[Nereffid]

This was posted today on Facebook by Swedish record label BIS, and I thought it worth sharing:

BIS is proud to announce that one of its products has just passed the 250'000 mark in sales. With this, it is the best-selling BIS production ever.

For classical music this is truly very, very rare for any company.

This concerns the wonderful Martin Fröst recording of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto (with Amsterdam Sinfonietta/Peter Oundjian) and Quintet (with Vertavo Quartet), on BIS-1263 SACD, which has swept the market for many years. With this, it is the best-selling BIS production ever.

Martin Fröst is, as everyone in the business knows, the world's leading clarinet player at this time. He was discovered by Robert von Bahr, founder of BIS, and has to date released no less than 22 albums on BIS. Martin's career has taken him to all parts of the globe and his forward-thinking repertoire choice and theme concert ideas have brought him incredible numbers of fans. Martin has recently also taken up conducting, with great success.

This is a truly unique occasion, and we don't think many independent labels have ever reached sales of this proportion for any classical products.

The album was released in 2003 so the high sales aren't what you might call an overnight success, but it's a nice reminder that quality continues to be valued, without the need for slick marketing.

 

[Triplets]

Congratulations. I have that disc and it is indeed a treat

 

[Guest]

The success is well-deserved. That is my favorite recording of K622 out of the eight that I have, including Thea King's legendary performance.

 

[echmain]

I saw Fröst play the clarinet concerto with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra last October. It was fantastic. Immediate standing ovation at the end.

 

[shadowdancer]

Thanks to the great "Rise of the Masters" series I've been quite near the performances of Mr Fröst.
For those not familiar, check it:

For 6USD you get both his best records from Mozart's work. A lot of good stuff together.
May I also recommend his Brahms? Also for 6USD with a lot of good stuff.

Well deserved recognition. Congrats to the Artist!

 

[Ukko]

This guy is an excellent technician, with an interpretive imagination that is charming, wide-ranging and under his control. I don't know how unusual that is; when combined with the career success he is (I hope) enjoying, 'unusual' is a conservative term.

 

[hpowders]

So many fine clarinetists recording today.

 

[Delicious Manager]

Martin Fröst is one of the best clarinettists around at the moment (the only one I would marginally prefer listening to would be Michael Collins). He combines flawless technique, velvety sound and supreme musicianship. For me, he's a musician's musician. In the classical world, a quarter of a million sales is quite an achievment, especially at a time when CD sales generally are plummetting.
Bravo, Martin and Bis.

 

[Guest]

I have that recording as well, and it is a great one! The recording of the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas and Trio by him, as well as the Weber Clarinet Concertos and Quintet are also highly recommended.

 

[Albert7]

And further proof that classical music sales aren't dying... Doomsayers just want to be having their glory day.

And I will add this fine album to my want list so I can support this guy.

 

[Lord Lance]

And further proof that classical music sales aren't dying... Doomsayers just want to be having their glory day.

And I will add this fine album to my want list so I can support this guy.

Classical music sales are dying. Our ancestors had predicted a long time ago.

Oh and I hate eating grass too.

 

[Albert7]

Classical music sales are dying. Our ancestors had predicted a long time ago.

Oh and I hate eating grass too.

Hopefully I can't entrust you with the crystal ball...

Remember this is a BIS release and they aren't even a huge label. This is rather impressive to be honest.

 

[Lord Lance]

Hopefully I can't entrust you with the crystal ball...

Remember this is a BIS release and they aren't even a huge label. This is rather impressive to be honest.

It was sarcasm, dear Albert. But for a minor-league label like BIS to make a quarter of a million sales is most unexpected and pleasure-inducing.

 

[Albert7]

It was sarcasm, dear Albert. But for a minor-league label like BIS to make a quarter of a million sales is most unexpected and pleasure-inducing.

Misread the tone actually LOL.

I am actually curious now to see what sales of reissues are like. How many does Karajan still sell nowadays?

 

[Guest]

This one, another one from BIS, has sold a lot less.

http://www.eclassical.com/composers...nto-complete-works-for-soprano-and-organ.html

We could double or triple its sales - like a flash mob! Plus it's on sale today only.

Here's the blurb from Robert von Bahr, owner of BIS, about it:

Ah, finally!!! I have been longing for the moment the computer would land at this one, one of the most disregarded and unjustly neglected small treasures in our collection. OK, truth: this record has sold a total of 5 or so copies in the past 7-8 years - not a single one on eClassical - and I will go to my grave, wondering why. It is music by a Swedish composer, Torsten Nilsson - a great original, perhaps even a little crazy, working in a church in Stockholm, and mostly written for his soprano daughter Kristina. It is music in a (what we would say now) mildly modern style, a bit Messiaenish, and - in my ears - extremely accessible and, yes, beautiful. I myself worked with him on occasions and was there for the first performances of some of these works, which are totally unjustly forgotten. Mona Julsrud and Bjørn Kåre Moe, Norwegian artists, have spent a lot of love and affection on this music, and it shows. The recording was done in the very church and on the very organ, for which the music was conceived. Please do give this a chance. RvB

You can preview on iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nilsson-complete-works-for/id331204207

. I'm checking it out now.

 

[KenOC]

Fröst recorded the Mozart concerto for Bis again more recently, this time conducting as well. The couplings include non-Bis artists Leif Ove Andsnes (piano) and Janine Jansen (violin), both very well known indeed.

 

[Lord Lance]

Misread the tone actually LOL.

I am actually curious now to see what sales of reissues are like. How many does Karajan still sell nowadays?

The population of Iceland ^ 3? Per album, that is.

 

[Albert7]

Based on averages, that means he sold about 25,000 copies per year and that's on a small classical label. I am rather impressed. Especially when CD sales were down heavily with only I believe Taylor Swift's album hitting platinum status.

I am hoping that there can be measurements for iTunes and Amazon mp3 sales added into this as well.

 

[Bulldog]

It is an excellent recording, but there are others in that category as well. Also, I found the Facebook blurb from BIS to be over-the-top.

 

[Albert7]

Based on averages, that means he sold about 25,000 copies per year and that's on a small classical label. I am rather impressed. Especially when CD sales were down heavily with only I believe Taylor Swift's album hitting platinum status.

I am hoping that there can be measurements for iTunes and Amazon mp3 sales added into this as well.

Revision... apparently even BIS is outselling Hilary Hahn who is a major artist.

http://slippedisc.com/2014/01/good-news-hilary-tops-the-charts-bad-news-lowest-ever-sales/

Obviously there is no doubt that Hilary Hahn is making tons of money from iTunes downloads. Not CD sales... most people like me are buying iTunes version and don't care for the physical copy.

So nearly 350 copies is very much an underestimate. But still... BIS could be outselling DG?!?