OnClassical
Pricing model | visitor's choice |
---|---|
Availability | World Wide Web |
OnClassical is an Italian independent record label. It features classical music mostly for single instrument or chamber ensemble.
History
Founded in April 2003[1] by Alessandro Simonetto, harpsichordist, producer and sound engineer, it enlists selected first-prize international contest winners and young talented musicians who do not hold exclusive contracts with managers or traditional recording houses.
OnClassical was the first Italian label to produce, realize, distribute and sell recordings through the web and amongst the first to apply the new philosophy of Creative Commons to MP3 and other files.[2]
OnClassical has no relationship with societies of rights collecting due to the facts it only threats public domain music.
Versions
The website started as a simple collection of classical music audio performances of some of the most important pianists such as Maurizio Baglini, Rustem Hayroudinoff, Gianluca Luisi, Alberto Nosè, Mariangela Vacatello and other. Only in January 2004 (second version) it evolved as an online record label and a mobile recording studio working with its own equipment. The third, of February 2005 (the 14th), and the last version, of July 2007 (the 14th), have always maintained the graphic unchanged (white blackground with yellow left border) and the main concepts tied to contents and licences.
The late version
With the last version of onclassical.com substantial innovationes have been introduced, such as the publication of only self-produced recordings and a more careful selection. Albums are sold in a CD-quality uncompressed format (PCM / WAV, at 44.1 kHz × 16-bit only.[3] No DRM) are present on the recordings. Compressed formats files can however be found through the online stores such as Amazon, iTunes, emusic.
Each album is sold at a price based on the visitors preference starting from 7.50 euros. An alert may inform the purchaser that artists earn 50% from profits given to downloadings of their albums.
The recordings
The recordings are considered of high quality.[4][5]. Some recordings have also been licensed for notable record labels such as Naxos or Brilliant Classics.
Today the catalogue has c. 50 titles. One of the main discographic projects is the recording of the complete works for clavier of Buxtehude and Bohm as performed by Florentine organist and harpsichordist Simone Stella now also released by Brilliant Classics.
Collaborations
OnClassical company furnishes the largest quantity of the classical music for Jamendo pro: the commercial program for music licensing at jamendo.com.[6]
Curiosities
- The name OnClassical means On[Line]Classical[Music] or On[about] Classical[ Music]). The motto of the label is A new Way to Think about Music.
- Simonetto was also the founder of kunstderfuge.com, a large and free resource of classical music in MIDI files.
References
- ^ Creative Commons: OnClassical relaunches
- ^ OnClassical at Creative Commons, Italy
- ^ Creative Commons: OnClassical case study
- ^ An online source of high quality listening material
- ^ Interview with Alessandro Simonetto, Founder of OnClassical – The e-label for Audiophiles
- ^ Jamendo goes OnClassical.