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 (»Titan«)
Hamburg Version of 1893. NDR Sinfonieorchester, Thomas Hengelbrock. Sony 888 430 505 42
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Franz Xaver Scharwenka: The Piano Concertos
Alexander Markovich, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi. 2 CD, Chandos CHAN 10814 (Note 1)
Chamber Music
Joseph Haydn: Die sieben letzten Worte
unseres Erlösers am Kreuze Hob.XX:02. Cuarteto Casals. harmonia mundi HMC 902162
Keyboard Music
Schubert – The Koroliov Series Vol. XV
Franz Schubert: Piano Sonatas G major D 894 and A major D 959. Evgeni Koroliov. Tacet 979 (Musikvertrieb Johannes Gebhardt)
Keyboard Music
Ferdinando Richardson: Complete Works for Harpsichord
Glen Wilson. Naxos 8.572997
Opera
Georg Friedrich Händel: Orlando
Bejun Mehta, Sophie Karthäuser, Kristina Hammarström et al. B’Rock Orchestra, René Jacobs. 2 CDs, Archiv Produktion 4792199 (Universal)
Opera
Richard Strauss: Elektra
Evelyn Herlitzius, Adrianne Pieczonka, Waltraud Meier, Mikhail Petrenko, Orchestre de Paris, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Patrice Chéreau. DVD / Blu-ray, BelAir Classiques BAC 110 / BAC 410 (harmonia mundi)
Choral Music
America
Choral works by von Aaron Copland, Steve Reich, John Cage, Morton Feldman, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber. SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Marcus Creed. Hänssler Classic 93.306 (Naxos)
Lieder and Vocal Recital
Heimliche Aufforderung
Richard Strauss: Lieder. Christiane Karg, Malcolm Martineau, Felix Klieser. Berlin Classics 0300566 BC (Edel)
Early Music
The Treasures of Claude Le Jeune
Claude Le Jeune. Huelgas Ensemble, Paul van Nevel. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi DHM 88843022442 (Sony)
Contemporary Classical Music
Love Songs – ensemble recherche
Works by Hans Abrahamsen, Carola Bauckholt, Chaya Czernowin, Lucia Ronchetti, Johannes Maria Staud, Jörg Widmann. 2 CD, Wergo WER 6792 2 (New Arts International)
Historical Recordings
The Griller Quartet play Haydn
Joseph Haydn: Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze Hob.XX:02. Griller Quartet. Dutton CDBP 9739 (harmonia mundi)
Crossover Productions
Paul Brody’s Sadawi: Hinter allen Worten
Enja yellowbird yeb 7737 (Soulfood)
Music Film
Paths Through The Labyrinth
The Composer Krzysztof Penderecki. A film by Anna Schmidt. DVD / Blu-ray, C Major 715408 / 715504 (Naxos)
Jazz
Sonny Rollins: Road Shows Vol. 3
Okeh 888 430 499 82 (Sony)
Jazz
Ingrid Laubrock Octet: Zürich Concert
SWR New Jazz Meeting. Intakt 221-2014 (harmonia mundi)
World Music
Susheela Raman: Queen Between
World Village WVF 479093 (harmonia mundi)
Traditional Ethnic Music
Mohammad Motamedi: Iran Classical Singing
Ocora Radio France OCR 560257 (harmonia mundi)
German language Singer/Songwriters
Kalüün: Spöören
Eigenverlag (www.kaluun.de)
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Looking Into You
Various Artists – A Tribute To Jackson Browne. Music Road Records MRR CD 018 (Rough Trade)
Pop
The Black Keys: Turn Blue
Nonesuch 7559795554 (Warner)
Independent (until 2014)
Eno & Hyde: Someday World
Warp WARP CD249X (Rough Trade)
Nu & Extreme (until 2014)
Fatima Al Qadiri: Asiatisch
Hyperdub 00070290 (Cargo)
Blues and Blues-related
Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado: Too Many Roads
Ruf Records Ruf 1200 (in-akustik)
R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop
Fatima: Yellow Memories
Eglo EGLO36CD (Groove Attack)
Spoken Word
Qualitätskontrolle
... oder Warum ich die Räuspertaste nicht drücken werde! Radio play by Helgard Haug and Daniel Wetzel (Rimini Protokoll). Maria-Cristina Hallwachs, Admir Dzinic, Detlef Glätze et al. Hörspielpark (WDR) ISBN 978-3-941998-64-3
Recordings for Children and Youth
David Almond: Der Junge, der mit den Piranhas schwamm
Jörg Pohl. 3 CDs, Hörcompany ISBN 978-3-942587-72-3