Best recordings of 2009?

[MN Dave]

?

Thanks.

[Bulldog]

My favorite for the year is Francesco Cera's set of Bach's French Suites.

[prémont]

My favorite is

Bach cello suites / Sigiswald Kuijken , played on violoncello da spalla (Accent).

A strong contender:

Bach:  Brandenburg concertos / Suzuki´s second recording (BIS)

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Since I probably won't buy any more CDs this year, I might as well list my 2009 Best Buys now.

Brahms: Piano Quintet; String Quartet #1 - Arcanto Quartet Some smoking hot Brahms from some cool young musicians:



Rochberg: Symphony #1 - SRSO/Lyndon-Gee Naxos rescues an epic American symphony from oblivion:



Andrew Rangell: A Bridge to Bach I was ridiculed for requesting early Baroque on piano - this disc proves the skeptics wrong:



Carter: Complete Piano Music - Oppens And some piano for hardcore modernists:



Another candidate - Gustav Leonhardt plays William Byrd. But I just got the disc, and I need to live with it for a while before deciding how good it really is.

[Brian]

My top five so far (these are the recordings which I will nominate for Recording of the Year on MusicWeb):

[1.] Bernstein - Mass - Jubilant Sykes, Baltimore Symphony, Morgan State University Chorus, Marin Alsop, etc. Naxos
[2.] Tchaikovsky - Symphonies Nos 1 and 6 - London Philharmonic, Vladimir Jurowski, LPO
[3.] Beethoven - Complete Cello Music twice over (both HIP and non-HIP performances; 4 discs for the price of 2) - David Hardy and Lambert Orkis, Dorian
[4.] Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos 5 and 9 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Vasily Petrenko, Naxos
[5.] Beriot - Music for solo violin - Bella Hristova, Naxos

There might be some movement in the last two depending on what new recordings come out soon, or what recordings from earlier in 2009 I get to listen to. But the Bernstein Mass is my top choice for sure - just plain dynamite performance, something that will have the word "Legend" slapped on the cover by eager reissuers 100 years from now. The Tchaikovsky is similarly stupendous - best "Winter Daydreams" I've ever heard, great sound, and live performances - and the Beethoven set is invaluable because it has both HIP and modern performances, 2 complete cycles of the cello sonatas for the price of one. Plus, the packaging is lavish and the booklet notes are incredibly helpful.  I've included the Shostakovich mostly for Petrenko's amazing Ninth, and the Beriot because Bella Hristova is a marvelous young violinist, but those choices could easily be swayed. Excited to see everybody else's favorites. I might have to add the PentaTone recording of Schubert's Trout Quintet to this list, or Yevgeny Sudbin's new Medtner CD.

      

   

[Brahmsian]

[4.] Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos 5 and 9 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Vasily Petrenko, Naxos

I just got this one a few weeks ago Brian.  I was particularly impressed with the Symphony No. 9 performance, but not as enthused about the performance on the 5th.

[Brahmsian]

Mine is:

Shostakovich - Symphony No. 11

Kirill Karabits
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
BBC Music

[Brian]

I just got this one a few weeks ago Brian.  I was particularly impressed with the Symphony No. 9 performance, but not as enthused about the performance on the 5th.

Heh, after you posted that I edited mine, unawares, to say I was including it mostly for the Ninth. Great finale, huh?
(Not too hot on the second movement of Petrenko's Fifth, but the third has a great climax ... pity the cellos are kind of weak-sounding, though.)
Glad you like Karabits! I saw him live last year and was excited by his performance...

[Brahmsian]

Glad you like Karabits!

I can't seem to help thinking of 'Kibbles & Bits' when I think of his name. 

[snyprrr]

I was sooooo going to start this thread today!



1) Xenakis Complete SQs/JACK Quartet
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[MishaK]

I might note that 2009 still has a month and a half to surprise us with excellent recordings. 

[MN Dave]

I might note that 2009 still has a month and a half to surprise us with excellent recordings. 

You must own a calendar.

[Brian]

I might note that 2009 still has a month and a half to surprise us with excellent recordings. 

Indeed; BIS has a couple exciting recordings coming up:

   

Gluzman playing Barber's Concerto and Bernstein's Serenade, and Sudbin doing concertos by Rachmaninov and Medtner.

Plus, one or two new releases should be expected from Paavo Jarvi's cycle of the Beethoven Symphonies.

[MishaK]

You must own a calendar.

I know. That's sooooo 20th century. 

Indeed; BIS has a couple exciting recordings coming up:

   

Gluzman playing Barber's Concerto and Bernstein's Serenade, and Sudbin doing concertos by Rachmaninov and Medtner.

I myself am eagerly awaiting this which comes out tomorrow:

[Brian]

I know. That's sooooo 20th century. 

I myself am eagerly awaiting this which comes out tomorrow:

Beat me to it! There's also a complete Mahler cycle due out from Warner's Svetlanov edition, plus a new recording of Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess by, of all conductors, Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Does it have to be discs released in 2009 or can I simply list faves I bought this year? Or a mixture?

[MN Dave]

Does it have to be discs released in 2009 or can I simply list faves I bought this year? Or a mixture?

Released in 2009, but for you, we make the exception! 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Released in 2009, but for you, we make the exception! 

I only ask because the only thing I recollect buying from 2009 is this disc, which despite the drab sound is one of those instances of Richter walking on water:





But far and away my most exciting purchase this year is this recording of Prokofiev's operatic superwork:

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Does it have to be discs released in 2009 or can I simply list faves I bought this year? Or a mixture?

I don't think any of the discs I listed were released in 2009, although they are all recent. Who cares, anyway?

[The new erato]

There are so many variables here. Best work? Best performance? Best sound? Best eye-opener (aka new discovery)? I need to think.