Re: [ARSCLIST] Copyright of treasures

[Karl Miller <lyaa071@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 6 Oct 2005, Mike Richter wrote:

> Even this becomes unclear. Suppose the rights to broadcast are signed
> over but not to recording. Home recording occurs - please, do not be
> shocked. Such recordings are routinely 'shared' (another secret we must
> scrupulously keep from the public). Thus, regardless of the artists'
> wishes and of contracts, the performance is disseminated. Is it then
> only the pirates (commercial or otherwise) who are to provide that service?

And then I am reminded of working with both the Boston Symphony and the
New York Phil. Having collected broadcasts for many years, I had stuff
they didn't have. They were willing to accept copies from my personal
collection, no questions asked...but could we get a copy of their
performance of the Diamond 11th...nope.

Many significant broadcasts survive only because collectors recorded them.
I also think of the wonderful Boston Symphony material that was recorded
illegally in Symphony Hall (and not broadcast)...Koussevitzky conducting
the Barber Violin Concerto, Honegger 4th Symphony, etc. Thank God copies
of those have circulated. And then all of those illegal copies made by the
Carnegie Hall Recording Corp...I plan to issue one of them, Mitropoulos
conducting the Gould Third Symphony...the composer had it in his own
collection.

I am also reminded of the many hours I spent in the old store Music
Masters in New York. They would record, in house, just about every NY Phil
and Met concert. I would sit there on a Saturday afternoon and visit as
some soloist from the Met performance from the night before would come in
and listen to his/her performance...

Thank heavens this was done...were it not for efforts like this, I
wouldn't have a tape of Harris conducting his 11th Symphony...a recording
I was able to share with Harris...the Philharmonic didn't record it since
they weren't broadcasting at that time...

As for the soloist who didn't want their performance recorded...what a
tragic loss it is that Rachmaninoff did not allow his performances
broadcast. I still have this fantasy that some engineer made a copy on
their own and that one day it will turn up in some estate sale.

For me, it isn't just about money.

Karl