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.
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Plønk: Bridge of Glass
Cetra Records CETRA010 (direct distribution)
Christian Mohr Levisen from Denmark and his German partner Björn Kaidel have focussed exclusively on playing the Waldzither – an almost-forgotten nine-stringed plucked instrument from Germany – as a duo since 2024 with »Plønk«. This album exclusively features Waldzithers, with their rich overtones and resonant sound. The notes resonate and intertwine, sparkling like warm rain and caressing the ears of listeners. How fortunate that these virtuosos are shedding new light on the Waldzither, making it accessible to modern audiences! For the jury: Jo Meyer