Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

    
I've been a member of MHS for over two years.  The system by which MHS
automatically ships selections unless instructed otherwise has been
in effect since I joined.  I have never ordered a CD from MHS.
    
    
    					- Barry

    I'm a member of MHS also.  I have ordered about 20 CDs from them
    over the last year and a half.  I have been pleased with their quality
    and they seem to ship and bill accurately.
    
    It's a pain to have to send in the postcard if you don't want anything.
    it's even more of a pain that if they send you something by default
    (cause you forgot) it comes on record (or cassette depending on
    how you subscribe).
    
    They had a survey a while back to see if they should offer a CD
    format membership.  Don't know the result but I wouldn't be surprised
    if they do so pretty soon.
    
    Selection is OK but not great.  I count 13 selections in the current
    catalog.  They are starting to have their own recordings now.  Before
    they were frequently just reselling other labels CDs (mostly Chandos).
    In this catalog they have 5 CDs at $12.99 and the rest at $16.99.
    It's not clear what the rationale for the pricing difference is. 
    
    					-- steveg

    I was a member of MHS from about 1979 to 1982, cancelled my membership
    (not through dissatisfaction with the club), and then picked it
    up again within the last year.  During my first membership they
    had the postcard return policy.  Unless they dropped it and then
    reinstituted it, how did you get around not having the card and
    the auto ships?
    
    Some time I feel like it's a real gamble to order obscure music
    performed by obscure orchestras, but I've generally been very pleased
    with the performances and the quality of the releases.  LP surfaces
    are very quiet (although the album covers are poor and liner notes
    uneven) and the cassettes are chrome (and include liner notes but
    no magnifying glass to read them :-) ).  I've never ordered CDs,
    but I have no reason to expect the attention to quality will be
    any less.
    
    R.Michael
    

re: .-1

I guess I belonged even before '79. My membership always was on a
buy-as-you-want-em basis. The monthly Review mag came with no strings
attached; I could order or not; there was no postcard to return.
My guess is that this is a new development, and that new members have it
enforced upon them, but old ones were allowed to continue with their
no-strings-attached status, at least until recently.

Are there any MHS members out there of very long standing who still have
the no-strings-attached membership? Any who used to but who have been
"converted"?

By the way, I'm glad to note (I almost missed it until I read the comment in
.2) that MHS is starting to have their own disks. $12.99 is quite a buy for
famous artists and DDD. We'll have to start a note reviewing their quality
as readers of this conference begin to receive them.

    I recently purchased the 3-disc, MHS label set of 12 Vivaldi violin
    concertoes, the first 4 of which comprise "The Four Seasons".  I
    found these discs to be excellent; just as I've grown accustomed
    to expect from MHS on their records.  The artists, material,
    performance, and technical quality of the performance are all first
    class.
    
    Based on this one experience, and my confidence in MHS, I expect
    that their CDs will comprise a large fraction of my classical CDs,
    just as they currently do with my classical albums.
    
    Jim

    Athough it's not an advertised feature, most record/book clubs do
    have the ability to put you on a "no-return-card" distribution
    list.
    
    The idea is that they'd rather have you get their mailings and buy
    something every once in a while than lose you as a customer entirely.
    They usually offer this option when you've bought the required number
    of items and ask them to cancel your membership.
    
    Shortly before I transferred to France, my wife ordered me an LP
    for $1 from MHS.  I guess she overlooked the membership/response-card
    clause because I got my first membership mailing last week, 1 day
    before the card was due back.
    
    I responded, telling them that any automatic shipment would be refused
    and to cancel my "membership", but that I'd appreciate still receiving
    periodic mailings.  I'll let you know how they respond, if at all.
    
    -- Ward

    When you have to return a card, that's known as "negative option". I
    have read in netnews or somewhere that you can get MHS to switch to
    "positive option" on request. --Dan 

    For those with more eclectic tastes Columbia has a CD club

re: .8:

MORE eclectic? Than MHS? Really!

re: .7

Thanks, I'll try asking for their positive option and see what happens.
I'll let you know via this note.

re: .6

I hadn't seen the Vivaldi 3 disk set listed; do you know the order number?

re: ALL

Thanks for  your  replies.  I'll keep you posted, both on what I buy, and on
how it all works out.

-Meyer

    RE: .9  Your request for the order number for the Vivaldi 3-disc
    set.
    
    Sorry to be so slow getting back to you.  Here is the order info
    on the set;  (by the way, although the 3 discs comprise a set, they
    are split into stock numbers one for "The Four Seasons", for obvious
    reasons, and one for the other 2 discs containing the remainder
    of the set of concertoes)
    
    MHS11084F		Concerti Op. 8, No. 1-4 (The Four Seasons)
    MHS11085Z		   "       "    No. 5-12
    				- plus -
    			Concerto in D major for Transverse Flute and
    			String Orch.
    			Concerto in b minor for 'cello and String Orch.
    
    Performers for the set are; The English Concert (on period instruments)
    with Trevor Pinnock conducting and playing harpsichord.
    
    The recordings were done in '77 and are AAD, but are excellent.
    
    Enjoy.
    
    Jim

Re: .10

Are the Vivaldi discs MHS label? Do you know the prices?

I just received two MHS discs:

Vivaldi Mandolin Concerti MHS 11057L,I Solisti Veneti, Claudio Scimone cond.
Bach: Toccata and Gugue in D minor, Passacaglia and Fugal Theme in C Minor,
and other works for organ, Marie-Claire Alain organ.

Both are MHS label and are a steal at $12.99. The recordings are gorgeous.
The mandolin works are delicate and beautifully interpreted, with marvelous
dynamic  range  and  clarity. The organ works or more mundane but still very
nice; the recording also contains the "little" fugue in G minor.

Both are highly recommended.

    RE:.11 
    
    Yes the Op. 8 discs are MHS label.  As mentioned in .12, the price
    of MHS label discs is 12.99; this is true for every one of their
    own label discs that I know of.  A great price in general, but
    especially good when you consider the typically high quality of
    MHS recordings.               
    
    Jim

    
    All this talk about MHS labels may be a bit deceptive.  While it's
    true that MHS does release all its works on their label, quite often
    they are released under licence of some other label.  The high quality
    European labels that do not have wide distribution, either on their
    own or through a major like RCA or CBS, may distribute through MHS
    if the program fits the MHS mold.  In this way, MHS has released
    Erato, Argo, and British Decca recordings.
    
    Don't take this as gospel, but I seem to detect a trend where the
    larger ensembles and Big Name Performers are licenced releases,
    and the works performed by less well-known artists are MHS-only
    releases.  Remember, MHS doesn't have big production bucks behind
    them, so their getting Neville Marriner or the Royal Philharmonic
    to do an MHS-only release wouldn't make financial sense. Regardless, 
    all the releases seem to measure up to MHS quality.
                                           
    > R.Michael
    

    Re:  .14
    
    Right about MHS licensing existing recordings.
    
    It's always felt to me that they are doing us in the U.S. a favor
    by making available recordings that otherwise would never find
    their way into U.S. distribution.
    
    Not only have they made available performances that are otherwise
    unavailable, but they have gone out of their way to collect 
    non-mainstream composers and works.  After all -- fifteen years
    ago, not too many people were familiar with Johann Pachelbel and
    the now-infamous Canon in D (there was a London record by Karl
    Munchinger, but I believe it was a larger orchestra and even then
    not on one of the American giant labels)??  MHS had it in their
    catalog of oddball composers and pieces, by Jean-Francois Paillard,
    and to interest you would send you a copy for $1 (and at that point
    you did NOT have to send a card back to prevent getting the
    "current selection").
    
    Success is not necessarily good for MHS, though.  RCA held blanket
    rights to U.S. licensing of Erato recordings -- I guess it was 
    kind of a right of first refusal.  Once people started going
    nuts about the Pachelbel Canon, you could find RCA's inferior
    pressing of the same Erato record all over the States; I'm not
    sure whether MHS was allowed to keep selling it.  Same thing with
    a very good performance of Bach's B minor Mass -- three-record,
    well-pressed set from MHS which then showed up as a two-record,
    dump-the-bass-so-it'll-fit-on-two-disks Dynaflex fiasco from
    RCA.
    
    As if the public service of making these recordings available at
    all is not enough, they have had EXCELLENT pressings, well mastered,
    for far less than the majors.
     
    Dave Q.
    

    Do any of you have an address for MHS?  Do you know
    whether it is possible to subscribe from the UK?
    
    I would be interested in subscribing to something
    which would give a wide listing of CD's in the US
    at the moment the UK is a little limited and as a
    friend of mine regularly visits the US it would be
    nice if he could bring some back.
    
    P.S.  He always works in the Las Vegas area, and 
    apparently after breakfast on Sunday spends the
    time browsing in a HUGE store which sell lots
    of CD's.
    
    

    
    The Musical Heritage Review
    1710 Highway 35
    Ocean, New Jersey  07712
    
    The Review is published 18 times a year (every 3 weeks).
    
    I just noticed the fine print while looking for the address:
      "MHS GUARANTEE: MHS standards of recording excellence assure our
       members that we use only the finest quality vinyl and tape in
       the reproduction of our recordings to insure purity, clarity,
       and quietness."
    Oh, yeah?  Well, I bet RCA and CBS will guarantee their product, 
    too ;-) !
                    
    > R.Michael
    

    Re: 17
    
    The RCA guarantee would probably read a follows:
    
    "RCA hereby warrants to the original purchaser that each phonograph
     record will be round, 12" in diameter, and will have a hole almost
     in the middle.  Further, RCA will repair or replace, at its sole
     option, any phonograph record which requires more than two (2)
     quarters on the tone arm to assure reliable tracking.  Quibbles
     about warps, off-center hole punching, ticks, pops, or noisy
     sound (especially near the outer section of the record) reveal
     the purchaser to have product requirements above and beyond those
     of RCA's mainstream customer base, and are NOT covered under the
     terms of this warranty."
    
    dq

By the way, I've loved all the MHS discs I've gotten so far (great recording
of the Hayden Creation), but there are two anomolies:

1. Discs  with the MHS label used to be $12.99. Some still are, but now they
are introducing some at 14.99 and even at 16.99. Since one also pays postage
and handling, this is a lot. 

2. I just got the year's Master Catalog but there are no CDs at all listed!

I hope  they  continue to offer good CDs at competitive prices, as they have
done with records for years.

    
    From the MHS catalog (#378), received in February, 1987:
    
              IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR COMPACT-DISC BUYERS
    Beginning with Release 379 of the _Review_, the Society will be
    offering you, our members, the option to receive automatic shipment
    of Featured Selections in the compact-disc format.
    
    If you presently are enrolled in the cassette or record club but
    would like to receive future Featured Selections as compact discs,
    ... we will be pleased to change your current cassette or record
    membership to compact-disc membership.
    
    Please note that the Society has been waiting to arrange this new
    club until we could be assured of a consistent supply of compact
    discs.  If it happens that a Featured Selection cannot be supplied
    as a compact disc, this will be stated in the _Review_.  If such
    a situation occurs, then no automatic shipment of that Featured
    Selection will occur. ...
    
    We fully intend to make every effort to ensure continuous availability
    of compact-discs, and we believe that 1987 will find us with an
    ever-increasing catalog of compact-disc selections.
    
    > R.Michael
    

    I recently requested the "positive" option from MHS whereby I do
    not have to return the card to avoid auto ships; I only order when
    I want.
    
    Here's the letter I received:
    
         In response to your request to receive the _Musical Heritage
         Review" in the "order only" format, we are pleased to inform
         you that, as of this date, all future issues will be mailed
         complying with your request.
    
         We also wish to advise you, that since we sponsor the cost
         of the _Review_ to all of our members, that purchase of 10
         records and/or cassettes per year will be required to keep
         receiving the magazine without charge to you.
    
         However if purchasing records or cassettes is of no interest
         to you, but you are still interested in the magazine, you have
         the option of subscribing to 18 issues of _The Review_ at the
         reduced price of $12.00 per year.
    
    NOTE: the cover price of the magazine is $1 per issue, so it's a
          savings of $6 per year.
    
    Well, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind.  Since I do not
    ordinarilly order 10 releases per year (which would come out to
    at least $70), I guess I'll either beg off the membership and
    subscription or change it back to "negative" option and spend the
    $2.34 in postage.  
    
    Is this a new policy or am I just being penalized for the "positive"
    option?
    
    > R.Michael