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DAVID PATMORE
This article follows the author's examination of Sir Thomas Beecham's partnership with EMI and the creation of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (ARSC Journal 2001;32(1):11-27). It is based on the his presentation at the 2002 ARCS Conference in Santa Barbara, CA, and examines the three contractual relationships for recording that Beecham entered into from 1941 until the end of 1959, eighteen months before his death in 1961. These relationships were with, respectively, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), from 1942 until 1949; Columbia Records Incorporated (CRI), from 1949 until 1955; and Electric and Musical Industries Limited (EMI), from 1955 to 1959.
The following factors are identified as being common areas of concern to Beecham in each situation with varying degrees of emphasis:
* The volume of work provided by the various record companies for his orchestra, in this case the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and so the role of recording income in the financial affairs of the Orchestra;
* Payment to Beecham, and in particular the regular and precise accounting and payment of royalties on the sales of his recordings;
* Repertoire to be recorded, and especially the degree to which the individual companies allowed Beecham to record what he wanted;
* The recording process and its management, which included his relationships with producers and engineers, the technical standard of recording, playback and listening facilities, and approval of recordings;
* The availability of singers to the contracting company for vocal and operatic recordings
The difficulties experienced by each company in satisfying Beecham in relation to these factors precipitated a process of decay that led to the collapse of each relationship, and to the search by Beecham for an alternative recording partner. In essence the study illustrates the consequences of artistic achievement and ambition colliding with the commercial realities of the market place.
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Following the death of Sir Thomas Beecham on 8 March 1961, the American critic Martin Bookspan, in a...