Harmonia Mundi

harmonized mundi is a company independent French of production of discs, specialized in the Classical music and the musics of the world, and located at Arles in the Rhone delta.

History

Founded in 1958 by Bernard Coutaz, which is always the chairman, Harmonia Mundi is today the most former French phonographic editor independent of classical music . The label was installed in Paris, then in 1962, with Saint-Michel-the Observatoire. According to the councils of his friends Carl De Nys and Pierre Rochas, Bernard Coutaz started by establishing a catalog based on a repertory dedicated to the organ, while recording on the large historical organ of Europe. He also founded a review, historical Orgues , by which each number, dedicated to an instrument, was accompanied by a recording intended to assess all the qualities of them.

This work made it possible to develop a sensitivity particular to the stamp of the instruments at one time when the melodist influence still largely dominated the phonographic production. This sensitivity to the stamp prepared the meeting with Alfred Deller, which took place at the time of a concert with Avignon in 1967, where the Against-tenor occurred with his unit. The evening which followed this concert determined one second period for Harmonia Mundi, that of the discs with Alfred Deller, which was faithful to the recording company until its death, in 1979. Harmonia Mundi then carried out a series of recordings of musics of the English Rebirth and Baroque music. An academy of Baroque music, founded in the Lubéron on an idea of Alfred Deller, attracted new talents like Rene Jacobs and Dominique Visse which also recorded for Harmonia Mundi. Then came Philippe Herreweghe and William Christie. The recordings of Baroque music multiplied giving of Harmonia Mundi an indication of precursor in the interpretation of the repertory on old instruments.

These developments made it possible to conquer a new increasingly large audience as the repertories old and especially baroque took a lead in the international music scene. Meanwhile, mundi harmonized had consolidated and diversified its sphere of activities. In 1976, the recording company ensured its own distribution, and became itself distributer of other labels as from 1980. In 1981, Harmonia Mundi opened its first subsidiary company in London. The company then invests the Farmhouse of Green to Arles in 1986. In front of the progressive disappearance of the record dealers in France, Bernard Coutaz decided to found a series of shops harmonized mundi. This network counts today 43 shops in France and 3 in Spain.

Meanwhile, the company continued the diversification of its activities and created, in 1988, a service dedicated to the diffusion of the book while repurchasing, in 1993, the music publishings of the Chant of the world . 160 people work today with the Farmhouse of Green, head office of an international group made up of five subsidiary companies of which some ensure part of the phonographic production.

In parallel, the catalog grew rich and opened with many collaborations resulting from all the countries. Today, mundi harmonized records all the repertories, of the old music to the music of the 21e century and finance entirely its production thanks to a total financial independence. This widening accompanied the evolution by musicians like Rene Jacobs and Philippe Herreweghe who, after more than twenty years of collaboration, always record for harmonized mundi from now on at the sides of the musicians of the young generation.

In 2006, mundi harmonized is a company in very good health which employs 470 people, represents 18% of the market of the traditional disc for a sales turnover of 60 million euros and product between 50 and 60 new recordings per annum. It is the second of the market with EMI behind large majors such as Universal.

She celebrates in 2008 her 50 years of existence.

Principal artists

Labels

Music initially , the economic label.
Song of the world , opened with the jazz and the musics of the world
World Village , intended to produce the musics of the world.

External bonds

the official site of Harmonia Mundi

References

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