Erato Records

Erato Records is a record label founded in 1953 as Erato Disques S.A. by Philippe Loury to promote French classical music. Loury was head of éditions musicales Costallat. His first releases in France were licensed from the Haydn Society of Boston, and he made Erato's first recording in January 1953: Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Te Deum with Les Jeunesses Muslcales.

Michel Garcin became the label's artistic director and producer and built up the catalogue with contemporary French composers such as Henri Dutilleux and French artists: Jean-François Paillard (234 records), Marie-Claire Alain (234 records), Maurice André (198 records), Jean-Pierre Rampal (127 records), and Lily Laskine.

Notable recordings
Erato Records released first recordings of :


 * J S Bach's complete organ works, played by Marie-Claire Alain, in 1968
 * J M Leclair's works, played by Jean-François Paillard, in 1978
 * D Scarlatti's complete keyboard sonatas, played by Scott Ross, in 1988.
 * The world premiere of John Corigliano's Symphony No. 1, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim, in 1990

Warner Music Group acquisition
Warner Music Group acquired Teldec Records in 1988. Erato Records was distributed in the USA on the RCA Red Seal label for many years. In 1992, Erato Records was acquired by Warner Music Group. In 2001, Warner Music Group closed down both Teldec Records and Erato Records to cut operating costs in classical music business and streamline the Warner Classics label.

Revival with Virgin Classics catalogue
In 2013, the Erato Records label was revived with Warner Music Group acquisition of EMI Classics and Virgin Classics, which became part of Warner Classics. Erato Records absorbed the Virgin Classics artists roster and catalogue while the EMI Classics label's artists roster and catalogue was absorbed into the Warner Classics label but not the rights to the EMI or Virgin names due to the trademark rights being retained by seller Universal Music Group.