It is reported by Norman Lebrecht and his Slipped Disc, and it is certainly true, that Hyperion Records, the gem of the international independent classical music labels from the 1980s to 2015, is being sold to Universal. The weakness of Hyperion's releases in recent months was a sign.

After the sale of Harmonia Mundi to PIAS, which is now 49% owned by Universal, it is clear that the digital transition of independent classical labels is a huge failure, and a huge waste.

This sale, beyond perhaps the weakness of the too stubborn and butor Simon Perry, who had taken over from his father who was a remarkable man, shows that there is no viable economic model anymore for classical music records labels that would allow the maintenance of a kind of excellence in this kind of music.

If words mean anything, it may not be the end of an era, but at least the signal of the end of an era for classical records companies, who would do well to think about divorcing themselves from the dominant model of streaming platforms, with some determination.

COUACS will be devoting an article next weekend to this telling news.

Subscribe to COUACS.INFO so you don't miss any of our posts.