Quarterly Critic’s Choice

3/2009

Published: 15. 8. 2009

DVD and Video Productions

• Joseph Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 1, 96 and 101 & Documentary »Sir Roger Norrington – A conductor between Stuttgart and Berkshire«. SWR Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Musical Direction: Roger Norrington. Hänssler Classic DVD 93.904 (Naxos)

• Legends of the famous Lippman + Rau Festivals. DVD 1: Folklore Argentino, Flamenco and Música do Brasil; DVD 2: Spiritual & Gospel and Folk & Country; DVD 3: The American Folk Blues Festivals. Tropical Music 68.362; 68.363; 68.364

• Jazz Icons, Series 3 (Box: 6 DVDs + Bonus DVD). Reelin’ in the Years 2.108002 (Naxos)

Orchestral Music and Concertos

• Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowsky: Symphony No. 5; Hamlet Ouverture. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Musical Direction: Andris Nelsons. Orfeo C 780 091 A

• Alban Berg, Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concertos. Arabella Steinbacher, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Musical Direction: Andris Nelsons. Orfeo C 778 091 A

• Sergej Prokofjev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3. Evgeny Kissin, Philharmonia Orchestra, Musical Direction: Vladimir Ashkenazy. EMI 2 64536 2

Chamber Music

• Joseph Haydn: String Quartets op. 55, 1-3. String Quartet META4. Hänssler Classic 98.587 (Naxos)

Keyboard Music

• Frédéric Chopin: Piano Sonata op. 58, Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, Polonaise op. 61, Walse, Mazurkas and Nocturns. Maria João Pires (Piano), Pavel Gomziakov (Violoncello). Deutsche Grammophon 477 7483 (Universal)

• Sergej Rachmaninov: 24 Préludes. Steven Osborne. Hyperion CDA 67700 (Codaex)

• Principal Sound – Organ Works by Brian Ferneyhough, Morton Feldman, Giacinto Scelsi and Iannis Xenakis. Bernhard Haas. Edition Zeitklang EZ 35033 (Klassik Center Kassel)

Opera

• Georg Friedrich Händel: Faramondo. Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cencic, Sophie Karthäuser, Radio-Suisse Choeur, I Barocchisti, Musical Direction: Diego Fasolis. 3 CDs, Virgin 50992 2 16611 2 (EMI)

• Aribert Reimann: Lear. Wolfgang Koch, Magnus Balvinsson, Dietrich Volle, Michael McCown, Hans-Jürgen Lazar et al., Chor der Oper Frankfurt, Frankfurter Museumsorchester, Musical Direction: Sebastian Weigle. 2 CDs, Oehms Classics OC 921 (Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

Choral Works, Early Music

• Jakobus Vaet: Missa »Ego flos campi«, Motets; Clemens non Papa: Ego flos campi. Ensemble Cinquecento. Hyperion CDA 67733 (Codaex)

• Johann Sebastian Bach: »Aus der Tieffen« (Cantatas BWV 131, 182 and 4), Katherine Fuge (Soprano), Carlos Mena (Countertenor), Hans Jörg Mammel (Tenor), Stephan McLeod (Bass), Ricercar Ensemble, Musical Direction: Pierre Pierlot. Mirare 057 (Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

Lieder and Vocal Recital

• Magdalena Kozená sings Vivaldi. Venice Baroque Orchestra, Musical Direction: Andrea Marcon. Deutsche Grammophon 477 8096 (Universal)

Historical Recordings

• Michael Rabin – The Complete RIAS-Recordings (Berlin 1962/69); Works by Max Bruch, Henryk Wieniawski/Fritz Kreisler, Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowsky, Pablo de Sarasate and Camille Saint-Saëns. Michael Rabin (Violin), Lothar Broddack (Piano), RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester, Musical Direction: Thomas Schippers. Audite 95.607 (Edel)

• Wilhelm Furtwängler live in Berlin – The Complete RIAS-Recordings (1947-1954). Gerhard Taschner, Yehudi Menuhin (Violin), Berliner Philharmoniker. 13 CDs, Audite 21.403 (Edel)

Contemporary Classical Music

• Beat Furrer: Piano Concerto, Invocation VI, spur, FAMA VI, retour an dich, Iotófagos I. Nicolas Hodges (Piano), Petra Hoffmann, Isabelle Menke, Tora Augestad et al., WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Musical Direction: Peter Rundel, Kammerensemble Zeitgenössische Music Berlin. Kairos 0012842KAI (Helikon Harmonia Mundi)

• Wolfgang by Schweinitz: Plainsound Glissando Modulation. Helge Slaatto (Violin), Frank Reinecke (Double Bass). Neos 10812 (Codaex)

Film Music

• Howard Shore: Glaubensfrage – Doubt. Howe Records, HWR-1001 (Codaex)

Spoken Word

• T. C. Boyle: Die Frauen. Reader: Ulrich Matthes. 8 CDs, Der Hörverlag, München; ISBN 978-3-86717-367-4

Pop and Rock

• Bob Dylan: Together Through Life. Sony (BMG) / Columbia 88697438932

Nu and Extreme

• Micachu: Jewellery. Rough Trade RTRACD500 (Indigo)

• Karin Dreijer Andersson: Fever Ray. Rabid 039 (Cooperative Music)

German Songs, Folk and Folklore

• Strom und Wasser: Emotionsdesign. Traumton 928332 (Indigo)

• Stockholm Lisboa Project: Diagonal. Westpark CD 931 232 (Indigo)

Traditional Ethnic Music, World Music

• Hamid Motebassem: Mayeh-Ye Dashti. Said Farajpoori: Mayeh-Ye Isfahan. Iranian Classical Music. Homayoun Shajarian & Dastan Ensemble. 2 CDs, Celestial harmonies 14298-2 (Naxos)

• Clara Moreno: Miss Balanço. Farout Recordings FARO141

Jazz and Blues

• George Gershwin: Porgy & Bess. Tony Lakatos, Frankfurt Radio Bigband, Musical Direction: Jörg Achim Keller. 2 CDs, Skip Records SKP 9085-2

• Roberta Gambarini: So In Love. Emarcy 06025 1796010 (Universal)

• Joachim Kühn, Majid Bekkas, Ramon Lopez + guests: Out of the Desert. ACT 9475-2 (Edelkultur)

• Angelika Niescier: Sublim III. Enja ENJ-9533 2 (Edelkultur)

• Matt Schofield: Heads, Tails & Aces. Nugene Records NUG 901 (Rough Trade)

Black Music

• Exile: Radio. Plug Research PLG 93

Recordings for Children and Youth

• Sally Nicholls: Wie man unsterblich wird. Jede Minute zählt. With Kai Hogenacker, Patrick Mölleken, Hella by Sinnen et al. IGEL Records ISBN 978-3-89353-260-5

Crossover Productions

• Xu Fengxia, Lucas Niggli: Black Lotos. Intakt CD 164 (Records)