Hyperion sold to Universal?

[Keraulophone]

.

https://slippedisc.com/2023/02/exclusive-hyperion-label-is-sold/

[richardfinegold]

Another one bites the dust

[smittims]

I've been pleasantly surprised to see Hyperion last so long , considering that their output is largely for connoisseurs. I often wondered how they were able to publish so many CDs of minority-interest music which 'the big companies' wouldn't, for all their pop revenue.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I’m very confused about who owns what nowadays.

Columbia was part of EMI, but also CBS (later Sony)

Decca was London in the USA, but there was still a Decca in the USA.

Decca was taken over by Polygram, then Seagram, then Universal.

EMI seems to have gone to Universal too - except that Warner has it too.

[Bryn]

. . . EMI seems to have gone to Universal too - except that Warner has it too.

Is it not more a case of some EMI recordings being licenced by Universal? For their near complete Messiaen, they even licenced 'live' recordings from the BBC.

[smittims]

I've tried to find out the exact relationship betweenthe two Columbias and the two Deccas, but it is very difficult and complex. They began as part of the same companies, though in the case of the Columbias the break came very early in the history of recording. But they had a symbiotic relatinship for many years; as late as the 1960s CBS recordings were appearing on Columbia discs in the UK. American Decca records appeared in Europe on the 'Brunswick' label.

I think the complexity of these arrangements was partly due to British trading law, allowing only British companies to trade here. hence 'The Ford Motor Company of Great Britain, Limited', and the Rootes Group, long owned by General Motors, to the ignorance, I suspect, of many British Humber owners!

An oddity of the record label partnership was the use by Victor in the US of the 'His Master's Voice' logo, dating from their alliance with HMV, long after that connectiion had ceased and RCA records in Britain were pressed and distributed ( and often recorded) by Decca!

Now CBS and RCA are both part of Sony, who I must say have shown much more care and respect for the back-catalogue than the parent companies did. Warner haven't done so well with the EMI archive, and some deplorable errors have occurred in CD reissues.

[gurnemanz]

My first reaction is one of great sadness, having enjoyed so many Hyperion recordings over the decades (especially Lieder and mélodies) and fearing that the label won't be able to continue in its own individual way in future. (I hope I'm wrong). I have nearly always purchased from them directly - CDs and downloads - in the hope that this was a way of supporting them. I have valued them over the years not just for the recordings themselves but for their provision of free access online to album notes and song texts.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Warner haven't done so well with the EMI archive, and some deplorable errors have occurred in CD reissues.

To be fair on Warner, they’ve done things that EMI never dared to do. The complete Barbirolli set is a fine example - superb remasterings too. They did omit an EMI recoding of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, but it’s still a massive undertaking.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Returning to Hyperion, their disappearance surely means an end to my small hope that they would record Rutland Boughton’s Arthurian ‘Ring cycle’. They’ve already issued The Immortal Hour, Bethlehem, and The Queen of Cornwall.

[Bryn]

Returning to Hyperion, their disappearance surely means an end to my small hope that they would recording Rutland Boughton’s Arthurian ‘Ring cycle’. They’ve already issued The Immortal Hour, Bethlehem, and The Queen of Cornwall.

Difficult to know but their recent purchase of the Frank Zappa archive and extant catalogue of recordings a few months ago lends hope. Significant releases of material from the vault continue, with boxed sets from Zagreb / Ljubljana (1975) and Mudd Club/Munich (1980), the latter to be released next month. A little strange, though, that the Hyperion website has nothing to indicate any change of ownership has taken place. Indeed, it still opens with:

"Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first."

[MickyD]

I've been pleasantly surprised to see Hyperion last so long , considering that their output is largely for connoisseurs. I often wondered how they were able to publish so many CDs of minority-interest music which 'the big companies' wouldn't, for all their pop revenue.

Indeed - for me, their extensive English Orpheus series was admirable, bringing so much neglected music to disc. And will the ongoing Romantic Piano Concerto series be wound up, I wonder?

[Jonathan]

Very sad news, I've spent a lot of money on their CDs over the years. I can't see the company continuing in the same way when owned by another behemoth sized business.

[Pulcinella]

Probably too late for anniversary year, but perhaps Universal would have the clout to license/buy the early ASV Byrd Edition issues and combine them with the later Hyperion ones in a big box set.

[CallMePaul]

There is currently no comment on the Hyperion website regarding this takeover. It will be a great pity if this catalogue is lost and its artists are left without contracts.

[bluestateprommer]

For the dry bureaucratic documents related to this situation (newest document at the top, most of the relevant documents dated on 16 February 2023):

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01501587/filing-history