Welcome, Odradek Records!
1 July 2012
A new classical music label with a specific focus on
artist-controlled material and piano repertoire is now in operation.
Based in the US but with a global outreach, Odradek Records
is the brainchild of the company’s director John Anderson. Anderson was
inspired to create a record label that could offer recording facilities for
musicians who want to remain free from the constraints and demands of larger
commercial companies. ‘We are convinced that there are many artists who can give an original and high
quality contribution to musical research, and who are unsatisfied with the
current musical world,’ says Anderson.
‘We think that these musicians are only lacking a voice, a channel that permits them to express their talents in a way which is clean and financially accessible, independent from economic and political considerations, or from the criteria of a star system. We believe that classical music, produced in this way, has not only an already existing affectionate public, but a potentially much larger new public, waiting only to be reached.
‘In short, Odradek Records wants to be a voice for artists
who share our philosophy and a channel between them and the public.’
As well as providing a platform to record material, Odradek Records offers all its net profits to the artists. ‘We don’t accumulate capital, only recuperate its expenses. This buys us freedom from the markets and the logic of the star system and culture industry,’ explains Anderson. ‘Artists join our label through an honest and open application process, without consideration of their backgrounds, financial status, political connections, or past successes.’
The label has chosen to specialise in piano works and has attracted pianists from across the globe, such as Duo Miho and Masumi Hio, and Domenico Codispoti. In addition to its recent releases – including the complete piano works of Schoenberg by Pina Napolitano – Odradek Records has received the first recording rights from Boosey & Hawkes for Unsuk Chin’s Piano Études. The label is currently programming its first series of music festivals around Italy this July.
Odradek records are available to buy through Amazon, with digital versions available via the company website and iTunes.
Purchase the July/August edition of International Piano magazine for a FREE 22-track download of piano music, including works by Ravel, Ligeti and Schoenberg, as well as eight exclusive tracks from Javier Negrin's future release and a world premiere recording of Unsuk Chin's Six Etudes.
