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

Igor Strawinsky: L’Oiseau de feu

& Edvard Grieg: Småtrold. Alexander Glasunov: The Seasons (excerpt) et al. Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth. Actes Sud ASM 06 (harmonia mundi)

Orchestral Music & Concertos

Berg, Beethoven: Violin Concertos

Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto D major op.61. Alban Berg: Violin Concerto. Isabelle Faust, Orchestra Mozart, Claudio Abbado. Harmonia mundi HMC 902105

Chamber Music

Carolin Widmann, Alexander Lonquich – Schubert

Franz Schubert: Fantasia C major op.post.159 D 934; Rondo H minor op.70 D 895; Sonata A major op.post. 162 D 574. Carolin Widmann, Alexander Lonquich. ECM New Series 2223/4764546 (Universal)

Keyboard Music

The Art-Harmonium. Hommage à Victor Mustel

Works by George Bizet, César Franck, Alexandre Guilmant et al. Jan Hennig (Kunstharmonium). Ambiente ACD-3013 (Medienvertrieb Heinzelmann)

Keyboard Music

Mozart: Keyboard Music Vol. 3

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonate B-Dur KV 433; Sonate F-Dur KV 332; Variationen F-Dur KV 613 (»Ein Weib ist das herrlichste Ding«); Fantasie c-Moll KV 396. Kristian Bezuidenhout. Harmonia Mundi USA HMU 907499

Opera

Antonio Vivaldi: Orlando Furioso RV 728

With Verónica Cangemi, Philippe Jaroussky, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Jennifer Larmore et al. Choir of Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Ensemble Matheus, Jean-Christophe Spinosi. Direction: Pierre Audi. DVD Naïve DR 2148 (Indigo)

Choral Music

Leoš Janáček: Choral Works

Six Moravian Choruses (after Dvořák); Die Wildente; Die Fährte des Wolfes; Elegie auf den Tod meiner Tochter; Kinderreime; Unsere Abende; Ave Maria; Vaterunser. Thomas Walker, Philip Mayers, Cappella Amsterdam, Radio Blazers Ensemble, Daniel Reuss. harmonia mundi HMC 902097

Lieder and Vocal Recital

Hasse Reloaded

Johann Adolph Hasse: Arias from »Didone abbandonata«, »Artaserse«, »La Gelosia«. Valer Barna-Sabadus, Hofkapelle München, Michael Hofstetter. Oehms OC 830 (Naxos)

Early Music

Music From The Missae Sex

Philippe Rogier: Missa Philippus Secundus Rex Hispaniae; Missa Inclita Stirps Jesse. Magnificat, Philip Cave. Linn Records CDK 387 (Codæx)

Contemporary Classical Music

AsianArt Ensemble

Chung Il-Ryun: Kwang Ya – five Korean dances. Volker Blumenthaler: Approximation. Hosokawa Toshio: Landscapes V; Manfred Stahnke: Changguflage. Lee Myung-Sun: Olleh. Xu Shuya: In Nomine II. Asian Art Ensemble. Celestial Harmonies 13291-2 (Naxos)

Historical Recordings

Mercury Living Presence: The Collector’s Edition

With Gina Bachauer, Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Szeryng, London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti, Rafael Kubelik, Stanisław Skrowaczewski et al. 51 CD. Decca 478 356 6 (Universal)

Crossover Productions

Luc Ferrari: JETZT

– oder wahrscheinlich ist dies mein Alltag, in der Verwirrung der Orte und der Augenblicke. With Tiziana Bertoncini, David Fenech, Brunhild Ferrari, Luc Ferrari, Neele Hülcker, Frank Niehusmann, Antje Vowinckel. Vivant Quartet de Narbonne. 3 CD Wergo 2066 2 (Note 1)

Film Music

Ludovic Bource: The Artist

The Brussels Philharmonic, Van Tiel. Sony 88697978952 (Sony)

Music Film

Renaud Garcia-Fons – Solo

The Marcevol Concert. Direction: Nicolas Dattilesi. CD & DVD. Enja ENJ-9581 2 (Soulfood)

Music Film

Nach der Musik

With Otmar Suitner, Marita Suitner, Staatskapelle Berlin et al. Direction: Igor Heitzmann. DVD b-there! 6413631 (Alive)

Jazz

When Lights Are Low

Pure Desmond (Sebastian Deufel, Christian Flohr, Lorenz Hargassner, Johann Weiß) minor music MM 801141 (In-Akustik)

Jazz

Lifeline. Rolf & Joachim Kühn Quartet

With Brian Blade, John Patitucci. Impulse 06025 2786480 (Universal)

World Music

Bonga: Hora Kota

Lusafrica 562752 (Sony)

Folk and Singer/Songwriters

The Other Europeans: Splendor

2 CD Kikiyon MDR Kiki CD 001-2 (Eigenverlag)

Pop

Lambchop: Mr. M.

City Slang 50013 (Universal)

Nu & Extreme (until 2014)

Gang Colours: The Keychain Collection

Brownswood BWOOD074LP (Rough Trade)

Blues and Blues-related

Timo Gross: Fallen from Grace

PepperCake PEC 2073-2 (ZYX Music)

R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop

Union: Analogtronics

Vinyl-LP with Download Code/CD. Fat Beats EAN 6 591235144 15/22

Spoken Word

Max Frisch: Montauk

With Monica Gillette, Ueli Jäggi, Thomas Sarbacher. Susanne-Marie Wrage. Direction: Leonhard Koppelmann. 2 CD Osterwold-Audio / HörbucHHamburg ISBN 978-3 -86952-118-3

Recordings for Children and Youth

Hartmut El Kurdi: Wat soll dat denn?!

Fritz Eckenga, Hartmut El Kurdi, Bianka Lammert, Jochen Malmsheimer. Verlag Sauerländer ISBN 978-3-411-81003-1

Open