EMI Classics
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2014) |
| EMI Classics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | EMI (1990–2012) Parlophone Label Group (2012–2013) Warner Music Group (2013–present) |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Status | Defunct |
| Genre | Classical music |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
EMI Classics was a record label founded by EMI in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases. Following the European Commission's approval of the takeover of EMI Group by Universal Music in September 2012, EMI Classics was listed for divestment.[1] The label was sold to Warner Music Group, which absorbed EMI Classics into Warner Classics in 2013.
Classical recordings were formerly simultaneously released under combinations of Angel, Seraphim, Odeon, Columbia, His Master's Voice, and other labels, in part because competitors own these names in various countries. These were moved under the EMI Classics umbrella to avoid the trademark problems. Prior to this, compact discs distributed globally bore the Angel Records recording angel logo that EMI owned globally. Releases created for distribution in specific countries continued to be distributed under the historical names, with the exception of Columbia, since EMI had sold the Columbia name to Sony Music Entertainment. The red logo harkens back to the Red Seal releases, introduced by EMI predecessor the Gramophone Company in 1902: HMV classical releases were issued with red labels.
EMI Classics also included the Virgin Classics label.
With the sale of EMI to Universal Music Group in 2012, European regulators forced Universal Music to divest itself of EMI Classics, which was operated with other European EMI assets to be divested as the Parlophone Label Group.[2] In February 2013, Universal Music sold the Parlophone Label Group, including EMI Classics and Virgin Classics, to Warner Music Group.[3] The European Union approved the deal on May 2013, and WMG took control of the label on 1 July 2013.[4] It was then announced that the EMI Classics artist roster and catalogue would be absorbed into the Warner Classics label and Virgin Classics would be absorbed into Erato Records.[5][6]
Artists
Composers
- Thomas Adès
- Craig Armstrong
- Howard Goodall
- Karl Jenkins
- Jon Lord
- Sir Paul McCartney
- Wim Mertens
- Michael Nyman
- Zbigniew Preisner
- John Rutter
- John Tavener
- Michael Tippett
- Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Conductors
- Claudio Abbado
- Sir John Barbirolli
- Daniel Barenboim
- Sir Thomas Beecham
- Sir Adrian Boult
- William Christie
- Alan Curtis
- Lawrence Foster
- Wilhelm Furtwängler
- Carlo Maria Giulini
- Emmanuelle Haïm
- Bernard Haitink
- Vernon Handley
- Daniel Harding
- Richard Hickox
- Mariss Jansons
- Paavo Järvi
- Herbert von Karajan
- Rudolf Kempe
- Sir Neville Marriner
- Jean Martinon
- Kurt Masur
- Ingo Metzmacher
- Riccardo Muti
- Sir Roger Norrington
- Antonio Pappano
- Michel Plasson
- André Previn
- Sir John Pritchard
- Sir Simon Rattle
- Jérémie Rhorer
- Blair Ellis Robertson
- Wolfgang Sawallisch
- Jeffrey Tate
- Franz Welser-Möst
- Sir David Willcocks
Chamber ensembles
Choirs and vocal ensembles
- Cantorion
- Choir of Clare College Cambridge
- Choir of King's College, Cambridge
- Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford
- John Alldis Choir
- Kindred Spirits
- The King's Singers
- Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir
- Rundfunkchor Berlin
- Westminster Abbey Choir
- Winchester Cathedral Choir
Orchestras
- Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
- Les Arts Florissants
- Berliner Philharmoniker
- Le Cercle de l'Harmonie
- Il Complesso Barocco
- Le Concert d'Astrée
- Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
- English Chamber Orchestra
- Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
- Europa Galante
- Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
- London Chamber Orchestra
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
- London Symphony Orchestra
- Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo
- Philharmonia Orchestra
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Instrumentalists
Piano
- Simon Trpčeski
- Leif Ove Andsnes
- Piotr Anderszewski
- Martha Argerich
- Daniel Barenboim
- Michel Béroff
- Jonathan Biss
- Youri Egorov
- Ingrid Fliter
- David Fray
- Evgeny Kissin
- Stephen Kovacevich
- Li Yundi
- Dong-Hyek Lim
- Gabriela Montero
- John Ogdon
- Awadagin Pratt
- André Previn
- Anne Queffélec
- Blair Ellis Robertson
- Ayako Uehara
- Lars Vogt
- Alexis Weissenberg
Violin
- Linda Brava
- Renaud Capuçon
- Sarah Chang
- Kyung-wha Chung
- Jascha Heifetz (recording for HMV in the 1930s)
- Nigel Kennedy
- Sir Yehudi Menuhin
- Anne-Sophie Mutter
- David Oistrakh
- Itzhak Perlman
- Blair Ellis Robertson
- Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
- Christian Tetzlaff
- Maxim Vengerov
- Frank Peter Zimmermann
Cello
Trumpet
Guitar
Oboe
Clarinet
Flute
Organ
Sitar
Singers
Soprano
- Elly Ameling
- Maria Callas
- Patrizia Ciofi
- Diana Damrau
- Natalie Dessay
- Véronique Gens
- Angela Gheorghiu
- Barbara Hendricks
- Ruth Ann Swenson
- Natasha Marsh
- Mady Mesplé
- Kate Royal
- Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
- Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
- Liping Zhang
Mezzo-soprano
Contralto
Countertenor
Tenor
Baritone
Bass
Crossover acts
- Keedie Babb
- Sarah Brightman
- Celtic Tenors
- Celtic Woman
- Keith Emerson
- Giorgia Fumanti
- Lesley Garrett
- Jane Gilchrist
- John Wilson Orchestra
- Myleene Klass
- Libera
- Mediæval Bæbes
- Maksim Mrvica
- Nigel Kennedy Quintet
- The Planets
- Anoushka Shankar
- Wild
Catalogue series
- 100 Best (6-CD budget series)
- 20th Century Classics series (2-CD)
- American Classics
- Black Boxes (Virgin Classics 5-CD budget series)
- British Composers
- Debut (developing artist series)
- Encore (1-CD budget series)
- EMI Masters
- EMI - The Home of Opera
- Gemini (2-CD mid-price series)
- Great Artists of the Century
- Great Recordings of the Century
- Historical (series of public domain recordings)
- ICON series
- The Karajan Collection
- The Klemperer Legacy
- Legend (CD+DVD series)
- Maria Callas Edition
- Opera Series (budget opera series without libretto)
- The Perlman Edition
- The Platinum Collection (3-CD budget series from EMI UK)
- Recommends Series (Gramophone / Penguin Guide recommended series from EMI UK)
- Références (historical series from EMI France)
- Rouge et Noir (2-CD mid price series from EMI France)
- The Classics (Virgin Classics budget series)
- Triples (3-CD budget series)
- Veritas (Virgin Classics original instrument recordings)
- Virgin de Virgin
- Virgo (Virgin Classics budget series)
See also
References
- ^ Universal's £1.2bn EMI takeover approved – with conditions 21 Sep 2012 "Full list of divestments...EMI Classics/Virgin Classics artist and composers"
- ^ "Parlophone Label Group's Kassler: 'We're effectively a mini major' | News168: All the latest news". News168. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ^ "Warner to buy the Parlophone Label Group". gramophone.co.uk. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ^ "Updated: Warner Music Group's Acquisition of Parlophone Approved by European Commission". Billboard.com. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ^ "EMI Classics and Virgin Classics to join Warners". Classic FM. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ^ [1] Template:Wayback