Quarterly Critic’s Choice

1/2008

Published: 15.2.2008

DVD and Video Productions

• Alfred Brendel plays and introduces Schubert Piano Works. Euroarts 2056558 (5 DVDs; Naxos)

• Giuseppe Verdi: Don Carlos (french Version of 1867). Ramon Vargas, Iano Tamar, Nadja Michael, Bo Skovhus, Alastair Miles et al., Chor und Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper, Bertrand de Billy. Peter Konwitschny (Stage Direction). TDK DVWW-OPCARLOS (2 DVDs; Naxos)

Opera

• Claudio Monteverdi: L’Orfeo. Anna Simboli, Monica Piccinini, Sara Mingardo, Furio Zanasi et al., Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini. Naïve OPS 30 439 (2 CDs; Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

Orchestral Music and Concertos

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Essential Symphonies Vol. 1 (Symphonies KV 16, 183 and 551). Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Roger Norrington. Hänssler Classic 93.211 (Naxos)

• Camille Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos No. 2 G minor op. 22 and No. 5 F major op. 103; César Franck: Variations symphoniques. Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Piano), L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Charles Dutoit. Decca 475 8764 (Universal)

• »Les Ballets Russes Vol. 1« – Igor Strawinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps; Claude Debussy: Jeux; Paul Dukas: La Péri. SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Sylvain Cambreling. Hänssler Classic 93.196 (Naxos)

Chamber Music

• Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Trios C minor op. 1/3 and D major op. 70/1; Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Piano Trio G major op. 65. Andreas Staier (Fortepiano), Daniel Sepec (Violin), Jean-Guihen Queyras (Violoncello). Harmonia Mundi France HMC 901 955 (Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

• Ernst Krenek: String Quartets No. 3 and 5. Petersen Quartett. Capriccio 67 197 (Delta Music)

Keyboard Music

• Charles-Valentin Alkan: Concerto for solo piano op. 39/8-10, Troisième recueil de chants op. 65. Marc-André Hamelin (Piano). Hyperion 67 569 (Codaex)

• François Couperin: Pièces de clavecin. Pierre Hantaï (Harpsichord). Mirare MIR 027 (Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

• Johannes Brahms: Elf Choralvorspiele für Orgel op. post. 122; Max Reger: Choral-Phantasie op. 30; Reinhard Febel: Sieben Choralbearbeitungen nach Joh. Seb. Bach. Yaara Tal, Andreas Groethuysen (Piano). Sony BMG 88697 12146 2

Early Music

• Nicolas Gombert: Tribulatio et angustia – Motets. The Brabant Ensemble, Stephen Rice. Hyperion CDA 67614 (Codaex)

Choral Works

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Mass B minor BWV 232. Carolyn Sampson, Rachel Nicholls, Robin Blaze, Gerd Türk, Peter Kooij. Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki. BIS 1701/02 (2 SACDs; Klassik Center Kassel)

• Joseph Haydn: Il ritorno di Tobia. Roberta Invernizzi, Sophie Karthäuser, Ann Hallenberg, Anders J. Dahlin, Nikolay Borchev. VokalEnsemble Köln, Capella Augustina, Andreas Spering. Naxos 8.570300-02 (3 CDs)

Lieder and Vocal Recital

• Diana Damrau: »Arie di bravura« – Arias by Mozart, Salieri and Righini. Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, Jérémie Rhorer. Virgin Classics 00946 395250 2 7 (EMI)

Contemporary Classical Music

• Luigi Nono: Prometeo, Tragedia dell’ascolto. Petra Hoffmann, Monika Bair-Ivenz, Susanne Otto, Noa Frenkel et al. Solistenchor Freiburg, ensemble recherche, Solistenensemble des Philharmonischen Orchesters Freiburg, Solistenensemble des SWR Sinfonieorchesters Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Experimentalstudio der Heinrich-Strobel-Stiftung des SWR Freiburg, Peter Hirsch, Kwamé Ryan. Col legno 20 605 (2 SACDs; Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

Historical Recordings

• Benjamin Britten / Peter Pears. Documents 231 134 (10 CDs; Membran)

• Kurt Sanderling: Bruckner, Mahler, Schostakowitsch. Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Sanderling. Berlin Classics 018 4152 (2 CDs; Edel)

Film Music

• Alexandre Desplat: Gefahr und Begierde. Decca 174 6371 (Universal)

• Dario Marianelli: Abbitte. Jean-Yves Thibaudet. English Chamber Orchestra. Universal 476 6195

Pop and Rock

• Robert Plant, Alison Krauss: Raising Sand. Rounder 475 9382 (Universal)

Nu and Extreme

• Ricardo Villalobos: fabric 36. Fabric Records FABRIC 71 (Rough Trade)

• Burial: Untrue. Hyperdub 32139 (Cargo)

Black Music

• Aretha Franklin: Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of The Queen Of Soul. Rhino 272 188 (2 CDs; Warner)

Jazz and Blues

• Bryan Lee: Katrina was her name. Justin Time Just 226-2 (Sunny Moon)

Traditional Ethnic Music, Folk & Folklore

• Djivan Gasparyan: The Soul of Armenia. Portrait. Network 495 121 (2 CDs; Zweitausendeins)

• Song of America. Various Artists. 31 Tigers Records 1206546-6 (3 CDs; Rough Trade)

World Music

• Juan Carlos Cáceres: Utopía. Mañana CD 904 782 (Indigo)

Singer/Songwriter and German Songs

• Strom & Wasser: Farbengeil. Traumton CD 4511 (Indigo)

Jazz and Blues

• The Emil Mangelsdorff Quartet: Blues Forever. L+R Records CDLR 714 427 (Bellaphon)

• Heinz Sauer: The Journey. ACT 9461-2 (Edel Contraire)

• Aki Takase: Something Sweet, Something Tender. Enja CD 9188-2 (Soulfood)

Spoken Word

• Thomas Mann: Doktor Faustus. Hanns Zischler, Werner Wölbern, Ulrich Noethen et al. (Reader). Der Hörverlag ISBN 3-86717-075-8 (10 CDs)

Recordings for Children and Youth

• Kirsten Boie: Alhambra. Dieter Wien (Reader). Goya Lit ISBN 978-3-8337-1982-0 (8 CDs; Jumbo)

• Otfried Preußler: Die kleine Hexe. Laura Maire, Andreas Pietschmann et al. (Reader). Der Audio Verlag ISBN 978-3-89813-661-7 (2 CDs)

Crossover Productions

• Erika Stucky: Suicidal Yodels. Traumton 4509 (Indigo)

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