Best (Classical) Recordings of 2011 Lists:
MusicWeb International Recordings of the Year (http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/ROTY/roty2011_1.htm)
MusicWeb International CD of the Year
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Nov11/briangothic_hyperioncda679712.jpg)
"The most significant event of the musical calendar, in the UK at least, surely had to be Havergal Brian's Gothic Symphony at the Proms on July 17. Hyperion's recording of the performance was only officially released this week, but Musicweb was fortunate to have an advance copy for review."
Classical Editor Rob Barnett's CD of the Year
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Sept11/Sibelius_edn13_BISCD193638.jpg)
"Not so much a nomination for this volume, but rather the whole collection."
Only three 2011 CDs were shortlisted by multiple MusicWeb reviewers:
• Hyperion's recording of Frank Martin's opera Der Sturm
• Nelson Friere's Liszt recital on Decca
• the complete viol consort music of William Byrd on Linn
As always, the tastes of MusicWeb's reviewers are so diverse and exploratory that a full browse through the list will turn up many, many diverse goodies.
----
My own shortlist for that website, arranged alphabetically (no 1-5 rankings):
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/DEC10/back_to_melody_1632.jpg)
Works by Kilar, Malecki, Czarnecki
"Anybody who thinks that "appealing/melodic" and "expertly crafted" are now mutually exclusive should hear Czarnecki's tiny String Quartet No 2."
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Nov11/Beethoven_Sonatas_mo0308.jpg) (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Nov11/briangothic_hyperioncda679712.jpg)
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Mar11/dvorak_su40382.jpg) (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/June11/Sarasate_Orchestral_Vol3_8572275.jpg)
(the Pavel Haas disc was Gramophone magazine's record of the year)
2011, the Year of Havergal Brian and Hans Gál
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/gothicbrabbins.jpg)
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/dec11/virtualhaydn.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/haydn88104szell.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/gal1schubert6.jpg)
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/gal3schumann3.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/mozartgrimaud.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/bruckner0blunier.jpg)
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/hbrian1030brab.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/jan2011/brianorchvol1.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/dec11/brianorchvol2.jpg)
P.S. for Brian: A technicality prevented me from including the Pavel Haas Dvorak: it was released in Germany in 2010.
Sarge
Quote from: jlaurson on December 12, 2011, 05:44:56 AM
| Best of 2011, Part 9 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-9.html) |
Nice to see my homeboys (and girl) make the cut.
Sarge
Since I'm done buying for the year, I know what my favorites are. Some are new for 2011, some are not, but all were new for me in 2011.
The Top Tier:
Buxtehude – Organ Works; Rene Saorgin (Harmonia Mundi)
Debussy – Nocturnes, et al; Salonen (Sony)
Morales / Guerrero / Victoria – Sacred Works; Savall, et al (Alia Vox)
Giulini in America Chicago (DG)
Rafael Kubelik Conducts Great Symphonies (Sony)
Schubert – Piano Works; Andras Schiff (Decca)
Beethoven – Late Sonatas; Penelope Crawford (Musica Omnia)
Other goodies:
Complete Recordings of Samson Francois (EMI)
Pierre Fournier The Aristocrat of Cellists (EMI)
Brahms – Symphonies, etc; Levine (RCA)
Bach – Brandenburg Concertos, Orchestral Suites; Suzuki (BIS)
Beethoven – String Quartets; Budapest [stereo]; CBS/Sony
Mahler – Symphonies; Tennstedt (EMI)
Balada – Caprichos (Naxos)
Haydn – Piano Sonatas Vol 2; Bavouzet (Chandos)
Liszt – Piano Works; Freire (Decca)
Schumann, etc – Piano Works; Schuch (Oehms)
Vaughn Williams – Symphonies; Slatkin (Sony)
Just limiting myself to stuff released for the first time this year as far as I know:
Ebene's Mozart Quartets CD (SP)
Lubimov's late Beethoven sonatas (SP)
DG's Liszt Legacy box (SP)
Rostropvich Barshai and Kagan in Beethoven trios
The live Weissenberg CD on Haensler (SP)
Giulini in America (SP)
Hunt Lieberson's Berlioz (Nuits d'ete) (SP)
Tzimon Barto's Schubert CD on BIS (SP)
Sigurd Slattebrekk Grieg CD (Chasing Butterflies) (SP)
L'Arpeggiata's Monteverdi Vespers (SP)
Jeffrey Solow, Jaime Laredo and Ruth Laredo's Ravel
SP= discoverable through spotify in UK.
Quote from: Mandryka on December 12, 2011, 07:20:30 AM
Just limiting myself to stuff released for the first time this year as far as I know:
Tzimon Barto's Schubert CD on BIS (SP)
On
Capriccio, presumably.
Some special ones that my terrible memory can actually recall being from this year :)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61QeXMyvq-L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51q2%2BWXnA4L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4195uJJxt0L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fHccN5MaL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5183p%2BCyqtL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nb6b2vL0L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NweJ%2BzOrL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W2G%2BtMiOL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BxW0faTJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51U8sktxE0L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51yOXyhrXzL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61qyiGPQ6IL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619ShvJ32sL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51z4B-Eeh7L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/fDshU.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F-qd6D5uL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
The EM Records disc of violin sonatas is just wonderful. The sound isn't ideal, I think it was recorded in a live-style environment, but the playing is committed. The Bowen sonata is amazing, the Walford Davies is quite a curio and a valuable addition to our understanding of this niche of this already little corner of musical composition. The Dutton Havergal Brian disc is every bit as good as performances of the composer's music needs to be to convince people that he knows what he is doing. It doesn't reduce the music's challenges to the listener, though. The Rheinberger box is remarkable, it's a compilation of recordings gradually made during the 90s and 00s and the sound remains very good throughout. The music is generally exceptional, and there isn't really much filler either - pretty much every piece included is worth knowing.
The Dennehy is in some part crossover, but the Yeats songs are some of the most sensitive settings of his words that I have heard. Upshaw sounds ridiculously good as usual. Anybody recording Sorabji deserves praise, and this piece while as usual I have yet to come to grips with it (it took years for me to memorise the structure of Opus Clav), it's as well done as the previous editions of the series. The Rochberg is nice to hear in toto, and very well performed and recorded - a very impressive work. The D'Indy, Halvorsen and Ibragimova/Beethoven series are just affirmations of how fine these recordings as a whole have been - each new volume made me happy to hear.
Forgot the new Moravec Mozart CD (SP)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mrd01iaVL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Re Bartok 2: Quote "The liner notes call the Second Concerto "arguably [the] most important violin concerto of the 20th century". That's a little ambitious, given Berg, Sibelius, and Prokofiev in the wings,"
What happened to the mighty Shostakovich 1 which in my humble opinion is the Bartok 2nd's main contender?
Gosh, you all buy up new stuff right away. It takes me a long time to buy new releases for the most part. I have just two 2011 releases. And I don't have a big number of 2010 releases either. Though threads such as this are helpful for highlighting some discs I want, so much appreciated!
Quote from: The new erato on December 13, 2011, 10:32:13 AM
Re Bartok 2: Quote "The liner notes call the Second Concerto "arguably [the] most important violin concerto of the 20th century". That's a little ambitious, given Berg, Sibelius, and Prokofiev in the wings,"
What happened to the mighty Shostakovich 1 which in my humble opinion is the Bartok 2nd's main contender?
Funny you mention that, because I had DSCH in that "given X, Y, Z" list... and then took him out because I thought three were more concise and DSCH in any case not
quite as much up there as Berg, Sibelius, and Prokofiev... Who knows...
Quote from: jlaurson on December 13, 2011, 10:53:37 AM
Funny you mention that, because I had DSCH in that "given X, Y, Z" list... and then took him out because I thought three were more concise and DSCH in any case not quite as much up there as Berg, Sibelius, and Prokofiev... Who knows...
Hmm, some of us would think of Bartok, Sibelius, Berg and Prokofiev as also rans when compared to DSCH.
BTW, apropos of today's entry:
[asin]B000OQDRVO[/asin]
Although, from what I remember of it (it's been more than a little while since I popped it into my CD player), it wasn't terribly impressive.
(For the curious--that picture on the CD shows Corigliano's father and uncle well before the former joined the NYPhil.
Not my list, but the 100 best sellers from MDT in 2011. Perhaps of interest...http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/category/Choice_Top2011/ (http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/category/Choice_Top2011/)
Quote from: mc ukrneal on December 15, 2011, 02:02:05 PM
Not my list, but the 100 best sellers from MDT in 2011. Perhaps of interest...http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/category/Choice_Top2011/ (http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/category/Choice_Top2011/)
I forgot about the Perahia/Brahms - that disc sounds really, really impressive just from a recording quality POV. I don't know how I forgot the Liszt box -_-
Quote from: mc ukrneal on December 15, 2011, 02:02:05 PM
Not my list, but the 100 best sellers from MDT in 2011. Perhaps of interest...http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/category/Choice_Top2011/ (http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/category/Choice_Top2011/)
Well, I have twenty of them, plus another two are on order. This means I could have actually overspent more this year than I actually did. So I guess that's a good thing.
(BTW, I think there's considerably less than a hundred items on that list.)
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on December 15, 2011, 04:37:47 PM
(BTW, I think there's considerably less than a hundred items on that list.)
The phrase "add to wish list" seems to be associated exactly once with each item, and it occurs 99 times in the list. So, less, but not considerably less.
Best (Classical) Recordings of 2011:
(under construction; add to the appropriate thread if there is one)
Alex Ross: Apex 2011 (http://www.therestisnoise.com/2011/12/apex-2011.html)
Time Out: The best classical albums of 2011 (http://newyork.timeout.com/music-nightlife/classical-opera/2330353/the-best-classical-albums-of-2011)
ionarts: | Best of 2011, Part 10 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-10.html) |
| Best of 2011, Part 9 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-9.html) |
| Best of 2011, Part 8 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-8.html) |
| Best of 2011, Part 7 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-7.html) |
| Best of 2011, Part 6 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-6.html) |
| Best of 2011, Part 5 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-5.html) |
| Best of 2011, Part 4 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-4.html) |
| Best of 2011, Part 3 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-3.html) |
| Best of 2011, Part 2 |
| Best of 2011, Part 1 |
I've not bought as many discs as I might like this year, but a few have stood out for me.
New recordings:
[asin]B004TWOWX6[/asin]
Probably my disc of the year. Great performances of both concerti, and the 2nd comes off as much much more than an expanded orchestral version of the sonata.
[asin]B002L5IKHW[/asin]
This long-awaited disc proved everything I was expecting. Zimerman's all-star Polish ensemble proved more than equal to both the traditional and the radical Bacewicz.
[asin]B004UBB3N8[/asin]
An unexpected "like" for me: a very useful Penderecki collection capped by the first recording of his retrospective yet meaty Third Quartet.
[asin]B004UE102O[/asin]
Mostly for Rihm's delightful Lichtes Spiel, a lovely near-idyll perfectly suited to Mutter's playing.
[asin]B005FMQBDI[/asin]
Arne Deforce not only proves more than equal to the bruising physical demands of Nomos alpha and Kottos, but also proves able to extract the most from Xenakis' problematical late works. Outstanding stuff.
[asin]B004Z34N74[/asin]
Michele Campanella's brand new late Liszt anthology proved to be a complete no-brainer recommendation.
A few reissues also spring to mind:
[asin]B004TNZVEY[/asin]
Reissue of the year for me, particularly for Giulini's remarkable way with Schubert.
[asin]B004H6P2LA[/asin]
Leinsdorf's underrated Prokofiev--including the superb concerto set with Browning--now at superbudget price. Pity about the remasterings, though.
[asin]B004RRW4GA[/asin]
Reinbert de Leeuw's new music series on Philips had so much to recommend it (fantastic Ustvolskaya and Vivier recordings, for example), and this coupling of two of Gorecki's later works is every bit as worthwhile. Hopefully Newton Classics plans to reissue the lot.
Now I just need to pick up Mode's orchestral Feldman and Scelsi viola discs, Volkov's Liszt disc on Hyperion, the Capucons et al in Faure and Nono's late Risonanse erranti, and see if any of them can make the list at the last minute.
Best (Classical) Recordings of 2011:
(under construction; add to the appropriate thread if there is one)
Alex Ross: Apex 2011 (http://www.therestisnoise.com/2011/12/apex-2011.html)
Time Out: The best classical albums of 2011 (http://newyork.timeout.com/music-nightlife/classical-opera/2330353/the-best-classical-albums-of-2011)
Chicago Tribune: Best music recordings of 2011 (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/chi-20111202-best-music-recordings-pop-rock-jazz-classical-pictures,0,1314589.photogallery) (pic.21 ff)
ionarts: | Best of 2011, Parts 1 - 10 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-1-10.html) |
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on December 12, 2011, 12:59:59 AM
2011, the Year of Havergal Brian and Hans Gál
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/gothicbrabbins.jpg)
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/dec11/virtualhaydn.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/haydn88104szell.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/gal1schubert6.jpg)
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/gal3schumann3.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/mozartgrimaud.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/bruckner0blunier.jpg)
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/aug11/hbrian1030brab.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/jan2011/brianorchvol1.jpg) (http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/dec11/brianorchvol2.jpg)
P.S. for Brian: A technicality prevented me from including the Pavel Haas Dvorak: it was released in Germany in 2010.
Sarge
NICE!!
I browsed though my posts of 2011, which evoked a lot of happy memories!
Here are my favourite musical discoveries of the year:
(http://cover7.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/Large/12/922712.jpg) (http://www.qobuz.com/images/jaquettes/0794/0794881346127_600.jpg)
(http://www.cd-baroque.com/var/cdbaroque/storage/images/accueil/disques_k617/catalogue/memoire_musicale_de_lorraine/la_chapelle_des_chantres_des_ducs_de_lorraine/3683-1-fre-FR/la_chapelle_des_chantres_des_ducs_de_lorraine.jpg) (http://cover7.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/Large/67/1156367.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51oc%2BTuhdqL.jpg) (http://classicdisc.de/joomla15/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/Benda__Cembaloko_4eb3b653d5337.jpg)
(http://pmcdn.priceminister.com/photo/858682609.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41r7z-vAqfL.jpg)
And the winner is: the Sweelinck keyboard music set (NM Classics) :)
Q
I did'nt buy any 2011 releases but here are my 10 best purchases of this year :) :
Sibelius: Symphonies - Vanska/Lahti SO
Schumann: Symphonies - Gardiner/ORR
Shostakovich: Symphonies - Barshai/WDR SO
Britten: String Quartets - Belcea Qt
Chopin: Piano Woks - Magaloff
Cherubini: String Quartets - Melos Qt
Beethoven: Piano Trios - Beaux Arts Trio
Ravel/Chausson: Piano Trios - Beaux Arts Trio
Ravel: Piano Works - Argerich
Bruckner: Masses - Jochum/BPO
Quote from: Conor71 on December 24, 2011, 12:44:26 PM
I did'nt buy any 2011 releases but here are my 10 best purchases of this year :) :
This is why I haven't posted in this thread... with the wealth of terrific historic recordings to catch up on, how many of us do..
anyway, you've bought some top notch stuff there... must get those Bruckner Masses out again soon... 8)
Quote from: Jared on December 24, 2011, 12:53:22 PM
This is why I haven't posted in this thread...
That's why I bent the rules a bit....(I didn't buy any 2011 releases either)...come on boys & girls - let's have them!! :)
Q
John Kinsella: Symphony 6 and 7
Havergal Brian: Symphony No 10 (and the Gothic)
Herrmann: Moby Dick (Barbirolli Soc. and Chandos)
Casella: symphonies 2 and 3 etc
Ince: The Fall of Constantinople
Ben Haim: Symphony No 1 etc.
My problem is that there's a lot of recordings I liked, and it would be hard to pick among them. Even more importantly, a substantial chunk of them are still in the listen to pile, which means i don't know yet if they may become favorites.
Can I report back in, say, three months, after I've actually heard them all?
I'm with Jeffrey Smith on this one. My listening pile is just so large. But I can report on a few I've really enjoyed so far:
Part 1 -
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B005Z4D2EW.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0009F66PE.01.L.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00011MK6A.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000027IN.01.L.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000SKJQWK.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000009CMV.01.L.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000GNOHIC.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B002EYBOCI.01.L.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B002CAOW0K.01.L.jpg)
Favorite purchases of 2011, Part 2:
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001WGEJ8.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000095SL0.01.L.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B002G3DTX4.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000EQICCI.01.L.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000E1P26C.01.L.jpg) (http://image-6.verycd.com/280feb6f8e1e3fd40934af3e1661cd75127030(600x)/thumb.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002ZIS.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002819.01.L.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B005AMWSVC.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000001G53.01.L.jpg)
(http://www.outhere-music.com/data/cds/2743/BIG.JPG) (http://theclassicalreview.com/cds-dvds/wp-content/uploads/HMC902083.jpg)
(http://www.analekta.com/media/analekta/album/t1600/JS-Bach-Famous-Works-On-Pedal-Harpsichord-PAL617.jpg)(http://images.pricerunner.com/product/image/262573704/Alexei-Lubimov-Beethoven-Piano-Sonatas-Op-109-110-and-111.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Hiuc3BlcL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://www.musicaomnia.org/images/mo0211-fc272x233.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/5028421940212.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/0761203727322.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/7619986398785.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/5028421942285.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/61ngpYki1gL_SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/51iw0lWHugL_SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/0886974784425.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/0028947359029.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/0782124844929.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/0885150333167.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/0730099522649.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/su4018.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/Storage/516xBqQp3yL_SS400_.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/Storage/0028947797470.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/Storage/chan0524.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/Storage/5028421940076.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/Storage/41JTDGWR07L__SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/0095115508923.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/8007144680077.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/5028421940571.jpg) (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb79/walboi/0028947815266.jpg)
Here are a couple more purchases which I have really enjoyed:
[asin]B000005IGS[/asin]
[asin]B005LPE2IU[/asin]
I know that people can be quite snooty about Hovhaness but I really liked the short 'Song of the Sea' for Piano and Strings - with its hymn like craggy piano chords, reminding me a bit of Vaughan Williams + The Exile Symphony is another favourite of mine. The CD would make a great introduction to Hovhaness.
Hamelin Liszt
[asin]B004NWHVD0[/asin]
Reissues
Raekallio's Prokofiev
[asin]B004TWOXGC[/asin]
Biondi & Europa Galante: Boccherini 2 CD-set.
[asin]B004OGDW3I[/asin]
(http://eotvospeter.com/container/discography/BMC_Ligeti_166.jpg)
(http://artswrap.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/event_image_full/Arne%20Nordheim%20Epitaffio.jpg)
(http://store.universal-music.co.uk/content/ebiz/universalmusic/invt/p./8./k./0028947795803/0028947795803_medium.jpg)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpWTif3_SCw/Teq-PzqiIjI/AAAAAAAAQxQ/0P4WaZuLuhk/s1600/1934BirtwistleHarrison2011NightsBlackbird.jpg)
Favorite (Not Released in) 2011 Purchases
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41TgvtpJ8oL._SS350_.jpg)(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Ck20GskiL._SS350_.jpg)(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XvKseFPBL._SL350_.jpg)
Favorite (Released in) 2011 Purchase
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61D8%2B6bH2FL._SS350_.jpg)
Favourite purchases of 2011 (regardless of release date):
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51irRfarXNL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
What a breakthrough. I remain deaf to the pleasures of Pinnock's Mozart symphonies, so I wasn't going to rush to buy more Pinnock. And I'd been not taking Haydn seriously for decades. So why did I buy this box last January? I truly can't remember, but when I listened to it, walls fell down, windows flew open wide, and my Haydnistic road to discovery began.
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This was a new release of 2011. And I already had most of Elgar's electrical recordings scattered about on records here and there, collected individually over the years. But this - to have them all together, presented so beautifully - this was irresistible.
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Haydn's 1st cello concerto was my biggest single music discovery of 2011, and this was the recording that did the job. It got under my skin almost immediately, and I've since played the surface off this CD. I bought another version, also on period instruments (Suzuki/Kuijken), but no. This is The One. The most beautiful thing to hit my ears this year.
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Released just a couple of months ago. I never expected this would happen. And even supposing it might, I never expected the remasterings, of recordings taken from Elgar's personal copies of the 78s, to sound so wonderful. What a treasure.
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Ah, Scheherazade. I wore the grooves out of my HMV Concert Classics LP (Kletzki) when I was a mere lad, and when I threw away all my vinyl, Scheherazade was one of the old favourites that I felt I'd not want to listen to again - I'd just hammered it to death. So I didn't attempt to replace it; and when one day I thought maybe I ought to have one after all, I bought the Naxos version (whatever it is), played it once, and put it away, thinking, alas, Scheherazade works no more for me.
But thank goodness for second thoughts. Last week I decided to try Beecham's Scheherazade, and ordered one, on a whim. Ye gods! It blew me out of my chair! Even the memory of Kletzki's now deleted recording couldn't stand against this. Which all goes to prove that .... well, you never can know. Scheherazade is once again one of my favourite pieces of music, and I'm currently wondering whether I'd ever heard it properly in those distant days when it used to be a favourite.
Quote from: vandermolen on December 31, 2011, 05:49:58 AM
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I will have to try this when the opportunity presents itself. A GMG member sent a sample of one of the movements to me several years back (I think the guy with the 3D model of someone playing a guitar as an avatar - sad that I forget his name) and the choral element was exceptionally beautiful. It's a bit of a shame how obscure this composer and disc are, as from what I could make out, the music is more interesting than a lot of what, say, Ondine has recorded recently.
Edit: good grief this is so much cheaper on Amazon US than UK - Americans, take notice.
Here's to hoping that Warner does something sensible woth the cast catalogue of Finnish music they obtained when they purchased Finlandia (along with Erato). Nothing has (more or less) been reissued since except for (I think) a couple of Apex discs of odds and ends.
Quote from: jlaurson on December 17, 2011, 06:12:25 AM
Best (Classical) Recordings of 2011:
(under construction; add to the appropriate thread if there is one)
Alex Ross: Apex 2011 (http://www.therestisnoise.com/2011/12/apex-2011.html)
Time Out: The best classical albums of 2011 (http://newyork.timeout.com/music-nightlife/classical-opera/2330353/the-best-classical-albums-of-2011)
Chicago Tribune: Best music recordings of 2011 (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/chi-20111202-best-music-recordings-pop-rock-jazz-classical-pictures,0,1314589.photogallery) (pic.21 ff)
ionarts: | Best of 2011, Parts 1 - 10 (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-recordings-of-2011-1-10.html) |
Ok... this is slightly delayed, but something always got in between: My self-imposed-rule-skirting "2011 Almost List" with Tveitt, Weinberg, Rota, and other good stuff:
Best Recordings of 2011 - "Almost List"http://ionarts.blogspot.de/2012/04/best-recordings-of-2011-almost-list.html (http://ionarts.blogspot.de/2012/04/best-recordings-of-2011-almost-list.html)
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