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.

Quarterly Critic’s Choice

Orchestral Music & Concertos

Franz Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Philippe Herreweghe. PHI Records LPH 028 (Outhere Music/Note 1)

Orchestral Music & Concertos

Sergej Prokofjew: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Sergej Prokofjew: Violinkonzerte Nr. 1 D-Dur op. 18 und Nr. 2, g-moll op. 63. Franziska Pietsch, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Cristian Mācelaru. Audite 97.733 (Naxos)

Chamber Music

»Once upon a time«

Robert Schumann: Märchenerzählungen op.132 for Clarinet, Viola and Piano; Fantasiestücke for Piano and Clarinet op.73; Märchenbilder for Piano and Viola op.133. Jörg Widmann: Es war einmal… Fünf Stücke im Märchenton for Clarinet, Viola and Piano. Tabea Zimmermann, Jörg Widmann, Dénes Várjon. Myrios Classics MYR 020 (harmonia mundi)

Keyboard Music

Dmitry Masleev – Scarlatti

Domenico Scarlatti: Sonaten K 27, K 466, K1, K 141, K 32; Sergej Prokofjew: Sonate Nr. 2 d-moll op.14; Dmitri Schostakowitsch: Klavierkonzert Nr. 2 F-Dur op. 102. Dmitry Masleev, Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Stadkovsky. Melodyia MEL 1002517 (Naxos)

Keyboard Music

Johann Sebastian Bach: Choralpartiten

Johann Sebastian Bach: Choralpartiten BWV 766-770, Präludien & Fugen BWV 531, 533-536, 541, 544, 549-551. Anna Pikulska an der Silbermann-Orgel St.Marien zu Freiberg, Sachsen und an der Trost-Orgel Stadtkirche Waltershausen. Organum 702011 (harmonia mundi)

Opera

Antonio Vivaldi: Dorilla in Tempe

Romina Basso, Marina de Liso, Serena Malfi, Lucia Cirillo, Sonia Prina, Christian Senn, Coro della Radiotelevisione svizzera, I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis. Naïve OP 30560 (Indigo)

Opera

Hector Berlioz: Les Troyens

Joyce DiDonato, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Marianne Crebassa, Michael Spyres, Stéphane Degout, Cyrille Dubois, Philippe Sly, Richard Rittelmann, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Bertrand Grunenwald, Agnieszka Slawinska, Jean Teitgen, Hanna Hipp, Nicolas Courjal, Jerôme Varnier, Frédéric Caton, Les Chœurs de l’Opera national du Rhin, Badischer Staatsopernchor, Chœur & Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, John Nelson. Erato 9029576220 (Warner)

Choral Music

György Ligeti: Requiem

György Ligeti: Requiem, Lux aeterna; Clytus Gottwald: Transcriptions of works by Claude Debussy, Gustav Mahler & Maurice Ravel. Gabriele Hierdeis, Renée Morloc, Kammerchor Stuttgart, Danubia Orchestra Óbuda, Frieder Bernius. Carus 83.283 (Note 1)

Lieder and Vocal Recital

Franz Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin

Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber. Sony 88985427402

Early Music

Händel | Bach – Dixit Dominus | Magnificat

Johann Sebastian Bach: Magnificat BWV 243; Georg Friedrich Händel: Dixit Dominus HWV 232. Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier. Alpha 370 (Note 1).

Contemporary Classical Music

Julius Eastman: The Zürich Concert

New World Music 80797 (Klassik Center Kassel)

Historical Recordings

Alfredo Campoli – Milestones of a Legend

Works by Beethoven, Elgar, Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Paganini, Tschaikowsky etc. Campoli, London Philharmonic Orchestra. Documents 600443 (Intense Media)

Crossover Productions

Jon Balke: Nahnou Houm

Ensemble Siwan, Mona Boutchebak, Derya Turkan, Helge Norbakken, Pedram Khavar, Zamini, Barokksolistene. ECM 2572 (Universal)

Film Music

The Film Scores & Original Orchestral Music of George Martin

The Berlin Music Ensemble, Craig Leon. Atlas Recordings ARCD008 (PIAS/Rough Trade)

Music Film

Midori Plays Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonaten & Partiten BWV 1001-1006 für Violine Solo. Live auf Schloß Köthen. Ein Film von Andreas Morell. DVD Accentus ACC ID403 (harmonia mundi)

Music Film

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Die Geschichte eines Songs. A film by André Schäfer. Joachim Król, Campino, Thomas Hengelbrock, Jürgen Klopp, Gerry Marsden. DVD mindjazz pictures 6417773 (Alive)

Jazz

New Old Luten Quintet: Letzter Rabatz!

Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Elan Pauer, John Edwards, Robert Landfermann, Christian Lillinger. Euphorium Records EUPH 057

World Music

Tania Saleh: Intersection

Kirkelig Kulturverksted FXCD 440 (Indigo)

Traditional Ethnic Music

Maya Youssef: Syrian Dreams

Maya Youssef, Barney Morse-Brwon, Sebastian Flaig, Attab Haddad. harmonia mundi HMM 902 349

German language Singer/Songwriters

Manfred Maurenbrecher: flüchtig

Reptiphon Rep 047 (Broken Silence)

Folk and Singer/Songwriters

Daniel Kahn & The Painted Bird: The Butcher’s Share

Oriente Musik RienCD91 (Fenn)

Pop

Kelela: Take Me Apart

Warp Records WARP 287 (Rough Trade)

This album won in jury Pop as well as in jury R&B, Soul, HipHop.

Rock

JD McPherson: Undivided Heart And Soul

New West Records NW6370 (PIAS)

Alternative

Mount Kimbie: Love What Survives

Warp Records WARP 288 (Rough Trade)

Club and Dance

Four Tet: New Energy

Text Records TEXT 046CD (Indigo)

Electronic and Experimental

Björk: Utopia

One Little Indian/Embassy of Music 5054197926921 (Warner)

Blues and Blues-related

The Sherman Holmes Project: The Richmond Sessions

M.C. Records MC-0082 (in-akustik)

Spoken Word

Daniel Kehlmann: Tyll

Gelesen von Ulrich Noethen. Argon Verlag ISBN 978-3-8398-1604-2

Recordings for Children and Youth

Peter Wohlleben: Hörst du, wie die Bäume sprechen? Eine kleine Entdeckungsreise durch den Wald

Reading by Hanna Khallaf, Leah Knapp, Hans Löw, Frida Löw, Birk von der Lieth, Antonia Weber. Direction: Frank Gustavus. Oetinger Audio ISBN 978-3-8373-1031-3

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