Quarterly Critic’s Choice

2/2007

Published: 15. Mai 2007

DVD and Video Productions

• Elliott Carter: A Labyrinth of Time. A Documentary by Frank Scheffer. Juxtapositions 9DS 17 (Naxos)

• Claudio Monteverdi: L’Orfeo, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, L’incoronazione di Poppea. Soloists, Chorus and Monteverdi Ensemble of Opernhaus Zürich, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Stage Direction: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Unitel/Deutsche Grammophon 00440 073 4278 (5 DVDs; Universal)

• Chavela Vargas: Cupaima. Tropical Music 68.856 (CD & DVD; Sony BMG)

Orchestral Music and Concertos

• Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Sinfonia tragica, Concerto for Viola and Piano. Tatjana Masurenko (Viola), Frank-Immo Zichner (Piano), Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Marek Janowski. Capriccio 71 112 (SACD; Delta Music)

• Carl Nielsen, Kalevi Aho: Clarinet Concertos. Martin Fröst (Clarinet), Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä. BIS 1463 (SACD; Klassik Center Kassel)

Chamber Music

• Dmitri Schostakowitsch: Violin Sonata op. 134, Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Violin Sonatas Nos. 3 and 4. Kolja Blacher (Violin), Jascha Nemtsov (Piano). Hänssler Classic 93.190 (Naxos)

Keyboard Music

• Franz Liszt: Vallée d’Obermann, St. François d’Assises Vogelpredigt, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13, Funérailles, La lugubre gondola No. 2 et al. Arcadi Volodos (Piano). Sony BMG 82876 87380 2 (SACD)

• Claude Debussy: Préludes Vol. I & II. Friedrich Gulda (Piano). (Recording 1969) MPS Records 476 5674 (Universal)

• Johann Mattheson: Pièces de Clavecin, Suites 1, 4–6, 9, 11 and 12. Cristiano Holtz (Harpsichord). Ramée RAM 0605 (Codaex)

• François Couperin: Tic Toc Choc. Alexandre Tharaud (Piano). Harmonia Mundi France HMC 901 956 (Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

Operetta

• Franz von Suppé: Die schöne Galathée. Eleonore Marguerre, Jörg Dürmüller, Marianne Beate Kielland, Klaus Häger et al., Chorwerk Ruhr, Cappella Coloniensis, Bruno Weil. Capriccio 60 134 (Delta Music)

Choral Works

• Music for Compline. Works by Sheppard, Byrd, Tallis et al. Stile antico. Harmonia Mundi France HMU 807 419 (SACD; Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

Early Music

• Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: The Rosary Sonatas. Maya Homburger (Baroque Violin), Camerata Kilkenny. Maya MCD 0603 (2 CDs; Records)

Lieder and Vocal Recital

• Amor sacro. Antonio Vivaldi: Mottetti. Simone Kermes (Soprano), Venice Baroque Orchestra, Andrea Marcon. Archiv Produktion 477 5980 (Universal)

• Robert Schumann: Kerner Lieder op. 35, Liederkreis op. 39. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone), Hertha Klust, Günther Weißenborn (Piano). (Recordings 1954–55). Audite 95.582 (Edel Classics)

Contemporary Classical Music

• Helmut Lachenmann: Concertini, Kontrakadenz. Ensemble Modern, Brad Lubman; Ensemble Modern Orchestra, Markus Stenz. Ensemble Modern Medien EMSACD 001 (SACD)

Film Music

• Alexandre Desplat: The Queen. London Symphony Orchestra, Alexandre Desplat. Milan 399 050-2 (Warner)

Spoken Word

• Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe: Zweimal »Torquato Tasso«. Radio Play Version from 1961. With Will Quadflieg et al., Video Recording of Bremen Stage Direction from 1969. With Bruno Ganz et al. Edition Mnemosyne ISBN 3-934012-25-6 (2 CDs & DVD) (GVA Göttingen)

Pop and Rock

• Lucinda Williams: West. Lost Highway Records 1723563 (Universal)

• Arcade Fire: Neon Bible. City Slang SLANG6366242 (Universal)

Singer/Songwriter and German Songs

• O bittre Zeit. Lagerlieder 1933–1945. Various Artists. Dokumentations- and Informationszentrum Emslandlager ISBN 978-3-926277-14-5 (3 CDs)

Traditional Ethnic Music

• Ensemble Al Kindi: Parfums ottomans. Le Chant du Monde 574 1414.15 (2 CDs; Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

Folk and Folklore, World Music

• Kristi Stassinopoulou, Stathis Kalyviotis: Taxidoscopio. Heaven and Earth HE 18 (Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

• Mayra Andrade: Navega. Sony BMG 82876817802

• Der Odenwälder Shanty Chor: Eiland. Wolkenstein (2 CDs; www.shantychor.de)

Jazz and Blues

• L14,16: Phlogistone. Nagel Heyer 2074 (Edel Contraire)

• Gianluigi Trovesi, Umberto Petrin, Fulvio Maras: Vaghissimo Ritratto. ECM 1983 (Universal)

• Kenny Wayne Shepherd: 10 Days Out. Blues from the backroads. Reprise 9362-49294-2 (Warner)

• Abi Wallenstein & BluesCulture feat. Steve Baker & Martin Röttger: Blues Culture. Blue Moon Records 1315-1514-10 (New Music)

Recordings for Children and Youth

• Tamara Bach: Marsmädchen. Sandra Hüller (Reader). Oetinger Audio ISBN 978-3-7891-0305-6 (4 CDs)

• Markus Vanhoefer: Johann Sebastian Bach und die schlaflosen Nächte des Grafen Keyserlingk. Christiane Rossbach (Reader) et al. Igel-Genius CD 167 (Naxos)

Crossover Productions

• Radio String Quartet Vienna: Celebrating the Mahavishnu Orchestra. ACT 9462-2 (Edel Contraire)

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