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
Hans Werner Henze: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Marek Janowski. Wergo WER 67242 (NAI)
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Béla Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Isabelle Faust, Schwedisches Radio-Sinfonieorchester, Daniel Harding. harmonia mundi HMC 902146
Chamber Music
Keller Quartett – Ligeti, Barber
György Ligeti: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2; Samuel Barber: Molto Adagio from String Quartet op. 11. Keller Quartett. ECM New Series 2197/4810026 (Universal)
Keyboard Music
Frédéric Chopin: Polonaises
op. 26 1 & 2, op. 40 1 & 2, op. 44, 53, 61. Rafał Blechacz. Deutsche Grammophon DG 479 0928 (Universal)
Keyboard Music
Alkmaar. The Organs of the Laurenskerk
With Pieter van Dijk, Frank van Wijk, Leo van Doeselaar, Bernard Winsemius. 1 DVD & 1 CD, Fugue State Films FSF 008 (Naxos)
Opera
Giacomo Puccini: La Fanciulla del West
A 2012 recording from the Stockholm Royal Opera House. Direction: Christof Loy. Nina Stemme, John Lundgren, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Niklas Björling Rygert, Ola Eliasson, Michael Schmidberger, The Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra & Chorus, Pier Giorgio Morandi. DVD Unitel/EuroArts 2072 598 (Naxos)
Choral Music
Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 54
Cantatas BWV 100, BWV 14, BWV 197 and BWV 197a. Hana Blaziková, Damien Guillon, Gerd Türk, Peter Kooij, Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki. BIS Records 2021 (Klassik Center)
Lieder and Vocal Recital
Anna Netrebko – Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi: Arias from Macbeth, Giovanna d’Arco, I vespri siciliani, Don Carlo, Il Trovatore. Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Chorus & Orchestra of Teatro Regio Torino, Gainandrea Noseda. Deutsche Grammophon DG 479 1052 7 (Universal)
Early Music
The Phoenix Rising
Works by William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, Thomas Morley, Thomas Tallis, John Taverner, Robert White. stile antico. harmonia mundi HMU 807572
Contemporary Classical Music
Oscar Bianchi: Anahata Concerto
& Crepuscolo, Primordia Rerum, Zaffiro, Matra-Kantate, Thanks to my eyes. Klangforum Wien, Nieuw Ensemble, Ictus Ensemble, Ensemble Modern, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Enno Poppe, Lucas Vis, Anna Petrini, Franck Ollu et al. Musiques Suisses CTS-M 138 (NAI)
Historical Recordings
Gary Graffman – The Complete Album Collection
Gary Graffman, Berl Senofsky, Shirley Trepel, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, Eugene Ormandy, Leonard Bernstein, Enrique Jorda, Charles Munch. 24 CD, RCA 3509522 (Sony)
Crossover Productions
Gabriele Hasler: im bauch der vokale
Foolish Music 211 113 www.gabrielehasler.de
Music Film
The Note. Rudolf Barshai, a lifelong quest for one single note
A film by Oleg Dorman. DVD EuroArts 2059 528 (Naxos)
Music Film
Sound of Heimat. Deutschland singt!
A film by Arne Birkenstock and Jan Tengeler. Hayden Chisholm, Rudi Vodel, Wellküren, Bobo et al. DVD Tradewind Pictures / RealFiction 979248 (Indigo)
Jazz
Bigbands live
Orchester Kurt Edelhagen feat. Mary Lou Williams & C. Valente (July – December 1954) Kurt Edelhagen, M. L. Williams, Caterina Valente et al. Jazzhaus (swr-music) 101718 (Arthaus Musik)
Jazz
Michael Wollny, Tamar Halperin, hr-Bigband: Wunderkammer XXL
2 CD, ACT 6011 (edel)
World Music
Vinicio Capossela: Rebetico Gymnastas
Ponderosa 1000114 PON (Edel)
Traditional Ethnic Music
Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan
Kula Kulluk Yakışır Mı. ECM 2181/ 2790946 (Universal)
German language Singer/Songwriters
Barth/Roemer: Groove Chanson
Hey!Blau Records CD0014. Self-distribution: www.gesangundgitarre.de
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Alma: Nativa
Col Legno COL 20310 (harmonia mundi)
Independent (until 2014)
Moderat: Il
Monkeytown MTR035CDJ (Rough Trade 0817231011381)
Nu & Extreme (until 2014)
Jan Roth: L. O. W.
Sinnbus SR048CD (Rough Trade)
Blues and Blues-related
Cyril Neville: Magic Honey
Ruf Records RUF 1192 (in-akustik)
R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop
Gregory Porter: Liquid Spirit
Blue Note 6 02537 41053 8 (Universal)
Spoken Word
Herta Müller: Immer derselbe Schnee und immer derselbe Onkel
Herta Müller. 4 CD, HörbuchHamburg ISBN 978-3-89903-395-3
Recordings for Children and Youth
Reineke Fuchs
Audio piece after texts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Ilse van Heyst. Ulrich Noethen, Theo Bleckmann, WDR Big Band Köln. Hörbuch im Verlag CMO ISBN 978-3-939129-58-5 (Alive)