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
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.1
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer. Channel Classics CCS SA 33112 (Codaex)
Chamber Music
Korngold – camerata freden
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: String Sextet D major op.10, Piano Quintet E major op.15. camerata freden. Tacet 198 (Musikvertrieb Johannes Gebhardt)
Keyboard Music
Johann Sebastian Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Clavier
András Schiff. 4 CD ECM New Series 2270-73 4764827 (Universal)
Keyboard Music
Maurice Duruflé: Complete Organ Works
Four Motets about gregorian melodies op.10, Requiem op.9. Bo Skovhus, Randi Stene, Henrick Brenstrup, Kristian Krogsøe, Aarhus Cathedral Choir, Vocal Group Concert Clemens, Carsten Seyer-Hansen. 2 CD Danacord DACOCD726 (Klassik Center)
Opera
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni
Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Mojca Erdmann, Ildebrando d’Arcangelo, Rolando Villazón, Luca Pisaroni, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. 3 CD DG 477 9878 (Universal)
Lieder and Vocal Recital
Christian Gerhaher – Ferne Geliebte
Ludwig van Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte op.98; Arnold Schönberg: Das Buch der hängenden Gärten (George Lieder) op.15; Alban Berg: Altenberg Lieder op.4; Joseph Haydn: Four Lieder. Christian Gerhaher, Gerhold Huber. Sony 0886919354324
Early Music
La Fiesta de Pascua en Piazza Navona
Works by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Jacobus de Kerle, Giovanni Perluigi da Palestrina et al. La Grande Chapelle Albert Recasens. 2 CD Lauda LAU 012 (Note 1)
Early Music
Jean Richafort: Missa pro Defunctis
(Requiem in memoriam Josquin Desprez); Josquin Desprez: Faulte d’Argent, Nymphes des Bois, Miserere mei Deus; Nicolas Gombert: Musae Jovis; Jheronimus Vinders: O mors inevitabilis; Benedictus Appenzeller: Musae Jovis. Ensemble Cinquecento. Hyperion CDA 67959 (Codaex)
Contemporary Classical Music
Katharina Rosenberger: Texturen
Wet Ink Ensemble. Hat Hut Records, HatArt 186 (harmonia mundi)
Historical Recordings
Wanda Wilkomirska – Tschaikowsky, Moniuszko
Benjamin Britten: Violin Concerto op.15; Peter Tschaikowsky: Symphony No. 4 F minor op.36; Stanislaw Moniuszko: Mazur, from: »Straszny dwór«. Wanda Wilkomirska, Witold Rowicki, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Orchestral Concert Cds. CD 12/2011
Crossover Productions
Songs for Kommeno
Günter Baby Sommer & Ensemble. Intakt Records CD 190 (harmonia mundi)
Film Music
Maurice Jarre: Topaz, L’etau
Emarcy Records 273 0540 (Universal)
Music Film
How to get out of the Cage
A year with John Cage. A film by Frank Scheffer. Euroarts 2059168 (Naxos)
Jazz
Bill Evans: Momentum
2 CD. Limetree MCD 0043 (SunnyMoon)
World Music
Warsaw Village Band: Nord
Jaro 4308-2
German language Singer/Songwriters
Hannes Wader: Nah dran
Mercury Records 701 8871 (Universal)
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Carolina Chocolate Drops: Leaving Eden
Nonesuch 1945598 (Warner)
Pop
Dexys: One Day I’m Going To Soar
Buback Tonträger 967712 (Indigo)
Independent (until 2014)
Matthew Dear: Beams
Ghostly International GI 155 (Alive)
Nu & Extreme (until 2014)
Cooly G: Playin’ Me
Hyperdub 00055536 (cargo records)
Blues and Blues-related
Plug It In! Turn It Up! Electric Blues Vol.1-4.
Various Artists. 12 CD. Bear Family Records. BCD 16925/30/32/38 CP 26666-6 (Delta Music)
R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop
Frank Ocean: Channel Orange
Island 2871567 (Universal)
Spoken Word
James Joyce: Ulysses
Direction and Music: Klaus Buhlert. With Manfred Zapatka, Corinna Harfouch, Jens Harzer et al. 23 CD, Der Hörverlag, München ISBN 978-3-86717-846-4
Recordings for Children and Youth
Robert Paul Weston: Zorgamazoo
Read by Martin Baltscheit. 3 CD. Hörbuch Hamburg ISBN 978-3-86742-700-5