| Biddulph Recordings was first founded in 1989 by renowned violin dealer Peter Biddulph and violinist and former editor of the The Musical Times and The Strad Eric
Wen. These two have been joined in 2003 by Sarah Woodward who has been
running the Gramophone Award Winning Historical vocal label Romophone.
After a fallow period, Biddulph now has an exciting program of new
releases planned for 2003/4, and is still able to offer many items from
its extensive back catalogue.
Primarily a string label, Biddulph
recordings has reissued historical recorded performances and
established comprehensive editions of its artists. These library
archives not only provide the listener with complete documentations,
but also re-capture the "golden age of string playing", a period which
coincided with the early development of the recording process.
Due to the fine quality of the
transfers, Biddulph Recordings has received the support and
co-operation of such artists as Yehudi Menuhin, Ruggiero Ricci, Nathan
Milstein and Zino Francescatti in re-issuing their early recordings.
Although perhaps best known for its string re-issues, Biddulph
Recordings has branched out over the years to develop further
collections of music which have received great critical acclaim. A
catalogue of piano recordings, which was initiated with the release of
six discs featuring the master pianist Alfred Cortot, includes
re-issues of Wanda Landowska, Percy Grainger, Myra Hess and Wilhelm
Backhaus. Biddulph has also established a large collection of
historical orchestral recordings, featuring some of the twentieth
century?s greatest conductors such as Sir Thomas Beecham, William
Mengelberg and Leopold Stokowski. Of notable acclaim is Biddulph?s
rapidly growing series of recordings made by Serge Koussevitsky and the
Boston Symphony Orchestra. As well as historical material, Biddulph
Recordings has an expanding catalogue of contemporary digital
recordings. The company provides a platform for many well-established
artists to record works for which they have a special affinity. It is
also committed to promoting young artists and indeed began its series
of new recordings with the debut CD of young Soviet violinist Maxim
Vengerov |