“The conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim, in partnership with Universal Music, has created his own exclusively digital label,” writes Rebecca Schmid in Wednesday’s (4/30) New York Times. “Entitled ‘Peral Music,’ referring to Mr. Barenboim’s surname, which translates as ‘pear tree’ in Yiddish … the label on Wednesday released a cycle of Bruckner symphonies recorded together with the Staatskapelle Berlin. All recordings will be available only on iTunes…. Mr. Barenboim, who has recorded these symphonies twice previously—with the Chicago Symphony and the Berlin Philharmonic—said the label would focus on repertoire that has not often been recorded. He also said he intended it to take on an educational role with children’s piano studies by composers including Schumann and Clementi. Mr. Barenboim cited the lack of education among audience members as ‘the main problem with music in the world of today’ while adding that ‘young people now are able to profit from a very developed technological world.’ Mr. Barenboim said he was interested in a purely digital label because it was clear from conversations with various experts that this was ‘the future.’ He will continue to record for the Universal Music classical labels Deutsche Grammophon and Decca.”
Posted May 1, 2014
