Hyperion Records, which was recently bought by Universal, has decided to make its catalogue of recordings available on streaming platforms for the first time.
The first batch of 200 Hyperion recordings has just gone up on Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes and so on. As the Hyperion catalogue is very large, it will be released in batches over the next ten months or so.
The first batch includes Gramophone Award-winning discs, so you can now listen to Domus’s Fauré piano quartets from 1985, Fauré piano quintets from 1995
or the Florestan Trio’s Schumann Trios disc
There are lots of other discs – for example Domus’s Dvorak piano quartets, the Florestan Trio’s Brahms box set, its Dvorak Trios or the first volume of its Haydn Trios
I am the pianist on all the recordings I’ve mentioned.
Hyperion has always been a superb label, but its previous policy of not allowing its records to be on the main streaming platforms has arguably restricted the number of people who know the recordings – more so as time has gone on. That always made me feel sad, so I’m pleased that these fine recordings will now more easily reach a wider audience.
Excellent news! What about the Faure violin sonatas?
Yes, it seems to be there too:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/faur%C3%A9-violin-sonatas/1357965525
By chance I’m listening to the Florestan Trio playing the slow movement of Schubert’s E flat trio as I read this. Susan’s magisterial piano playing is entirely equalled by the outstandingly good violinist and cellist.
Susan, I wonder whether you prefer to consult the autograph before learning a piece properly. Your playing of this movement seems so lovely that I’m sure that you’ve spent at least 2 hours talking with the composer about it.
James, that is very kind of you. It’s true that I have thought about that particular movement a lot, and over many years. That’s as close as I can get to ‘talking with the composer about it’!
I appreciate the issue around streaming services being important for profile-raising etc. However, my understanding is that there is also a problem with the utterly pitiful payments artists receive. Wasn’t Hyperion trying to protect its artists from being ripped off? Forgive me, I am sure I am not aware of all the background.