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
Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies
Simona Šaturová, Mihoko Fujimura, Christian Elsner, Christian Gerhaher, MDR Rundfunkchor, GewandhausChor, GewandhauskinderChor, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt. 5 CDs, Accentus 80322 (harmoni mundi)
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Walton, Bruch, Pärt / Nils Mönkemeyer
William Walton: Viola Concerto. Max Bruch: Kol Nidrei op. 47, Romanze op. 85. Arvo Pärt: Fratres. Nils Mönkemeyer, Bamberger Symphoniker, Markus Poschner. Sony 88985360192
Chamber Music
Hindemith, Schönberg / Trio Zimmermann
Paul Hindemith: String Trio No.1 op. 34, String Trio No. 2. Arnold Schönberg: String Trio op. 45. Trio Zimmermann. BIS-Records 2207 SACD (Klassik Center)
Keyboard Music
CPE Bach: Tangere / Alexei Lubimov
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Fantasies, Sonatas, Rondos and Solfeggos. Alexei Lubimov. ECM 2112 (Universal)
Keyboard Music
Le Cœur & L’Oreille – Manuscript Bauyn
Works by Louis Couperin, Jacques Champion de Chambonnières, Jacques Hardel, René Mesangeau, Jean-Henri d’Anglebert, Germain Pinel, Johann Jacob Froberger. Giulia Nuti. Arcana A 434 (Note 1)
Keyboard Music
Kit Armstrong Performs Bach’s Goldberg Variations & Its Predecessors
Works by Johann Sebastan Bach, William Byrd, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and John Bull. Recorded Live from the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. C Major DVD 741608 / Blu-ray 741704 (Naxos)
Opera
Georg Friedrich Händel: Ottone
Max Emanuel Cenčić, Ann Hallenberg, Xavier Sabata, Lauren Snouffer, Pavel Kudinov, Anna Starushkevych. il pomo d’oro, George Petrou. 3 CDs, Decca 4831814 (Universal)
Opera
Hector Berlioz: Béatrice et Bénédict
Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Paul Appleby, Philippe Sly, Sophie Karthäuser, Lionel Lhote, Katarina Bradić, Frédéric Caton, Glyndebourne Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonello Manacorda, Regie: Laurent Pelly. Opus Arte DVD OA 1239D/ Blu-ray OABD 7219D (Naxos)
Choral Music
György Kurtág: Complete Works for Ensemble and Choir
Natalia Zagorinskaja, Harry van der Kamp, Elliott Simpson, Tamara Stefanovich, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Gerrie de Vries, Csaba Király, Yves Saelens, Asko/Schönberg Ensemble, Netherlands Radio Choir, Reinbert de Leeuw. 3CDs, ECM 2505-07 (Universal)
Lieder and Vocal Recital
Traumgekrönt / Hanna-Elisabeth Müller
Lieder by Richard Strauss, Alban Berg & Arnold Schönberg. Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Juliane Ruf. Belvedere 08034 (harmonia mundi)
Early Music
Franz Xaver Richter: Sinfonies, Sonatas & Oboe Concerto
Oboenkonzert g-moll, Sinfonien in B-Dur, g-moll & Con Fuga, Triosonaten a-moll op. 4,6 & D-Dur op. 3,3. Xenia Löffler, Capricornus Consort Basel, Peter Barczi. Christophorus CHR 77409 (Note 1)
Contemporary Classical Music
Ephemeral Rivers – Cat Hope: Chamber Works
Cat Hope: Miss Fortune X, Cruel & Unusual, Broken Approach, Dynamic Architectrue 1, Sogno 102. Tristen Parr, Aaron Wyatt, Cat Hope, Lindsay Vickery, Stuart James, Louise Devenish, Zachary Johnston, Lizzy Welsh, Phoebe Grey, Judith Hamman, Samuel Dunscobe, Vanessa Tomlinson, Mark Cauvin. HatArt/HatHut ART200 (Outhere)
Historical Recordings
Liszt / Paul Badura-Skoda
Franz Liszt: Sonata b-minor. 1965 & 1971. Paul Badura-Skoda. Gramola 99147 (Naxos)
Crossover Productions
En El Amor
Nataša Mirković, Michel Godard, Jarrod Cagwin. Carpe Diem Records CD16313 (www.carpediem-records.de)
Film Music
Hans Zimmer: Dunkirk
Hans Zimmer: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of »Dunkirk«. Water Tower 7434371 (Sony)
Jazz
Cleo
Let Them Talk. Luley Music Records LMR 02017 (www.janluley.de)
Jazz
Silke Eberhard Trio
The Being Inn. Intakt CD 280 (harmonia mundi)
World Music
Gahlia Benali & Mâäk
MwSOUL. W.E.R.F. 143 (Rough Trade)
Traditional Ethnic Music
Alma: Oeo
… Irgendwo zwischen Heimaterde und einem dunklen All. Col legno WWE 20434 (harmonia mundi)
German language Singer/Songwriters
Johannes Kirchberg and the CANEA Quartett Hamburg
Johannes R. Becher. einmal frei. und einmal glücklich sein. dermenschistgut (https://musik.dermenschistgut.de)
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Fara
Cross The Line. CPL-Music CPL 018 (Broken Silence)
Pop
LCD Soundsystem
American Dream. DFA Records/Columbia 889854561024 (Sony)
Hard and Heavy
The Attic
Sanctimonious. Ván Records VAN 220 (Soulfood)
Alternative
Algiers
The Underside Of Power. Matador/Beggars Group CD 146452 (Indigo)
Club and Dance
Nick Höppner
Work. Ostgut Ton CD40/LP 26 (www.ostgut.de/label)
Electronic and Experimental
Cornelius
Mellow Waves. Rostrum WPCL 12660 (Rough Trade)
Blues and Blues-related
Wellbad
The Rotten. Blue Central Records BCR 91004 (Membran)
R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop
Jay-Z
4:44. Def Jam 00857491007458 (Universal)
Spoken Word
Natascha Wodin
Sie kam aus Mariupol. With Dagmar Manzel. Direction: Thomas Fritz. argon edition/MDRKultur. ISBN 978-3-8398-1588-5
Recordings for Children and Youth
Sonne, Mond und Abendstern
Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob, Klaus Doldinger, Giora Feidman, Kreusch-Family. Argon Audio. ISBN 978-3-8398-4890-6