BMG Classics

Sub-label of BMG Entertainment

100 releases 13 sub-labels 1981–2005

About

After reviving the "lightning bolt" logo, the imprint, and its vast back catalog of classical and jazz recordings, the BMG Classics label division was formed in 1987 by German-based following the acquisition of the 50% stake in from General Electric. A corporate restructuring of BMG in 2000 eventually led to the close of the BMG Classics division, with its associated labels being moved to through 2003 and the group the following year. In 2004, BMG went into a joint venture with Sony, forming , with classical music titles being released through the label. In October 2008, Bertelsmann sold all its label holdings to its partner, completing the merger to becoming .

Top BMG Classics Releases

Offramp
Offramp
Pat Metheny Group
1982
Mr. Jealousy
Various Artists
1998
Slums of Beverly Hills
Various Artists
1999
Watercolors
Watercolors
Pat Metheny
1977
Travels
Travels
Pat Metheny Group
1983
Cello
David Darling
1992
The Colours of Chloë
The Colours of Chloë
Eberhard Weber
1974
Evolution (And Flashback)
Gil Scott‐Heron
1999
Rites
Rites
Jan Garbarek
1998
Fuori dal mondo
Ludovico Einaudi
1999
Battle of the Bands
Glenn Miller vs. Tommy Dorsey
1998
Undrentide
Mediæval Bæbes
2000
Big Map Idea
Steve Tibbetts
1989
Facing You
Keith Jarrett
1972
The Fall of Us All
Steve Tibbetts
1994
Visible World
Visible World
Jan Garbarek
1996
Friends for Life
Friends for Life
Montserrat Caballé
1997
Mancini’s Classic Movie Scores
Mancini’s Classic Movie Scores
Henry Mancini and His Orchestra
1987
Fire in the Kitchen
Fire in the Kitchen
Paddy Moloney, The Chieftains and Special Guests
1998
Tokyo ’96
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette
1998
20th Century Blues
20th Century Blues
Marianne Faithfull
1996
Alma Brasileira: Music Of Villa-Lobos
Villa-Lobos; Michael Tilson Thomas, New World Symphony, Renée Fleming
1996
Odyssey
Terje Rypdal
1975
Litania: Music of Krzysztof Komeda
Tomasz Stańko Septet
1997
Gateway
Gateway
John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette
1975
Violin Showpieces
Violin Showpieces
Erick Friedman, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Walter Hendl
1992
Neujahrskonzert 1996
Neujahrskonzert 1996
Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
1996
Santiago
Santiago
The Chieftains
1996
David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf
David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf
Prokofiev; David Bowie, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
1978
Itzhak Perlman reDiscovered: Violin Sonatas
Handel, Hindemith, Leclair, Paganini, Bloch, Sarasate, Falla, Ben-Haim, Bazzini; Itzhak Perlman
2004
Greatest Hits
Louis Armstrong
1996
Imaginary Cuba
Bill Laswell
1999
Nothing Ever Was, Anyway. Music of Annette Peacock
Nothing Ever Was, Anyway. Music of Annette Peacock
Marilyn Crispell, Gary Peacock, Paul Motian
1997
Mystère: Live in Las Vegas
Cirque du Soleil
1996
Don’t Forget Me
Don’t Forget Me
Marianne Faithfull
1996
Suas e!
Mary Jane Lamond
1997
Symphoniae (Geistliche Gesänge)
Hildegard Von Bingen; Sequentia
1985
Cantatas, Volume IV: Duet Cantatas
Alessandro Scarlatti; Dominique Labelle, Christine Brandes, Nicholas McGegan, Arcadian Academy
2001
Canto
Charles Lloyd
1997
The Call
Charles Lloyd
1993
Northern Song
Steve Tibbetts
1982
Points of View
Dave Holland Quintet
1998
Combo!
Combo!
Henry Mancini
1961
Piano Concerto No. 1 / Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky; John Browning, Erick Friedman, London Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
1990
Zoroastre
Zoroastre
Jean‐Philippe Rameau; La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken
1990
Fancy Chamber Music
Carla Bley
1998
Suite no. 2 / Concerto / Trio Sonatas
J. S. Bach; James Galway, Kyung-Wha Chung, Phillip Moll, Zagreb Soloists
1991
November
November
John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine W / John Surman
1993
Symphony No. 3
Saint‐Saëns; Berj Zamkochian, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
1999
Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun
Irving Berlin
1966
Big Band Theory
Carla Bley
1993
The Carla Bley Big Band Goes to Church
The Carla Bley Big Band
1996
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Johann Sebastian Bach; Gustav Leonhardt
1987
An Irish Evening
An Irish Evening
The Chieftains
1992
Violin Concertos
Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn; Jascha Heifetz
1994
Film & Ballet Suites
Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович
Caruso 2001: Canzoni Italiane
Caruso 2001: Canzoni Italiane
Enrico Caruso, RSO Wien, Gottfried Rabl
2001
Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
1997
Homecoming
Gateway
1995
Dream of the Elders
Dave Holland Quartet
1996
Vienna
Vienna
Johann Strauss, Jr., Carl Maria von Weber, Richard Strauss / Fritz Reiner / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
1995
We Begin
We Begin
Mark Isham & Art Lande
1987
Ancient Echoes
Chorovaya Akademia, Alexander Sedov
1995
Sometimes When We Touch
Cleo Laine & James Galway
Incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Boston Symphony Orchestra and Chorus - Erich Leinsdorf - Arlene Saunders, Helen Vanni, Inga Swenson
1988
John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson & Peter Erskine
John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson & Peter Erskine
John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson & Peter Erskine
1989
Chanson d'amour
Chanson d'amour
The King’s Singers
1993
Symphony no. 2+4
Beethoven; Günter Wand, Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks
Cello Concertos
Cello Concertos
Joseph Haydn, Anton Kraft; Anner Bylsma, Tafelmusik Orchestra, Jean Lamon
1990
Magnificent Mario
Magnificent Mario
Mario Lanza
1991
Julian Bream Edition, Volume 25: Music of Spain, Granados / Albéniz
Julian Bream Edition, Volume 25: Music of Spain, Granados / Albéniz
Enrique Granados, Isaac Albéniz; Julian Bream
1993
Rhythm Song
Rhythm Song
Evelyn Glennie
1990
Lookout for Hope
Lookout for Hope
The Bill Frisell Band
1988
Ciné Classique
Various Artists
1993
The Collected
The Collected
Roy Hargrove
1998
Celtic Wave
Various Artists
1998