The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) has just become the latest classical music organization to launch its own CD label. BMOP Sound will debut in January 2008 and will be devoted exclusively to new music recordings, many of them pieces commissioned by BMOP.
BMOP Sound is scheduled to release five world premiere CDs at the start of 2008: John Harbison’s Ulysses; Michael Gandolfi’s Y2K Compliant; Gunther Schuller’s Journey Into Jazz featuring Gunther Schuller (narrator); Lee Hyla’s Lives of the Saints, featuring Mary Nessinger (mezzo-soprano); and Charles Fussell’s Wilde, featuring Sanford Sylvan (baritone). With 28 more recording projects in the works, the company plans to issue four to six CDs each year. Albany Music Distributors will handle the real world distribution and BMOP is planning an interactive website with digital download capabilities for later in 2008. BMOP has an existing catalog of 13 commercially released CDs (from Albany, Arsis, Cantaloupe, Chandos, Naxos, New World, and Oxingale labels).
I’m one of those people who believe that the DIY model is the salvation of new music recording and distribution, a boon to both the people who composer and perform music and those of us who listen, and the ultimate final nail in the coffee of traditional record labels that fail to adapt. Good riddance.
Ack! My title! “Y2K Compliant Music” from March 1999! Gandolfi, I’ll get ya!
Dennis
Jerry, do you — or does someone else — know whether the full, revised Harbison Ulysses ballet recording is on one or two discs (Schirmer gives the 1983 score version at 85 minutes long)? I’m curious because I’m wondering whether project costs will require BMOP to market the recording at a premium price (2CD)– or a single CD price.
I’ve generally been willing, in the past, to pay extra for recordings of 85 minute (or 81 minute) works — but sometimes my good will is stretched. (Though I understand, to a fair degree, the economics of such risky recording projects, and the good will of all of those involved on the recording side of such projects.)
Thanks.