Quarterly Critic’s Choice

The best and most interesting new releases of the previous three months are awarded a place on the Quarterly Critic’s Choice. Evaluation criteria are artistic quality, repertoire value, presentation, and sound quality. From 2014 onward, the Long Lists are stored directly with each Quarterly Critic’s Choice.

NEW: Long List 2/2024, published on 5th April 2024

Quarterly Critic’s Choice

Quarterly Critic’s Choices before 2010

4/2006

4/2006

Published: 15. 11. 2006

DVD and Video Productions

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Così fan tutte. Erin Wall, Elina Garanča, Barbara Bonney, Stéphane Degout, Shawn Mathey, Ruggero Raimondi, Arnold Schönberg Chor, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Harding; Patrice Cheraux (Stage Direction); Stéphane Metge (Image direction) (Aix-en-Provence 2005). Virgin Classics 00946 344716 9 5 (2 DVDs; EMI)
  • Franz Schreker: Die Gezeichneten. Robert Brubaker, Anne Schwanewilms, Michael Volle, Robert Hale, Wolfgang Schöne, Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano; Nikolaus Lehnhoff (Stage Direction), Andreas Morell (Image direction) (Salzburg 2005). Euroarts 2055298 (DVD)
  • Fritz Wunderlich – Leben und Legende. Deutsche Grammophon DVD 00440 073 4202 (Universal)
  • Richard Thompson, Judith Owen & Debra Dobkin: 1000 Years of Popular Music. Cooking Vinyl RT 1000 SP (DVD + 2 CDs; Indigo)

Orchestral Music and Concertos

  • Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 5. Münchner Philharmoniker, Günter Wand. Profil PH 06012 (Naxos)
  • Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 8, Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 B minor. Münchner Philharmoniker, Günter Wand. Profil PH 06008 (2 CDs; Naxos)
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concertos G major KV 453 and C major KV 467. Maurizio Pollini (Solist & Conductor), Wiener Philharmoniker. Deutsche Grammophon 477 5795 (Universal)

Chamber Music

  • Franz Schubert: String Quartets Vol. III: Quartets G major D 887 and G minor D 173. Mandelring Quartett. audite 92.552 (SACD; Naxos)

Keyboard Music

  • Ludwig van Beethoven / Franz Liszt: Symphonies No. 7 and 8. Konstantin Scherbakov. Naxos 8.557856
  • Paul Dukas: Sonata E flat minor; Abel Decaux: Clairs de lune. Marc-André Hamelin.
  • Johann Ulrich Steigleder: Complete Organ Works: Das Vater unser; Ricercar Tabulatura. Léon Berben. Aeolus AE 10 421 (2 CDs; Note 1)

Operetta

  • Franz Lehár: Eva. Morenike Fadayomi, Zora Antonic, Reinhard Alessandri, Thomas Malik, Chor des Lehár-Festivals Bad Ischl, Franz-Lehár-Orchester, Wolfgang Bozic. cpo 777 148-2 (2 CDs; jpc)

Choral Works

  • Orlando di Lasso: Oracula. Ensemble Daedalus, Roberto Festa. Alpha ALP 095 (Note 1)
  • Igor Strawinsky: Les noces, Messe, Cantata. RIAS Kammerchor, musikFabrik, Daniel Reuss. harmonia mundi France HMC 801 913 (SACD; Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

Lieder and Vocal Recital

  • Thomas Hampson – »Verboten and verbannt« – Lieder by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Alexander Zemlinsky, Eric Zeisl, Arnold Schönberg, Alban Berg and Gustav Mahler. Wolfram Rieger (Piano). Orfeo C 708 061 B
  • Aribert Reimann / F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy: »…oder soll es Tod bedeuten?« ; Robert Schumann: String Quartet A major op. 41 No. 3; Sechs Gesänge op. 107 (arr. by. A. Reimann). Christine Schäfer (Soprano), Petersen Quartett. Capriccio 71 090 (SACD; Delta Music)

Contemporary Classical Music

  • Thomas Larcher: IXXU; My Illness is the Medicine I need; Mumien; Cold Farmer. Andrea Lauren Brown (Soprano), Christoph Poppen (Violin) Thomas Demenga (Violoncello), Thomas Larcher (Piano), Rosamunde Quartett. ECM New Series 1967 (Universal)

Film Music

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams: Film music Vol. 3: The Story of a Flemish Farm; The Loves of Joanna Godden; Bitter Springs. BBC Philharmonic, Rumon Gamba. Chandos Movies 10368 (Codaex)

Spoken Word

  • Philip Roth: Jedermann. Peter Fitz (Reader), Ralph Schäfer (Direction). Der Hörverlag ISBN 3-89940-929-9 (4 CDs)

Pop and Rock

  • Johnny Cash: American V. A Hundred Highways – American Recordings. Mercury 06024 9862696 (Universal)
  • Bob Dylan: Modern Times. Sony BMG 82876 87606 2
  • Regina Spektor: Begin to hope. Sire 9362-44112-2 (Warner)

Singer/Songwriter and German Songs

  • Achim Reichel: Volxlieder. Tangram 69 532 (Indigo)
  • Wenzel: Vier Uhr Früh. Wenzel sings Theodor Kramer Vol. II. Conträr 6963-2 (Indigo)

Traditional Ethnic Music

  • Al Tarab: Muscat Ud Festival. Enja ENJ 9504 2 (4 CDs; Soulfood)

World Music

  • Beyond Istanbul: Underground Grooves of Turkey. Trikont US 0355 (Indigo)

Jazz and Blues

  • Ornette Coleman: Sound Grammar. Sound Grammar SG 001 (NRW Vertrieb)
  • Enrico Pieranunzi, Marc Johnson, Joey Baron: Ballads. CamJazz CAMJ 7785 2 (ZYX)
  • Tomasz Stanko Quartet: Lontano. ECM 1980 (Universal)

Recordings for Children and Youth

  • Kirsten Boie: Der kleine Ritter Trenk. Karl Menrad (Reader). Jumbo ISBN 978-3-8337-1630-0 (4 CDs)
  • Brüder Grimm: Jorinde and Joringel. Samuel Weiss (Reader). Music: de Falla, Grieg et al. Edition SEE-IGEL ISBN 3-935261-12-8

Crossover Productions

  • Thomas Demenga (Violoncello), Thomas Larcher (Piano), Teodoro Anzellotti (Accordion): Chonguri – Works by Bach, Chopin, Fauré, Liszt, Messiaen, Webern et al. ECM New Series 1914 (Universal)

(The name of the German distributor appears in brackets if it differs from the label name.)

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