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.
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D minor. Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Jakub Hrůša. accentus music ACC30605 (Naxos)
New recordings of Bruckner’s symphonies were to be expected on the occasion of his 200th birthday. This Ninth with the Bamberg orchestra under Jakub Hrůša surpasses them all. As Bamberg’s chief conductor since 2016, he has taken the orchestra to new heights. This is documented in many fabulous recordings. A warm string sound, magnificent brass and wonderfully clear woodwinds characterise this elite Bavarian orchestra – also here. A never-ending musical flow, great simplicity without pathos, technical brilliance and emotional commitment. Transparency and fullness of sound are no contradiction, neither in the Scherzo nor in the marvellous Adagio – Bruckner’s swan song to life. For the jury: Peter Stieber
Orchestral Music & Concertos
Britten: Violin Concerto
Benjamin Britten: Violin Concerto op. 15, Reveille (Concert Study), Suite for Piano and Violin op. 6, Two Pieces for Violin, Viola and Piano. Isabelle Faust, Boris Faust, Alexander Melnikov, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Jakub Hrůša. harmonia mundi HMM 902668 (harmonia mundi/Bertus)
There have been an increasing number of high-calibre recordings of Benjamin Britten’s only violin concerto in recent years. This is the first recording of the 16-year-old Britten’s »Two Pieces« for violin, viola and piano early chamber music works, of which the 16-year-old’s »Two Pieces«; Isabelle Faust is very much at home in these early chamber music works. Just how familiar she is with Britten’s tonal language is evident above all in her variagated and nuanced performance of the concerto. She also reveals the work’s the satirical aspects with technical assurance. Another plus is the highly attentive orchestra. For the jury: Lothar Brandt
Chamber Music
Ysaÿe: Sonatas for Violin
Eugène Ysaÿe: Sonatas for solo Violin op. 27 No. 1-6. Sergey Khachatryan. naïve V 5451 (Indigo)
Obsessions, wild furies, and gossamer-fine melancholy can all be found in Eugène Ysaÿe’s six solo sonatas. Sergey Khachatryan plays such extreme passages with courage, refinement, and technical daring. He never disregards the narrative quality that is characteristic of all sonatas. He is also utterly assured in navigating the elegantly-twirled neo-baroque echoes of Bach. It becomes clear here at what a high level these 20th century »Sei solos« – often dismissed as virtuoso pieces – were in fact composed. And the depth with which they can be played. For the jury: Benjamin Herzog
Chamber Music
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Vol. III
Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Sonatas No. 1, 5, 6 & 10 (Vol. III). Antje Weithaas, Dénes Várjon. 2 CDs, CAvi 4260085535088 (Bertus)
This recording marks the conclusion of an impressive large-scale project. The benchmark performance is the third and final part of a complete set of all Beethoven’s violin sonatas, and it can be counted amongst great moments of discography. Antje Weithaas and Dénes Várjon give these much-performed works a facelift – exciting, well thought-out, with exquisite sound and superb ensemble playing. Weithaas and Várjon portray Beethoven as a musical revolutionary, constantly challenging the listener. This is a reference recording that should not be missing from any collection. For the jury: Andreas Göbel
Keyboard Music
J.S. Bach: Six Partitas
Johann Sebastian Bach: Six Partitas BWV 825-830. Martin Helmchen. 2 CDs, Alpha Classics 994 (Naxos)
There is no shortage of first-class recordings of Bach’s »Partitas«. Martin Helmchen presents the baroque dances in a musically convincing and technically impressive manner. But his recording also has a unique selling point: Helmchen plays on a »tangent« piano from 1790. He is not motivated by a desire for »fidelity to the original«. With the experience of a modern pianist and the curiosity of a tireless explorer, he creates fascinating sound spaces in which the voices communicate with each other, spur each other on, slow each other down, support each other, counter each other or nestle together – uniquely first-class. For the jury: Kalle Burmester
Keyboard Music
»enSuite«
Works by Joseph-Hector Fiocco, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, Georg Anton Benda, Francesco Geminiani, Jacques Duphly. Korneel Bernolet. Ramée RAM 2304 (Naxos)
The Belgian harpsichordist Korneel Bernolet illuminates the development from the suite, with its numerous intermediate forms, to the sonata in a manner that is immediately captivating. He presents a cross-section of five European composers who move between the tradition of the »pièces de clavecin« and the Italianising »sonatas«. Bernolet plays with a differentiated, sophisticated interpretation that delicately explores the contrasting works, especially in their dynamic range, on a one-manual harpsichord by Joannes Daniel Dulcken from 1747. For the jury: Yvonne Petitpierre
Opera
Domenico Cimarosa: L’Olimpiade
Josh Lovell, Rocío Pérez, Marie Lys, Maité Beaumont, Mathilde Ortscheidt, Alex Banfield, Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset. 2 CDs, Château de Versailles Spectacles CVS143 (Naxos)
Pietro Metastasio’s libretto for »L’Olimpiade« has been set to music more than 70 times, by composers from Vivaldi and Pergolesi to Hasse, Piccinni, Mysliveček – and Cimarosa. Here the composer deviates from the path of his better-known buffa style. Nevertheless, the work’s character remains as cheerful as if we were dealing with Rossini’s direct, formidably strong version. This new production triumphs over its two predecessors thanks to Josh Lovell (Clistene), Marie Lys (Argene) and Maite Beaumont. Christophe Rousset presents his most important complete recording for many years (apart from the Lully cycle). Les Talens Lyriques have not sounded this good for a long time. For the jury: Kai Luehrs-Kaiser
Opera
Giacomo Meyerbeer: L’Africaine – Vasco da Gama
Michael Spyres, Claudia Mahnke, Kirsten MacKinnon, Brian Mulligan, Andreas Bauer Kanabas and others, Frankfurt Opera Chorus, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, Antonello Manacorda. 3 CDs, Naxos 8.660558-60
Giacomo Meyerbeer actually wanted to call his opera »L’Africaine« »Vasco da Gama«. Michael Spyres takes centre stage in the main tenor role with a voluminous middle range, radiant high notes and excellent taste, even beyond the aria »O paradis«. The rest of the cast, including Claudia Mahnke (Selica) and Brian Mulligan (Nelusco), also perform at the highest of standards. Antonello Manacorda motivates the opera and museum orchestra to produce a lean, French sound. This is the best recording to date of this long-neglected major work of opera from the second half of the 19th century. For the jury: Robert Braunmüller
Choral Music
»The Lamb’s Journey«
A Choral Narrative from Gibbons to Barber. Ensemble Altera, Christopher Lowrey. Alpha Classics 1029 (Naxos)
This first CD by Ensemble Altera, entitled »The Lamb’s Journey«, is a sensation. No recent recording debut in this field has been as spectacular. The voices are never dry, but always full and warm. Top notes come effortlessly; sometimes they waft into being almost imperceptibly, like feathery clouds. The intonation is flawless. Every single note seems polished, but never slick. The listening experience is one of flowing musicality, deep expression, dynamics and passion. Quite marvellous! For the jury: Wolfram Goertz
Lieder and Vocal Recital
Mozart, Strauss: Lieder
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Strauss: Lieder. Sabine Devieilhe, Mathieu Pordoy, Vilde Frang. Erato 5054197948862 (Warner)
Strauss was merciless to his singers. The high registers, the awkward intervals – sopranos often find it difficult to make themselves understood. Not so Sabine Devieilhe. The French soprano sings with more crystaline clarity than many of her German colleagues. Nothing is over-perfumed, nor does anything ever slip into pathos. Her voice glides through the phrases with exemplary legato and cleverly-measured expression. Even in the Mozart songs, she achieves a rare balance: to sound simple and natural, but never naïve or lightweight. Pianist Mathieu Pordoy supports her beautifully. For the jury: Markus Thiel
Early Music
Padovano: Missa A la dolc’ombra
Annibale Padovano: Missa A la dolc’ombra & Missa Domine a lingua dolosa. Cinquecento. Hyperion CDA68407 (Note 1)
Who remembers the Italian Renaissance composer Annibale Padovano today? He was highly esteemed during his lifetime, not only at San Marco in Venice, but also at the Graz court of Archduke Charles II. The Ensemble Cinquecento trackles two masses by this brilliant musician. With its perfect intonation and expressive gestures, the ensemble seems predestined for this demanding music. Yet another brilliant highlight in the Cinquecento discography! For the jury: Bettina Winkler
Contemporary Classical Music
Stockhausen: Mantra
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Mantra. GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, SWR Experimentalstudio. Neos 12320 (harmonia mundi/Bertus)
When the digital ring modulator precisely matches the pitch of the piano sounds and the sine wave generator and loudspeakers no longer emit noise, and when this technology (controlled by sound designer Michael Acker) is in the hands of the GrauSchumacher duo, then »Mantra« (1970) finally achieves the perfection that Karlheinz Stockhausen strove for all his life, even in rehearsals with the piano duo. As a result, GrauSchumacher delicately savours the transitions between harmony and disharmony, enjoy witty interjections, and playfully develop a luminous array of images. For the jury: Margarete Zander
Historical Recordings
William Steinberg: Complete Command Classics Recordings
Works by Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Bruckner, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and others (1961–1968). Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, William Steinberg. 17 CDs, Deutsche Grammophon 4864442 (Universal)
Without ego or drama, with sparing gestures, William Steinberg unfurled the musically essential. The Cologne-born conductor, who had to leave Germany because of his Jewish origins, earned particular acclaim as conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He moulded it into a top-class orchestra, and together they also achieved outstanding artistic results in the recording studio. With the complete re-release of the recordings made in the 1960s for the US label Command Records, DG has created a posthumous discographic monument to the conductor. For the jury: Norbert Hornig
Crossover Productions
DLW: Extended Beats
Dell-Lillinger-Westergaard, Klangforum Wien, Sonar Quartett, Tamara Stefanovich, Martin Adámek, Johannes Brecht. CD/2 LPs, bastille musique bm028 (rudi mentaire distribution)
The avant-garde is dead, long live the avant-garde! That’s why one piece on the album explicitly refers to Boulez, expanded in retrospect into »Trialogue de lʼombre double«. Changing players contribute different perspectives. Chordal writing offers structure, but it also leads to breaks, transitions and new approaches. Composition and improvisation intertwine, proliferating right up to the electronic expansion in the finale. Only repeated listening expands the horizon of experience of the »Extended Beats«, which sounds sustainable and sustains sound. For the jury: Heinz Zietsch
Music Film
Vienna Calling
A film by Philipp Jedicke. Voodoo Jürgens, Der Nino aus Wien, EsRAP, Kerosin95, Lydia Haider, Gutlauninger, ZINN, Samu Casata and others. DVD, Falter Verlag – Edition Filmladen ISBN 978-3-85439-745-8 (mindjazz pictures)
Falco’s call »Vienna Calling« was answered by Philipp Jedicke. His hilarious documentary film delves into Vienna’s quirky alternative scene. With Nino aus Wien, Lydia Haider, Kerosin95 and many others, he reveals the musical spirit that celebrates cheerful hedonism in Vienna’s catacombs and back rooms. In the blissful underground of the state opera and operetta, he focusses his camera sharply on the Vienna’s musical unconscious, on wondrous locations and their eccentric protagonists, founders of the new Vienna hype. A self-deprecating, cultural-political homage to the city of music. For the jury: Thorsten Lorenz
Jazz
Art Tatum, Everett Barksdale, Slam Stewart: Jewels In The Treasure Box
The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings. 3 CDs, Resonance Records HCD-2064 (harmonia mundi/Bertus)
In August 1953, Art Tatum transformed standards into sparkling jewels – in a trio with guitarist Everett Barksdale and humming bass player Slam Stewart, but also unaccompanied. This carefully-curated treasure is a valuable addition to the discography of Tatum, probably the greatest jazz pianist of his time. Standard themes were not only a springboard for thematically remote improvisation; they also underwent the most subtle transformations in his hands. They were reharmonised, paraphrased, enriched with quotations, performed with baroque vitality and surrounded by truly lavish ornamentation. For the jury: Marcus A. Woelfle
Jazz
Kamasi Washington: Fearless Movement
2 CDs/2 LPs, Young/Beggars Group YO350 (Indigo)
»Fearless Movement« is full of flow and atmosphere: nine years after the disruptive debut and triple album »The Epic«, Kamasi Washington has now released his fourth regular studio album. It is bursting with extravagant sound ideas: Elegant soul is paired with hard bop, rap and free jazz moments, volcanic brass mix meets soft funk. Despite all the hymns and soaring emphasis, danceable rhythms grounds the tracks and gives them a firm grip. The collective dedication is palpable; and such overt communality is almost a political statement today! For the jury: Peter Kemper
World Music
Nancy Vieira: Gente
Galileo GMC107
A good thirty years ago, singer Cesária Évora put the Cape Verde Islands on the world music map. In this meticulous production, the rich musical tradition of the archipelago is given a convincing update in skilfully-measured arrangements and in the sensitive, understated interpretation of singer Nancy Vieira. Other (star) voices from the Lusitanian world provide additional appeal: Paulo Flores, Amélia Muge, António Zambujo and Remna. This album’s variety is a joy to listen to, from the first to the last of its fourteen songs. For the jury: Johann Kneihs
World Music
Ali Doğan Gönültaş: Keyeyi
CD/Digital, Mapamundi Música MM002 (direct sales)
»Keyeyi« could be translated as »Homelands«, but there is much more to learn here – in addition to Kurdish languages such as Kirdaski or Zazaki, Turkish or Armenian words are employed to bring us a closer understanding of the lives of minorities in Eastern Anatolia. »Nedendir«, for example, describes the feeling of tenderness and restlessness when we cannot be close to a loved one. But the most direct path is probably the collection of songs by this well-travelled folk singer, whose intense voice with the precious timbre of the »tembur« lute is unforgettably memorable – for both its melancholy and its confidence. For the jury: Jan Reichow
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Malin Lewis: Halocline
CD/LP, Hudson Records HUD051 (direct sales)
On this album, Malin Lewis has marvellously captured the rich diversity of the Scottish west coast landscape, and translated it into music. The variety of currents, light and colours depicted in great detail with whistles and pipes is endlessly fascinating. Despite the obvious connection to tradition, everything here seems timelessly fresh, enriched by many layers of various stringed instruments and wind instruments; brilliantly mixed so that you can hear every note clearly. This has class! For the jury: Sabrina Palm
Pop
Beth Gibbons: Lives Outgrown
CD/LP/Digital, Domino Recording WIGCD287 (Believe Digital)
»Lives Outgrown« is an album about the challenges of middle age. It is melancholic, sometimes gloomy, and yet comforting. Beth Gibbons gradually unfolds her world of sound. She mixes acoustic guitar and violin, brings in a children’s choir, and underlays a track with a hypnotic rhythm. The shocking intimacy of this production results from the interplay between the arrangements and Beth Gibbons’ voice. It seems to float above the music; it lies somewhere behind it, and yet it is direct and immediate. For the jury: Philipp Holstein
Hard and Heavy
Judas Priest: Invincible Shield
CD/2 LPs, Columbia International 0196588516528 (Sony)
The band »Judas Priest« still stands tall, strong and invincible in the 55th year of its career. The metal gods honour their own history on their 19th album, »Invincible Shield«. But they do so in such a light-hearted way that it sounds fresh and powerful throughout. Each of the eleven tracks has its own identity, quality and raison d’être: sometimes hectic (the title track), sometimes brightly-coloured (»Panic Attack«), sometimes dark (»Escape From Reality«), sometimes powerful (»Devil In Disguise«) or emotional (»Crown Of Horns«). There is always at least one goosebump moment – and singer Rob Halford inspires throughout. For the jury: Sebastian Kessler
Club and Dance
Jlin: Akoma
CD/2 LPs/Digital, Planet Mu ZIQ460 (direct sales)
»Footwork« is burnt into Jlin’s DNA in the same way that the steel industry is burnt into her hometown of Chicago. How she managed to develop her concise sound language alongside her shifts in those same steelworks remains as mysterious as the structural logic of her tracks. The syncopated grooves stumble into micro-rhythmic shifts, nothing meanders or repeats itself. Dance music serves Jlin as a distant point of reference – as do other prominent features. However, neither Björk nor Philipp Glass are actually tangible – they are cues. The real star on »Akoma« remains the beat. For the jury: Laura Aha
Electronic and Experimental
Brian Eno, Holger Czukay, J. Peter Schwalm: Sushi. Roti. Reibekuchen
CD/2 LPs/Digital, Grönland Records CDGRON 290 (Rough Trade)
This album is a time capsule; it has only resurfaced thanks to good luck and hard work. Recorded in August 1998 at one of Brian Eno’s rare live performances, it was thought to have been lost; thanks to the efforts of J. Peter Schwalm and the Greenland team, it can now finally be heard. On the occasion of the opening of a Brian Eno exhibition, three legends of electronic music came together and unleashed their creativity with members of Schwalm’s band. This historical documentation of the unique collaboration shows the participants listening attentively to one other while continuing to weave their own narrative threads. For the jury: Jean Trouillet
Blues and Blues-related
Leif De Leeuw Band: Mighty Fine
CD/LP, Leif De Leeuw Band LDLB09 (direct sales)
It’s obvious that this formation from the Netherlands is inspired by the legendary »Allman Brothers« band. But who in the blues isn’t inspired by someone who was there before? What matters is what a band makes of it. In this case, the result is a great guitar album with songs that really take the listener on a journey. The thrust is enormous, and with an agreeable shiver down your spine, you realise with pleasure that Southern Rock with two guitarists, two drummers and two keyboard players, far removed from all trends, always ignites – as long as masters of their craft are at work. And here, they truly are. For the jury: Karl Leitner
R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop
Yaya Bey: Ten Fold
LP/Digital, Big Dada BD314 (Rough Trade)
It is rumoured that she wrote hook lines for her father, the rapper Grand Daddy I.U., when she was just nine years old. Since her debut under her own name in 2020, Brooklyn-based Yaya Bey has been recognised as one of the unmistakably strong voices of rhythm’n’blues. After centering on an external view of political and social events on her first two albums, in »Ten Fold«, Yaya Bey turns her gaze to facets of her inner life. In a fascinatingly hypnotic mix of soul, Afrobeat, elements of her Jamaican roots and hip-hop, she tells of her own journey to self-determination in an astute, sensual, and often ironic way. For the jury: Petra Rieß
Spoken Word
Alice and what she found in wonder
Susanne Aßmann & Lisa Ossowski: »Alice und was sie im Wundern fand« (Alice and what she found in wonder). A 3D radio play based on motifs by Lewis Carroll. Ellen Neuser, Danne Hoffmann, Thorsten Giese, Charlotte Puder, Alexander Pensel and others, music: Johannes Grimm, direction: Lisa Ossowski. Digital, Buchfunk ISBN 978-3-86847-629-3
A radio play (in German) based on motifs from Lewis Carroll’s famous novel; a new interpretation that takes up and continues the story, featuring the familiar characters: the Cheshire Cat, the Hare, the Hatter, the Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts; an acoustic journey into the land of wonders, full of incomprehensible rules – Alice falls deep, but where exactly? This new version of the old story is a sound experience that can be heard in a headphone or stereo version. And it is a coming-of-age story about female emancipation. There’s always a reason to wonder. For the jury: Manuela Reichart
Recordings for Children and Youth
»Huhn oder Ei« (Chicken or egg)
Johannes Kirchberg sings James Krüss. Johannes Kirchberg, Joerg Nassler. dermenschistgut Musik INDIGO CD 252042 (Indigo)
Johannes Kirchberg has made a name for himself with musical-literary German-language programmes about Kästner, Tucholsky and most recently Hans Leip. And now he has made a programme for children. Kirchberg has discovered the poems of James Krüss – and set them to music. His pleasure is audible when he performs Krüss’s linguistic tinkering. He relies on his own voice – and on acoustic instruments that are seldom found in children’s music. Texts such as the journey to the »Land of Pimpluzie« are toyed with, but never explained. But just as you immerse yourself in this congenial cosmos, the CD is over. What a pity! For the jury: Carola Benninghoven