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 3/2024, published on 5th July 2024
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Zimmermann: Sinfonie in einem Satz
Bernd Alois Zimmermann: Sinfonie in einem Satz (1. Fassung); Giostra Genovese; Concerto for String Orchestra; Musique pour les soupers du Roi Ubu. WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Peter Hirsch. Wergo 73402 (New Arts International)
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Mozart: Violin Concertos / Frank Peter Zimmermann
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Violin Concertos No. 2 KV 211 & No. 5 KV 219; Sinfonia Concertante KV 364. Frank Peter Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit, Kammerorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Radoslaw Szulc. Hänssler Classic HC 15042 (Naxos)
Chamber Music
Scharwenka: Works for Violin and Piano
Philipp Scharwenka: Violin Sonatas Op. 110 & 114, Suite for Violin and Piano Op. 99. Natalia Prischepenko, Oliver Triendl. TYXart TXA 16075 (Note 1)
Keyboard Music
Haydn: Six Piano Sonatas / Einav Yarden
Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonatas Nos. 44 G minor Hob. XVI:44; 39 D major Hob. XVI:39; 40 G major Hob. XVI:40; 41 B flat major Hob. XVI:41; 46 A flat major Hob.XVI:46; 47 B minor Hob. XVI:32. Einav Yarden. Challenge SACD CC 72742 (New Arts International)
Keyboard Music
Hymnes
Organworks by Nicolas de Grigny, Vincent Paulet, Thierry Escaich, Jean-Baptiste Robin, Benoît Mernier und Pierre Farago. Olivier Latry, Vincent Dubois etc., 2 SACDs, Aeolus AE-11101 (Note 1)
Opera
Georg Friedrich Händel: Arminio
Max Emanuel Cencic, Layla Claire, Ruxandra Donose, Vince Yl, Juan Sancho, Xavier Sabata, Petros Magoulas, Armonia Atenea, George Petrou. 2 CDs, Decca 478 8764 (Universal)
Opera
Jacques Offenbach: Les Contes d’Hoffmann
Kerstin Avemo, Mandy Fredrich, Rachel Frenkel, Daniel Johansson, Michael Volle. Regie: Stefan Herheim. Wiener Symphoniker, Johannes Debus. Blu-ray C Major 735604 (Naxos)
Choral Music
Martin Smolka: Poema de balcones
Martin Smolka: Poema de balcones; Walden, the destiller of celestial dews; Salz und Traurigkeit. Martin Homann, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Marcus Creed. SACD, Wergo WER 73322 (New Arts International)
Lieder and Vocal Recital
Wolfgang Rihm: Goethe-Lieder
Hans Christoph Begemann, Thomas Seyboldt. bastille musique bm002 (rudi mentaire distribution)
Early Music
Buxtehude and his circle
Vocal Works by Dietrich Buxtehude, Christian Geist, Nicolaus Bruhns, Franz Tunder and Kaspar Förster. Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier. SACD, Dacapo Records 6.220634 (Naxos)
Contemporary Classical Music
First Performance VI / Arditti Quartet
Emmanuel Nunes: Chessed III; Alfred Zimmerlin: Streichquartett Nr.4; Morton Feldman: Structures; Helmut Lachenmann: Grido. Arditti Quartet. CD + Blu-ray, bonitz music network BMN20159 (harmonia mundi)
Historical Recordings
Folk Songs of the World – Volkslieder aus aller Welt
Cathy Berberian, Harold Lester. SWR music SWR19010CD (Naxos)
Crossover Productions
»Udopia«. Works for Oud & Ensemble by and with Thimios Atzakas.
Αvgerini Gatsi, James Wylie, Nikos Paraoulakis, Elektra Miliadou, Kostas Anastasiadis, Dimitris Zacharakis. Carpe Diem Records CD-16309 (www.carpediem-records.de)
Film Music
John Debney: The Jungle Book
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Walt Disney Records 50087344368 (Universal)
Music Film
Leonard Bernstein – Larger Than Life
A Film by Georg Wübbolt. Blu-ray, C Major 736004 (Naxos)
Jazz
Albert & Emil Mangelsdorff: Early Discoveries
2 CDs, SWR Jazzhaus JAH-459 (Naxos)
Jazz
Jack DeJohnette: In Movement
Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Matthew Garrison: In Movement. ECM 2488 (Universal)
World Music
Trio Benares: Assi Ghat
Jazzsick Records 5092 JS (esc)
Traditional Ethnic Music
Mahsa Vahdat: A Cappella – The Sun Will Rise
Kirkelig Kulturverksted FXCD 422 (Indigo)
German language Singer/Songwriters
Danny Dziuk: Wer auch immer...
... was auch immer, wo auch immer. Buschfunk BF 05342 (www.buschfunk.com)
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Sara Ajnnak: Ráhtjat
S.A. Records SA001 (Broken Silence)
Pop
Anohni: Hopelessness
Rough Trade, Beggars Group RTRADCD823 (Indigo)
The title also won in the jury Alternative as well as in the jury Club and Dance.
Rock
The Jayhawks: Paging Mr. Proust
Sham LP 3219371 (Alive)
Hard and Heavy
Long Distance Calling: Trips
InsideOutMusic 88985311202 (Sony)
Electronic and Experimental
Julianna Barwick: Will
Dead Oceans 95619 (Cargo)
Blues and Blues-related
Henrik Freischlader Trio: Openness
Cable Car Records CCR 0311-47 (www.cablecarrecords.de)
R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop
Beyoncé: Lemonade
CD & DVD, Columbia 88985336822 (Sony)
Spoken Word
John Dos Passos: Manhattan Transfer
Radio Play by Leonhard Koppelmann and Hermann Kretzschmar. Stefan Konarske, Max von Pufendorf, Maren Eggert, Marc Hosemann etc. 6 CDs, Hörbuch Hamburg ISBN 978-3-95713-027-3
Recordings for Children and Youth
Martin Baltscheit: Krähe und Bär
oder Die Sonne scheint für uns alle! Charly Hübner, Lina Beckmann, Wolf Frass, Robert Missler. Oetinger ISBN 978-3-8373-0888-4