JACQUES OFFENBACH
Offenbach: Colorature Jodie Devos (soprano) / Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Laurent Campellone [ Alpha Classics / CD - released 8/Feb/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 TOP THREE - Recital |
W. A. MOZART / ARNE / J. C. BACH / ABEL & OTHERS
Mozart In London The Mozartists, Ian Page (conductor) [ Signum / 2 CD - released 4/May/2018 ] "..the star of the show is the superb orchestra, which never sounds in the least bit perfunctory or formulaic." Gramophone Recording of the Month July 2018 |
FRANCESCO CAVALLI
Ombra mai fu: Francesco Cavalli Opera Arias Philippe Jaroussky (counter-tenor) / Ensemble Artaserse, with Emöke Baráth (soprano) [ Erato / Warner Classics / CD - released 15/Mar/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 WINNER - Recital |
HUW WATKINS
Watkins: Flute Concerto, Violin Concerto and Symphony Adam Walker (flute), Alina Ibragimova (violin) / Hallé, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ryan Wigglesworth, Edward Gardner [ NMC / CD - released 20/Jun/2019 ] Watkins is one of today's leading composer-pianists and this album (his second for NMC Recordings) showcases his vibrant, lyrical and impeccably crafted orchestral writing. Both the Flute and Violin Concertos were composed for soloists with whom he... |
THOMAS ADES
Ades: The Exterminating Angel (complete opera recorded in 2017) Metropolitan Opera / Audrey Luna, Amanda Echalaz, Sally Matthews, Sophie Bevan, Alice Coote, Christine Rice, Iestyn Davies / Thomas Ades (cond) [ Erato DVD / DVD - released 20/Feb/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 TOP THREE - Contemporary |
HUGO WOLF
Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuch Diana Damrau (soprano), Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Helmut Deutsch (piano) [ Erato / Warner Classics / CD - released 11/Jan/2019 ] "We're presented with a welcome alternation of moods which beautifully showcase these musicians' enormous expressive versatility." BBC Music Choral & Song Choice April 2019 |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Ode for St Cecilia's Day Dunedin Consort, John Butt (Director), Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Ian Bostridge (tenor), Polish Radio Choir [ Linn Records / CD - released 12/Oct/2018 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 - Choral |
GOUNOD / PUCCINI / STEIBELT / MASSENET / MOZART / ROSSINI / etc
Miroir(s): Opera Arias Elsa Dreisig (soprano), Orchestre National Montpellier Occitanie Pyrénées Méditerranée, Michael Schønwandt [ Erato Warner Classics / CD - released 20/Mar/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 TOP THREE - Recital |
GEORGES BIZET
Bizet: Les Pêcheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers) [complete opera] Julie Fuchs, Cyrille Dubois, Florian Sempey, Luc Bertin-Hugaul / Orchestre National de Lille, Alexandre Bloch [ Pentatone SACD / 2 Hybrid SACD - released 1/Nov/2012 ] Les Pêcheurs de Perles is best known for its glorious duet, but Georges Bizet's opera has much more to offer. This live recording more than ever brings out the brilliance of this oriental story about love, duty and friendship. In the last 150 years,... |
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Opp 109, 110 & 111 Steven Osborne (piano) [ Hyperion / CD - released 3/May/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 - Instrumental |
JOSEF HAYDN
Haydn: Piano Trios [Nos 14, 18, 21, 26 & 31] Trio Wanderer [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 20/Apr/2018 ] "There is enough clarity around each instrument to make every line audible, which hasn't necessarily been the case in the Wanderer's previous recordings of Romantic music" Gramophone Editor's Choice June 2018 |
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
Salonen: Cello Concerto Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen [ Sony Classical / CD - released 3/May/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 - Contemporary |
SCHOENBERG / BERG / WEBERN / ZEMLINSKY
Vienna - Fin de Siècle Barbara Hannigan (soprano), Reinbert De Leeuw (piano) [ Alpha Classics / CD - released 20/Jun/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 - Solo Vocal |
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Quartet No. 3 / Piano Quintet Belcea Quartet, Piotr Anderszewski (piano) [ Alpha Classics / CD - released 20/Apr/2018 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 - Chamber |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No. 7 Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer [ Channel Classics SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 5/Jun/2019 ] "It's one of those performances that makes one think of the piece differently, and that in itself is cause for celebration and reassessment." Gramophone Recording Of The Month April 2019 |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel's Finest Arias for Base Voice, Vol. 2 Christopher Purves (baritone), Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen (conductor) [ Hyperion / CD - released 27/Jul/2018 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 - Recital |
SIR EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: The Music Makers / The Spirit of England Dame Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Staples (solo tenor), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 2/Nov/2018 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 - Choral |
BRETT DEAN
Dean: Hamlet (Complete opera recorded in 2018) Glyndebourne Opera / Allan Clayton, Sarah Connolly, Barbara Hannigan, Rod Gilfry / Vladimir Jurowski (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 20/Jun/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 WINNER - Contemporary |
WILHELM STENHAMMAR
Stenhammar: Symphony No. 2 / Serenade Gothenburg Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt (conductor) [ BIS SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 20/Nov/2018 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 TOP THREE - Orchestral |
JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Symphony No.1 & En Saga Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali [ Alpha / CD - released 25/Jan/2019 ] Alpha begins a complete cycle of the symphonies by Sibelius (and of his symphonic poems) with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and its new musical director, Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Originally a percussionist, the 33-year-old trained... |