Classical music

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

With my work hat on, i would love to know how many copies you need to sell to ne at No 40 in the specialist classical chart.

Bet its not many. Bet its not many to be in the top 10 either.

In Tesco's DVD chart, they don't have to sell any to reach no. 1. Next week's chart has already been decided and will be displayed tomorrow morning, to include all the new releases that will not be on sale until tomorrow. I asked about this and was told it was based upon pre-release orders. When they realised I wasn't falling for that, they admitted that the companies probably paid Tesco for chart positions.

[french frank]

With my work hat on, i would love to know how many copies you need to sell to ne at No 40 in the specialist classical chart.

The Specialist Chart only goes up to 20. The point is with the (non-specialist) Top 40 that these guys are making out with the really big hitters of the classical world - Katherine Jenkins, André Rieu and Hayley Westenra . And they shift plenty.

(I see the KJ latest includes Pachelbel's canon - is that right?)

NB Yes, it does seem to be right. It involves the repetition of the word 'Alleiuia' though whether it breaks out into some sort of manic coloratura later I'm not sure. On sale at Amazon for £2.99.

[teamsaint]

In Tesco's DVD chart, they don't have to sell any to reach no. 1. Next week's chart has already been decided and will be displayed tomorrow morning, to include all the new releases that will not be on sale until tomorrow. I asked about this and was told it was based upon pre-release orders. When they realised I wasn't falling for that, they admitted that the companies probably paid Tesco for chart positions.

All too true.
Suppose i come from a time where my week was in part based around the pop top 40, and in which the position in the chart was important, and actually probably bore some relation to the number of discs sold.

As you say,with books, its almost certain that the "charts" in the retail outlets reflect the amount of cash that the publishers hand over , rather than last weeks actual sales.

Its a cynical old world.

Perhaps this board should have a weekly chart based on what we are listening to, or have bought !! would be interesting if immensely complex and time consuming.

[Don Petter]

What does have a certain interest is to look at the Top 40 and see which 'real' classical CDs have made it into that chart. They only have a top 'artist' chart and a top 'compilation' chart which seems to leave the composers out a bit. But I suppose with new releases it is mainly the 'artist' who is selling it since in most cases there are other interpretations available. (Marketing here, of course)

Leaving aside Kennedy's Four Seasons, Holst's The Planets and such long-standing favourites, we have, ascending:

Chopin, Waltzes - Hough
Arnold, Cello concerto - Wallfisch, Northern CO
Ireland, Piano Concerto - Lenehan/RLPO
Chopin, Liszt, Ravel - Grosvenor
Delius, violin sonatas - Little/Lane
Ravel, complete violin and piano music - Ibragimova/Tiberghien
Delius, string concertos - Little/Watkins/BBCSO
Fauré, complete chamber music for strings - various, incl. R&G Capuçon, Caussé, Angelich

Gratifying, for me, to see that only three of the eight are, in loose terms, orchestral. Not that I have anything against orchestral works, but I would not have expected such a high proportion of 'chamber and instrumental' from the average punter.

On the other hand, those three are all concerti, so maybe overall we are just seeing the present cult of the personality/celebrity outweighing other considerations?

[BBMmk2]

If this helps people to appreciate classical music more, i am all for it!!