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

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

Open