Classical music downloads spearhead changes in digital music pricing - TechHive Beta Blog: A new recording of Beethoven’s piano sonatas released on Tuesday stands out for a few reasons. First, the young Korean pianist HJ Lim, who burst onto the classical music scene in 2009, has begun her recording career with a complete set of piano sonatas that most performers only approach later in their careers. (It’s not entirely complete, but almost; see my review of the set.) Second, this pianist takes a unique approach to Beethoven’s music, with tempi that are much faster than usual.
But perhaps the bigger news is the price: for a limited time, EMI is selling this 8-CD Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas set exclusively on the iTunes Store for the bargain price of only $10. With the same set due to be released on CD this week at more than $90, EMI’s slashing the download price suggests an interesting strategy, but also points out how flexible the price of music downloads can be.