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EMI Classics
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{{Short description|Record label founded by EMI in 1990}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Use British English|date=September 2013}} {{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music --> | name = EMI Classics | image = [[File:EMI Classics logo.svg|150px]] | parent = {{ubl|[[Thorn EMI]] (1990–1996)|[[EMI]] (1996–2012)|[[Parlophone|Parlophone Label Group]]<br>(independent operation; 2012–2013)|[[Warner Music Group]]<br>(2013–present)}} | founded = {{Start date and age|1990}} | defunct = {{End date and age|2013}} | founder = | status = Defunct | distributor = | genre = [[Classical music]] | country = [[United Kingdom]] | location = | url = }} [[File:EMI Classics old.jpeg|thumb|140px|EMI Classics logo used until 2003]] '''EMI Classics''' was a [[record label]] founded by [[Thorn EMI]] in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed [[European classical music|classical music]] releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded music division became the [[EMI Music Group]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/vote-solid-for-thorn-demerger-1310081.html |title=Vote solid for Thorn demerger |website=The Independent|location=London |date=17 August 1996}}</ref> Following the [[European Commission]]'s approval of the takeover of [[EMI Music Group]] by [[Universal Music Group]] in September 2012, EMI Classics was listed for divestment.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/sep/21/universal-emi-takeover-approved |title=Universal's £1.2bn EMI takeover approved – with conditions |date=21 September 2012 |quote=Full list of divestments...EMI Classics/Virgin Classics artist and composers |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The label was sold to [[Warner Music Group]], which absorbed EMI Classics into [[Warner Classics]] in 2013. Classical recordings were formerly simultaneously released under combinations of [[Angel Records|Angel]], [[Seraphim Records|Seraphim]], [[Odeon Records|Odeon]], [[Columbia Graphophone Company|Columbia]], [[His Master's Voice (British record label)|His Master's Voice]], and other labels, in part because competitors own these names in various countries. These were moved under the EMI Classics umbrella to avoid the [[trademark]] problems. Prior to this, [[compact discs]] distributed globally bore the Angel Records recording angel logo that EMI owned globally. Releases created for distribution in specific countries continued to be distributed under the historical names, with the exception of Columbia, since EMI had sold the Columbia name to [[Sony Music]] Entertainment. The red logo harkens back to the Red Seal releases, introduced by EMI predecessor the [[Gramophone Company]] in 1902: His Master's Voice classical releases were issued with red labels. EMI Classics was also responsible for managing [[Pye Records]]' classical recordings acquired by Thorn EMI in 1990. EMI Classics also included the [[Virgin Classics]] label, both of them were formerly managed under [[The Blue Note Label Group]] in the U.S. until 2013. With the sale of [[EMI Music Group]] to [[Universal Music Group]] in 2012, European regulators forced [[Universal Music Group]] to divest itself of EMI Classics, which was operated with other European EMI assets to be divested as the [[Parlophone]] Label Group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news168.co.uk/news/parlophone-label-groups-kassler-were-effectively-a-mini-major |title=Parlophone Label Group's Kassler: 'We're effectively a mini major' |website=News168 |date=27 March 2011 |access-date=28 February 2013}}</ref> In February 2013, [[Universal Music Group]] sold the [[Parlophone]] Label Group, including EMI Classics and [[Virgin Classics]], to [[Warner Music Group]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/warner-to-buy-the-parlophone-label-group |title=Warner to buy the Parlophone Label Group |publisher=gramophone.co.uk |date=7 February 2013 |access-date=28 February 2013}}</ref> The [[European Union]] approved the deal on May, and [[Warner Music Group]] took control of the label on 1 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-management/1561787/warner-music-groups-acquisition-of-parlophone|title=Updated: Warner Music Group's Acquisition of Parlophone Approved by European Commission|magazine=Billboard|access-date=4 November 2014}}</ref> It was then announced that the EMI Classics artist roster and catalogue would be absorbed into the [[Warner Classics]] label and [[Virgin Classics]] would be absorbed into [[Erato Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/emi-classics-and-virgin-classics-join-warners/|title=EMI Classics and Virgin Classics to join Warners|date=19 July 2013|work=Classic FM|access-date=4 November 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://www.emiclassics.com/various_artists/news/716] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726132522/http://www.emiclassics.com/various_artists/news/716 |date=26 July 2013 }}</ref> ==Artists== ===Composers=== [[File:PaulMcCartney-MD2008.jpg|thumb|Sir [[Paul McCartney]] in concert]] * [[Thomas Adès]] * [[Craig Armstrong (composer)|Craig Armstrong]] * [[Howard Goodall]] * [[Karl Jenkins]] * [[Jon Lord]] * Sir [[Paul McCartney]] * [[Wim Mertens]] * [[Michael Nyman]] * [[Zbigniew Preisner]] * [[John Rutter]] * [[John Tavener]] * [[Michael Tippett]] * [[Mohammed Abdel Wahab]] ===Conductors=== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Claudio Abbado]] * Sir [[John Barbirolli]] * [[Daniel Barenboim]] * Sir [[Thomas Beecham]] * Sir [[Adrian Boult]] * [[William Christie (musician)|William Christie]] * [[Alan Curtis (harpsichordist)|Alan Curtis]] * [[Lawrence Foster]] * [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]] * [[Carlo Maria Giulini]] * [[Emmanuelle Haïm]] * [[Bernard Haitink]] * [[Vernon Handley]] * [[Daniel Harding]] * [[Richard Hickox]] * [[Mariss Jansons]] * [[Paavo Järvi]] * [[Herbert von Karajan]] * [[Rudolf Kempe]] {{Col-break}} * [[Otto Klemperer]] * [[John Lanchbery]] * Sir [[Charles Mackerras]] [[File:Franz Welser-Möst 2.jpg|thumb| Austrian [[Conducting|conductor]] [[Franz Welser-Möst]], music director of the [[Cleveland Orchestra]].]] * Sir [[Neville Marriner]] * [[Jean Martinon]] * [[Kurt Masur]] * [[Ingo Metzmacher]] * [[Riccardo Muti]] * Sir [[Roger Norrington]] * Sir [[Antonio Pappano]] * [[Michel Plasson]] * [[André Previn]] * Sir [[John Pritchard (conductor)|John Pritchard]] * Sir [[Simon Rattle]] * [[Jérémie Rhorer]] * [[Wolfgang Sawallisch]] * [[Jeffrey Tate]] * [[Franz Welser-Möst]] * Sir [[David Willcocks]] {{col-end}} ===Chamber ensembles=== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Ahn Trio]] * [[L'Arpeggiata]] * [[Artemis Quartet]] * [[Alban Berg Quartett]] {{Col-break}} * [[Belcea Quartet]] * [[Eroica Trio]] * [[Quatuor Ébène]] * [[Wiener Stringsextet]] {{col-end}} *[[Libera (song)|Libera]] ===Choirs and vocal ensembles=== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Cantorion]] * [[Choir of Clare College Cambridge]] * [[Choir of King's College, Cambridge]] * Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford * [[John Alldis Choir]] * [[Kindred Spirits (music)|Kindred Spirits]] {{Col-break}} * [[The King's Singers]] * [[Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir]] * [[Rundfunkchor Berlin]] * [[Westminster Abbey Choir]] * [[Winchester Cathedral Choir]] {{col-end}} *[[Libera (choir)|Libera]] ===Orchestras=== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Academy of St. Martin in the Fields]] * [[Les Arts Florissants (ensemble)|Les Arts Florissants]] * [[Berliner Philharmoniker]] * [[Le Cercle de l'Harmonie]] * [[Il Complesso Barocco]] * [[Le Concert d'Astrée]] * [[Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen]] * [[English Chamber Orchestra]] {{Col-break}} * [[Estonian National Symphony Orchestra]] * [[Europa Galante]] * [[Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra]] * [[London Chamber Orchestra]] * [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]] * [[London Symphony Orchestra]] * [[Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo]] * [[Philharmonia Orchestra]] * [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]] {{col-end}} ===Instrumentalists=== ====Piano==== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Simon Trpčeski]] * [[Leif Ove Andsnes]] * [[Piotr Anderszewski]] * [[Martha Argerich]] * [[Daniel Barenboim]] * [[Michel Béroff]] * [[Jonathan Biss]] * [[Youri Egorov]] * [[Ingrid Fliter]] * [[David Fray]] * [[Evgeny Kissin]] {{Col-break}} * [[Stephen Kovacevich]] * [[Li Yundi]] * [[Dong-Hyek Lim]] * [[Gabriela Montero]] * [[John Ogdon]] * [[Awadagin Pratt]] * [[André Previn]] * [[Anne Queffélec]] * [[Ayako Uehara (pianist)|Ayako Uehara]] * [[Lars Vogt]] * [[Alexis Weissenberg]] {{col-end}} ====Violin==== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Renaud Capuçon]] * [[Sarah Chang]] * [[Kyung-wha Chung]] * [[Vilde Frang]] * [[Jascha Heifetz]] (recording for His Master's Voice in the 1930s) * [[Nigel Kennedy]] * Sir [[Yehudi Menuhin]] {{Col-break}} [[File:Sarah Chang before performing.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Koreans|Korean]] American [[violin]] [[virtuoso]] [[Sarah Chang]]]] * [[Anne-Sophie Mutter]] * [[David Oistrakh]] * [[Itzhak Perlman]] * [[Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg]] * [[Christian Tetzlaff]] * [[Maxim Vengerov]] * [[Frank Peter Zimmermann]] {{col-end}} ====Cello==== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Andreas Brantelid]] * [[Gautier Capuçon]] * [[Han-na Chang]] * [[Natalie Clein]] * [[Steven Isserlis]] * [[Julian Lloyd Webber]] {{Col-break}} * [[Jacqueline du Pré]] * [[Truls Mørk]] * [[Mstislav Rostropovich]] * [[Trey Lee Chui-yee]] * [[Robert Cohen (cellist)|Robert Cohen]] {{col-end}} ====Trumpet==== * [[Maurice André]] * [[Ole Edvard Antonsen]] * [[Alison Balsom]] * [[Markus Stockhausen]] ====Guitar==== * [[Manuel Barrueco]] * [[Xuefei Yang]] ====Oboe==== * Christoph Hartmann ====Clarinet==== [[File:Ravi Shankar 2009 crop.jpg|thumb|upright|Celebrated Indian [[sitar]]ist and composer [[Ravi Shankar]]]] * [[Sabine Meyer]] ====Flute==== * [[Emmanuel Pahud]] * [[Ransom Wilson]] ====Organ==== * [[Naji Hakim]] ====Sitar==== * [[Purbayan Chatterjee]] * [[Anoushka Shankar]] * [[Ravi Shankar]] ===Singers=== ====Soprano==== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} *[[Elly Ameling]] * [[Maria Callas]] * [[Patrizia Ciofi]] * [[Diana Damrau]] * [[Natalie Dessay]] * [[Véronique Gens]] * [[Angela Gheorghiu]] * [[Barbara Hendricks]] {{Col-break}} * [[Ruth Ann Swenson]] * [[Natasha Marsh]] * [[Mady Mesplé]] * [[Kate Royal]] * Dame [[Elisabeth Schwarzkopf]] * Dame [[Kiri Te Kanawa]] * [[Liping Zhang]] {{col-end}} ====Mezzo-soprano==== * Dame [[Janet Baker]] * [[Joyce DiDonato]] * [[Fairuz]] * [[Christa Ludwig]] * [[Réjane Magloire]] ====Contralto==== * [[Kathleen Ferrier]] * [[Umm Kulthum]] ====Countertenor==== * [[Max Emanuel Cenčić]] * [[David Daniels (countertenor)|David Daniels]] * [[Philippe Jaroussky]] * [[Gérard Lesne]] ====Tenor==== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Roberto Alagna]] * [[Alfie Boe]] * [[Ian Bostridge]] * [[Franco Corelli]] * [[George Dalaras]] {{Col-break}} [[File:Plácido Domingo, 2008.jpg|thumb|Spanish [[tenor]] and [[Conducting|conductor]] José Plácido Domingo Embil, better known as [[Plácido Domingo]]]] * [[Plácido Domingo]] * [[Abdel Halim Hafez]] * [[Simon O'Neill]] * [[Rolando Villazón]] {{col-end}} ====Baritone==== * [[Olaf Bär]] * [[Thomas Hampson (baritone)|Thomas Hampson]] ====Bass==== * [[Jonathan Lemalu]] * [[Willard White]] ===Crossover acts=== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * [[Keedie Babb]] * [[Sarah Brightman]] * [[Celtic Tenors]] * [[Celtic Woman]] * [[Keith Emerson]] * [[Giorgia Fumanti]] * [[Lesley Garrett]] * [[Jane Gilchrist]] * [[John Wilson Orchestra]] {{Col-break}} [[File:Sarah brightman.jpg|thumb|upright|English [[Crossover (music)|crossover]] [[soprano]] [[Sarah Brightman]]]] * [[Myleene Klass]] * [[Libera (choir)|Libera]] * [[Mediæval Bæbes]] * [[Maksim Mrvica]] * [[Nigel Kennedy Quintet]] * [[The Planets]] * [[Anoushka Shankar]] * [[Vanessa-Mae]] * [[Wild (band)|Wild]] {{col-end}} ==Catalogue series== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} * 100 Best (6-CD budget series) * 20th Century Classics series (2-CD) * [http://www.emiclassics.co.uk/releases_cat.php?id=46 American Classics] * Black Boxes (Virgin Classics 5-CD budget series) * [http://www.emiclassics.co.uk/releases_cat.php?id=2 British Composers] * Debut (developing artist series) * Encore (1-CD budget series) * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140412014633/http://emimasters.com/ EMI Masters] * [http://www.emiopera.com EMI – The Home of Opera] * Gemini (2-CD mid-price series) * Great Artists of the Century * Great Recordings of the Century * Historical (series of public domain recordings) * ICON series * The Karajan Collection {{Col-break}} * The Klemperer Legacy * Legend (CD+DVD series) * Maria Callas Edition * Opera Series (budget opera series without libretto) * The Perlman Edition * The Platinum Collection (3-CD budget series from EMI UK) * Recommends Series (Gramophone / Penguin Guide recommended series from EMI UK) * Références (historical series from EMI France) * Rouge et Noir (2-CD mid price series from EMI France) * The Classics (Virgin Classics budget series) * Triples (3-CD budget series) * Veritas (Virgin Classics original instrument recordings) * Virgin de Virgin * Virgo (Virgin Classics budget series) {{col-end}} ==See also== *[[Lists of record labels]] ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:1990 establishments in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:2013 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Record labels established in 1990]] [[Category:Record labels disestablished in 2013]] [[Category:Warner Music labels]] [[Category:Labels distributed by Warner Music Group]] [[Category:Labels distributed by Universal Music Group]] [[Category:British record labels]] [[Category:EMI]] [[Category:Universal Music Group]] [[Category:Classical music record labels]]
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