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 4/2024, published on 5th October 2024

Quarterly Critic’s Choice

Orchestral Music & Concertos

Tschaikowsky – Andris Nelsons

Peter Tschaikowsky: Symphony No. 4, F minor op.36; »Francesca di Rimini« – Fantasie op.32. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons. Orfeo C 860111 A

Orchestral Music & Concertos

Christian Tetzlaff – Schumann, Mendelssohn

Robert Schumann: Violin Concerto D minor WoO 1; Fantasie for Violin and Orchestra op.131. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Violin Concerto D minor op.64. Christian Tetzlaff, HR-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Paavo Järvi. Ondine ODE 1195-2 (Naxos)

Chamber Music

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Trios op.9

Trio Zimmermann (Frank Peter Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit, Christian Poltéra). BIS SACD 1857 (Klassik Center)

Keyboard Music

Frédéric Chopin: Etudes

Frédéric Chopin: Etudes op.10; Etudes op.25. Maurizio Pollini. Testament SBT 1473 (Note 1)

Keyboard Music

Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations BWV 988

Blandine Rannou. Zig-Zag-Territoires ZZT 111001 (Note 1)

Opera

Antonio Vivaldi: Farnace. RV 711 G

Ann Hallenberg, Max Emanuel Cencic, Daniel Behle et al. Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera, I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis. 3 CD, Virgin Classics 50999 0709142-1 (EMI)

Opera

Franz Schreker: Irrelohe

Ingeborg Greiner, Daniela Denschlag, Roman Sadnik et al., Chor des Theaters Bonn, Beethovenorchester Bonn, Stefan Blunier. 3 SACD, Dabringhaus & Grimm MDG 937 1687-6 (Codaex)

Choral Music

Johann Christian Bach: Missa da Requiem

& Miserere B flat major. Lenneke Ruiten, Ruth Sandhoff, Colin Balzer, Thomas E. Bauer, RIAS Kammerchor, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Hans-Christoph Rademann. harmonia mundi HMC 902098

Lieder and Vocal Recital

Franz Liszt: Lieder

Diana Damrau, Helmut Deutsch. Virgin Classics 50999 0709282 4 (EMI)

Early Music

Johannes Ciconia: Opera Omnia / Complete Works

Ensemble Diabolus in Musica, Antoine Guerber, Ensemble La Morra, Corina Martí, Michal Gondko. 2 CD, Ricercar RIC 316 (Note 1)

Contemporary Classical Music

Haltbar gemacht

Composition class of Ensemble L’ART POUR L’ART. Ensemble L’ART POUR L’ART. CD & DVD, Berslton 111 05 31/211 05 31 (Nurnichtnur Kunst- und Musikproduktion)

Historical Recordings

Otto Klemperer. RIAS-Recordings, Berlin 1950-1958

Works by Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler and Hindemith. RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester, RSO Berlin, Otto Klemperer. 5 CD, Audite 21.408 (edel)

Crossover Productions

Frère Jacques. Round about Offenbach

Gianluigi Trovesi, Gianni Coscia. ECM 2217/278 1135 (Universal)

Film Music

Alberto Iglesias: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Silva Screen 738572136925 (edel)

Music Film

pina

(tanzt, tanzt, sonst sind wir verloren). A film for Pina Bausch by Wim Wenders. With Regina Advento, Mailou Airando et al. Music: Thom Hanreich. DVD & Blu-ray, Dolby Digital 5.1. Neue Road Movies NFP 1000227991 (Warner)

Music Film

Die singende Stadt

Calixto Bieitos Parsifal entsteht. A documentary by Vadim Jendreyko. good movies/ Realfiction 958898 (Indigo)

Jazz

Sing! Inge, sing!

Inge Brandenburg. Silver Spot 1036002SSR (edel)

Jazz

Sonny Rollins: Road Shows Vol. 2

With Ornette Coleman, Roy Hargrove et al. Doxy Records 0602527749723 (Universal)

Traditional Ethnic Music

KlangWelten

25 years of dialogue between cultures, vol. 2: 2006–2011. Rüdiger Oppermann with 28 music ensembles and soloists from 24 countries. 5 CD & DVD, KlangWeltenRecords KW 20050

German language Singer/Songwriters

Christof Stählin und Freunde

Aus freien Stücken. Nomen + Omen XON 16

Folk and Singer/Songwriters

Texas Bohemia revisited

By Thomas Meinecke and Peter Schubert. CD & DVD, Trikont US-0384

Pop

The Black Keys: El Camino

Nonesuch 00755 97963311 (Warner)

Independent (until 2014)

Feist: Metals

Polydor 06025 27798349 (Universal)

Nu & Extreme (until 2014)

Peaking Lights: 936

Weird World WEIRD009CD (Domino/Rough Trade)

Blues and Blues-related

Tommy Schneller: Smiling For A Reason

CD & LP, Cable Car Records CCR 0311-37

R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop

The Roots: Undun

Def Jam B005VR9328 (Universal)

Spoken Word

Albert Ostermaier: Schwarze Sonne scheine

Read by Albert Ostermaier. Direction: Wolfgang Stockmann, Music: Hans Platzgumer. 5 CD, Griot Hörbuch Verlag, ISBN 978-3-941234-32-1

Recordings for Children and Youth

Himmelweit. A concert for children

By Ute Kleeberg. With Christian Brückner and the SWR-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, André de Ridder. Edition Seeigel SGO 30, ISBN 978-3-935261-24-1

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