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
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Beethoven / Isabelle Faust, Berliner Philharmoniker, Bernard Haitink
Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Conzerto op.61 D major & Symphony No. 6 op.68 F major (Pastorale). Isabelle Faust, Berliner Philharmoniker, Bernard Haitink. Blu-ray EuroArts 2061294 (Warner)
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Marie Jaëll: Musique symphonique, Musique pour piano
David Bismuth, Xavier Phillips, Dana Ciocarlie, Romain Descharmes, Chantal Santon-Jeffery, Nicolas Stavy, Lidija & Sanja Bizjak, David Violi, Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lille, Hervé Niquet, Joseph Swensen. 3 CDs Ediciones Singulares ES1022 (Note 1)
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 / Pablo Heras-Casado
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Symphonies No.3 op.56 A minor (Scottish) & No. 4 op.90 A major (Italian). Freiburger Barockorchester, Pablo Heras-Casado. harmonia mundi HMC 902 228
Chamber Music
Debussy: Chamber Music / Kuijken Ensemble
Claude Debussy: String Quartet op.10 L 85, Sonata for Cello L 135, Syrinx for Flute solo L 129, Sonata for Flute, Viola & Harp L 137, Sonata for Violin & Piano L 140. Kuijken Ensemble. Arcana A 392 (Outhere/Note 1)
Keyboard Music
Domenico Scarlatti: 18 Sonatas
Yevgeny Sudbin. SACD BIS-2138 (Klassik Center)
Keyboard Music
Widor: Master of the Organ Symphony
Charles-Marie Widor: Organ Symphonies Nos.5 & 6, Méditation from Organ Symphony No.1, Prélude & Finale from Organ Symphony No.3, Adagio from Organ Symphony No.2, Choral & Finale from Organ Symphony No.7. Gerard Brooks, Daniel Roth, John R. Near, Anne-Isabelle de Parceveaux. 2 CDs, 2 DVDs Fugue State Films FSF DVD 010 (Naxos)
Opera
Claude Vivier: Kopernikus
Svea Schildknecht, Dorothea Winkel, Uta Buchheister, Barbara Ostertag, Neal Banerjee, Ji-Su Park, Florian Kontschak, Opera Factory Freiburg, Holst-Sinfonietta, Klaus Simon. bastille musique bm001 (rudi mentaire distribution)
Lieder and Vocal Recital
Henze: Being Beauteous, Chamber Music of 1958
Hans Werner Henze: Being Beauteous, Chamber Music of 1958. Anna Prohaska, Peter Gijsbertsen, NDR Sinfonieorchester, Peter Ruzicka. Wergo WER 73342 (New Arts International)
Early Music
JS Bach: Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord / Leila Schayegh
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord BWV 1014-1019. Leila Schayegh, Jörg Halubek. Glossa GCD 923507 (Note 1)
Contemporary Classical Music
Clara Iannotta: A Failed Entertainment. Works 2009-2014
Quatuor Diotima, Trio Catch, Ensemble InterContemporain, Talea Ensemble, Ensemble Garage, Ensemble Recherche, Orchestre des Élèves du Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, Matthias Pintscher, Tito Ceccherini. Edition RZ 10023 DAAD/parallele 23 (www.edition-rz.de)
Historical Recordings
The Mono Era 1948-1957
Various Works, various artists. 51 CDs, Deutsche Grammophon DG 479 5516 (Universal)
Crossover Productions
Tord Gustavsen: What was said
Tord Gustavsen, Simin Tander, Jarle Vespestad: What was said. ECM 4758697 (Universal)
Music Film
Robert Trujillo Presents: Jaco
Jaco Pastorius. Featuring Sting, Flea, Bootsy Collins, Joni Mitchell, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, Peter Eskine, Herbie Hancock. 2 DVDs Iron Horse JP1002 (Galileo MC)
Jazz
Matthias Nadolny, Bob Degen: You’re My Everything
Klaeng-records 013 (www.klaengrecords.de)
Jazz
Angelika Niescier, Florian Weber: NYC Five
Intakt Records CD 263 (harmonia mundi)
World Music
Jaimeo Brown: Transcendence Work Songs
Motema 234152 (Membran)
Traditional Ethnic Music
Mauretanien: Nouakchott & Chinguetti
CD & DVD benkadi fòli serie I. Traditional Music Vol.9, benkadi fòli serie III. Africa in pictures Vol.2 (www.benkadi.org)
German language Singer/Songwriters
Dota: Keine Gefahr
Kleingeldprinzessin 12719 (Broken Silence)
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Värttinä: Viena
Westpark Music 87305 (Indigo)
Pop
David Bowie: Blackstar
Sony 888 75173862
Alternative
Animal Collective: Painting With
Domino Records WIG CD 362 (GoodToGo)
Club and Dance
Moomin: A Minor Thought
Digipack. Smallville CD 11 (Rough Trade)
Blues and Blues-related
Tommy Schneller Band: Backbeat
Timezone TZ 1036 (www.timezone-records.com)
R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop
Anderson .Paak: Malibu
Steel Wool Entertainment SW 234141 (Membran)
Spoken Word
Margot Friedlander: Versuche, dein Leben zu machen
With Malin Schwerdtfeger. 8 CDs, speak low. Rowohlt Berlin ISBN 978-3-940018-16-8
Recordings for Children and Youth
Andreas Steinhöfel: Anders
Radio Play. Udo Wachtveitl, Friederike Kempter, Walter Renneisen. Silberfisch ISBN 978-3-86742-575-9