covers though isn't it? I've a great fondness for those early black BIS designs, partly because I associate them with a particular kind of sound - very spacious, detailed, dynamic and "truthful". "A BIS Original Dynamics recording"... Some of them e.g. the Holmboe and Sibelius/Vanska issues, are quite pleasant in themselves, setting landscape, or fossil/vegetation-art agains the black ground, with bold white and gold lettering. The original versions of the Sibelius 5th and Violin Concerto especially.......

http://www.eclassical.com/conductors/vanska-osmo/sibelius-symphony-no5.html

[MickyD]

Some of the very first BIS CD's recordings I own are emblazoned with a huge red 'WARNING' across the cover, informing listeners that 'the staggering dynamics of the ORIGINAL performance...may damage your loudspeakers.'

However thoughtful that was of them for the listener, it didn't do much for the attractiveness of the covers.

[cloughie]

Some of the very first BIS CD's recordings I own are emblazoned with a huge red 'WARNING' across the cover, informing listeners that 'the staggering dynamics of the ORIGINAL performance...may damage your loudspeakers.'

However thoughtful that was of them for the listener, it didn't do much for the attractiveness of the covers.

But then you don’t play the cover!

[pastoralguy]

Some of the very first BIS CD's recordings I own are emblazoned with a huge red 'WARNING' across the cover, informing listeners that 'the staggering dynamics of the ORIGINAL performance...may damage your loudspeakers.'

However thoughtful that was of them for the listener, it didn't do much for the attractiveness of the covers.

I always thought that was a bit of a marketing ploy since I played these discs through everything from a £20 'boom box' to a £100k system with no ill effects.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I always thought that was a bit of a marketing ploy since I played these discs through everything from a £20 'boom box' to a £100k system with no ill effects.

[Zucchini]

... played these discs through everything from a £20 'boom box' to a £100k system ...

Still a £20 'boom box' but fitted in the dashboard of your Aston Martin?

[jayne lee wilson]

I always thought that was a bit of a marketing ploy since I played these discs through everything from a £20 'boom box' to a £100k system with no ill effects.

Some of them certainly gave me a little trouble: a 60-watt QED power amp exhibited clearly audible overload through climaxes, especially where midrange dynamics were pronounced; this amp had inadequate current reserve, especially at lower impedances. A friend's Quad Electrostatics (run off AVI 100-watt amps, no less), also protested at the power of the climaxes in the Holmboe Four Symphonic Metamorphoses BIS CD-852 (though this did not have the cover warnings, it was pretty demanding)...

In fact, various mini-hifi, portables and boomboxes will exhibit fewer problems as they designedly self-limit. It is really all about the "honesty" of the design: not attempting more than it can reasonably manage (in terms of average power/dynamic capability - which is why some models don't get much more dynamic as the volume increases...)..
It is variable system-to-system of course, but "damage to loudspeakers" is more often caused by amplifier inadequacy (running short of current at higher volumes to cope with climaxes etc), rather than a very powerful amp or recording "overdriving" a loudspeaker.

I always used the Holmboe ( last movement of the Metamorphosis No. 4, Op. 108) when system-building: once I had a speaker/amp combo that could cope with that (and remain natural & pleasant to the ears at higher volume settings), I knew I was getting somewhere....

[vinteuil]

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... if you are tempted by the new Carole Cerasi Couperin (and it is marvellous) you might like to know that currently amazon france have it for about half the price of amazon uk :

http://amzn.eu/d/epNgDzF

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https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B07HB9F4CY

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[Richard Barrett]

... if you are tempted by the new Carole Cerasi Couperin

Gosh yes that looks like a must.

[Bryn]

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... if you are tempted by the new Carole Cerasi Couperin (and it is marvellous) you might like to know that currently amazon france have it for about half the price of amazon uk :

http://amzn.eu/d/epNgDzF

.

https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B07HB9F4CY

.

£54.90 including p&p, delivered to the UK, at today's amazon.fr's exchange rate.

[MickyD]

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... if you are tempted by the new Carole Cerasi Couperin (and it is marvellous) you might like to know that currently amazon france have it for about half the price of amazon uk :

http://amzn.eu/d/epNgDzF

.

https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B07HB9F4CY

.

I already have the complete Rousset set, Vints and love it to bits...what makes this one so special and worth buying, pray tell?

[vinteuil]

I already have the complete Rousset set, Vints and love it to bits...what makes this one so special and worth buying, pray tell?

... I've only listened to a little so far - but I agree with the appreciative reviewer on amazon, who makes useful contrasts with the other sets I have on the shelves here - the Kenneth Gilbert, Rousset, Scott Ross, Verlet. Lovely instruments, and fine recorded sound. I've been a Cerasi fan for ages - her Jacquet de La Guerre I hope you already have?

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[MickyD]

... I've only listened to a little so far - but I agree with the appreciative reviewer on amazon, who makes useful contrasts with the other sets I have on the shelves here - the Kenneth Gilbert, Rousset, Scott Ross, Verlet. Lovely instruments, and fine recorded sound. I've been a Cerasi fan for ages - her Jacquet de La Guerre I hope you already have?

.

Well, in fact I was going to buy it, but I compared it with one or two other recordings and I must say that the version by Elizabeth Farr was the one I went for, as I just loved the recorded sound of her instrument. The sound of the Cerasi is just too close for my ears, but I don't doubt her amazing playing. I'm happy to say that her Couperin has been given much more room to breathe. There is a nice extract on YouTube of her playing the Ruckers at Hatchlands Park.