Stars, hits, and the present and future of classical music CDs
Mat Callahan’s 2005 book The Trouble With Music focuses on the way the “music industry” affects the creation and reception of music. The book is not genre-specific, but covers many musics, from folk to hip-hop to classical. He quotes from an interview in The Independent with Martin Engstroem, who in 2003 was the chief “talent scout” for Deutsche Gramophone, one of the very few major labels when it comes to classical music:
“‘Our releases are primarily linked to the artist, the star. People go to a concert, fall in love with the artist and buy their record. Yes, it’s a big change, but it’s one we have to live with. Ten years ago, you went purely for quality.’ But not now? ‘Of course, you still go for that, because we’re still talking DG. But quality is no longer enough on its own. You have to listen to the market. We’ve recently signed a lot of charismatic young artists like Lang Lang and Hilary Hahn, because we feel that’s where the energy lies.’ He agreed this runs counter to the old assumption that age and wisdom make the best music. ‘But that is not what the public says. To keep our figures in the black, we have to listen to the market.’” - quoted in Callahan, pp. 177-8.
Darwinian fitness (in the context of survivability in a market) does not equal quality…