The Story Of Naxos The Extraordinary Story of the Independent Record Label that Changed Classical Recording For Ever

by Soames, Nicolas

• ISBN13: 9780749956899
• ISBN10: 0749956895
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-09-04
• Publisher: Piatkus

Summary

In 1987, a budget classical record label was started in Hong Kong by Klaus Heymann, a German businessman who loved classical music. Swiftly, it gained a world wide reputation for reliable new digital recordings of the classics at a remarkably low price. Despite opposition from the classical record establishment, it grew at a remarkable pace, and soon expanded into opera, early music, contemporary music and specialist repertoire so that it became appreciated by specialist collectors as well as the general music lover. It is now the leading provider of classical music and as an innovator in digital delivery. At the heart of Naxos is one man: Klaus Heymann. The combination of his broad knowledge of classical music and his acute business acumen has enabled him to build the most varied classical music label in the world, but also the most effective distribution network to ensure that his recordings are available everywhere. This fascinating story explains how it happened, how a one-time tennis coach in Frankfurt became a classical recording mogul in Hong Kong and how, at the age of 75, he still holds the reins as firmly as ever.

Author Biography

Nicolas Soames is a former classical music journalist. For the past 18 years, he has run Naxos AudioBooks, the award-winning label with a particularly strong reputation for its spoken word recordings of literary classics from Homer and Dante to James Joyce and Haruki Murakami.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Preface	p. xi
Dramatic Change in Classical Recording, 1977-1990	p. 1
Klaus Heymann: A Profile	p. 19
The Early Years: From Frankfurt to Hong Kong 1936-1967	p. 29
A New Home in the Far East: Building a Business Career 1967-1982	p. 36
Marco Polo: An International Label 1982-1987	p. 50
Naxos: A Classical Revolution 1987-1994	p. 67
Naxos: A World Force 1994-2000	p. 87
Naxos: The Digital Age 1996-2011	p. 107
The Artists: Soloists and Chamber Musicians	p. 123
Takako Nishizaki - Violin	p. 127
Jenö Jandó-Piano	p. 137
Idil Biret-Piano	p. 142
Maria Kliegel-Cello	p. 146
Kodály Quartet	p. 149
Ilya Kaler-Violin	p. 154
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