Record Buyers Not in Spin Over Salonen

Esa-Pekka Salonen may have put in a week’s guest-conducting stint with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, but you’d never know it from his local record sales. Skip Webb, classical manager of Tower’s Sunset Strip store, reported that “Salonen sales over the weekend were not much more than normal. We sold a lot of product when the announcement of his appointment as music director was made in August, but since he’s been in town, very little has moved.”

Calls to Tower’s other stores drew similar feedback, despite prominent displays and ticket giveaways which drew more than 500 entries. And, although a Wherehouse representative reported some movement on Salonen’s recordings of Stravinsky’s “Firebird” and Lutoslawski’s Third Symphony, Salonen’s overall sales were generally quiet there as well.

At a Westside Sam Goody outlet, two clerks responded with an incredulous, “Who?” when asked about Salonen recordings. A search through the racks revealed only one copy of the Salonen double CD, Messiaen’s “Des canyons aux etoiles” with the London Sinfonietta.

The critics have not stalled the sales of Salonen’s 14 Sony Classical (formerly CBS Masterworks) or two Finlandia compact discs. In fact, critical praise for Salonen’s recordings has been generally high. But from Chicago to New York to London’s HMV Record Store in Oxford Street, billed as “The World’s Best Classical Music Department,” sales have remained level since Salonen was named music director-designate.

HMV Record’s Jeff Smith reported from London: “Salonen’s recordings are not outstandingly popular. He did a tour here last year with the Oslo Philharmonic which was not particularly successful. His name’s just not established here yet.”

Both Jim Rose, owner of Rose Records in Chicago, and Richard Schneider, classical buyer for Tower’s uptown store near Lincoln Center in New York City, added: “Steadily, but no big hits.”

Only Steve Whealton, classical buyer for Washington’s prestigious Serenade Record Shop who has more than 20 years in the record business, dissented: “We sell a lot of Salonen’s records. He’s one of the new-generation conductors people are talking about.”

According to Koch International vice president Michael Fine, big sellers in the classical business are rare. “After initial pressings of between 2,000 and 5,000,” Fine said, “it’s rare to sell more than 10,000 copies unless it’s something like Pavarotti doing ‘The Best of Mario Lanza.’ ”

To Tower’s Schneider, selling 50 copies a month of a release is considered a hit; Whealton is impressed if his store sells 5 copies a week. (Total sales are kept secret, sometimes from the artists themselves, because of the complex bookeeping required, according to Michael Gray of Voice of America.)

Salonen’s lukewarm sales are not the result of a lack of effort. Already taped and on Sony’s 1990 release schedule are Stravinsky’s Movements, Capriccio, Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments; Symphonies of Wind Instruments with pianist Paul Crossley and the London Sinfonietta; and Haydn’s Symphonies 22, 78, and 82 with the Stockholm Chamber Orchestra.

Salonen’s 1990 recording work for Sony is scheduled to include Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella,” Octet, “Ragtime” and “Renard” with the London Sinfonietta, and Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 6 with the Swedish Radio Symphony. Tiny Finlandia, for whom Salonen may record a limited amount of more obscure contemporary music, has announced 1990 release dates for two discs including Salonen’s own Saxophone Concerto.

OPERA IN THE DESERT: The 34th summer season at Santa Fe Opera will offer the U.S. premiere of Siegfried Matthus’ recent opera, “Judith,” the first Santa Fe staging of Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice,” and new productions of Puccini’s “La Boheme” and Richard Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.”

The East German composer’s “Judith,” first presented at the Komische Oper in East Berlin four years ago, will be conducted by Richard Bradshaw, staged by David Alden and designed by Philipp Jung, with a cast to include Stephanie Sundine, Victor Braun, Judith Christin, Mark Thomsen, John Duykers and Jan Opalach.

Gluck’s masterpiece will be sung by Marilyn Horne, Benita Valente and Tracy Dahl, conducted by Lawrence Foster and staged by Lamont Johnson, with scenic and costume design by Steven Rubin.

Santa Fe Opera founder John Crosby will conduct “Ariadne,” the cast of which includes Alessandra Marc, Constance Hauman, Susan Graham and Ben Heppner. The production team includes stage director Robert Carsen, choreographer Rodney Griffin and designer Kevin Rupnik.

In addition, the 1989 season--37 performances in nine weeks, beginning June 29--will offer a revival of the 1988 production of Mozart’s “Cosi fan Tutte,” conducted by John Fiore and staged by Copley, with the cast of Nova Thomas, Susan Graham, Judith Christin, Mark Thomsen, Richard Cowan and Claude Corbeil.

PEOPLE: Isaac Stern makes his only Los Angeles orchestral appearance of the season Jan. 29 when he plays Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the orchestra’s annual Pension Fund Benefit in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center. . . . Rossini’s masterpiece, “Semiramide,” is the ambitious first project of the just-announced Garden Grove Opera, and is scheduled for performances at Don Wash Auditorium Feb. 9 and 11. James P. Sullivan, formerly head of Riverside Opera, will conduct; the cast will include Karon Poston-Sullivan in the title role, Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Gail Dubinbaum as Arsace, and Paul Johnson as Idreno. . . . David Dorfman, Liz Lerman, Miriam Mahdaviani, Sara Pearson and the team of Shapiro & Smith are winners of the third annual American Choreographer Awards, given last week in New York City. The recipients shared cash awards totaling $25,000. . . . Paul Freeman has been appointed principal guest conductor of the Zagreb Symphony in Yugoslavia; the 53-year old American conductor retains his post as music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta and conductor emeritus of the Victoria Symphony in British Columbia. . . . Choreographer Carolyn Berger will revive and update her late-1970s work, “Dear Board of Directors . . . ,” for performances scheduled June 1 and 2 at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre.

Daniel Cariaga contributed to research for this column.