Winner:
"Berlioz: Les Troyens"
Hector Berlioz
available here.
Sir Colin Davis proves that he's a worthy Berlioz interpreter on
the London Symphony Orchestra's recording of "Les Troyens." This
disc features a stellar cast--Ben Heppner as Aeneas, Michelle de
Young as Dido--and wonderful sonics.
Our Pick:
"Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony"
George Butterworth
Our price: $15.99 | You save: $1.99
available here.
Richard Hickox and the London Symphony Orchestra did something
truly special with their recording of "Vaughan Williams: A London
Symphony": they unearthed the original 1913 version of the work, and
they turned a lot of people on to this gorgeous piece of music. This
top-selling CD was deservedly a Gramophone Award winner, but even
non-Anglophiles will be pleased by the effort.
BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE
Winner:
"Boulez Conducts Varese"
Edgard Varese
Our price: $15.49 | You save: $1.49
available here.
Pierre Boulez's latest recording of Varese's "Ameriques,"
"Arcana," "Ionisation," and "Deserts" focuses on what really
matters: the composer's unique sound world. Though this disc of pure
modernism isn't for everyone, it's still an impressive recording and
a great introduction to the magic of Varese.
Our Pick:
"Beethoven: The Symphonies"
Ludwig van Beethoven
Our price: $80.73 | You save: $4.25
available here.
Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra delivered a
Beethoven cycle to remember, one that we think will reward listeners
for years to come. Using the heralded Barenreiter edition and
focusing on the great detailing of the orchestrations, Abbado
provides Beethoven fans with yet another viable option for hearing
these warhorses.
BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST(S) PERFORMANCE (WITH ORCHESTRA)
Winner:
"Strauss: Wind Concertos"
Richard Strauss
Our price: $15.49 | You save: $1.49
available here.
We seldom get to hear the Wind Concertos of Richard Strauss, but
from the glorious sounds of this disc by Daniel Barenboim, one
wonders why. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and soloists Dale
Clevenger, Larry Combs, Alex Klein, and David McGill turn in
wonderful performances of works that date from Strauss's early and
late periods of composing.
Our Pick:
"The Ligeti Project 1: Melodien, Chamber Concerto, Piano Concerto,
Mysteries of the Macabre"
Gyorgy Ligeti
Our price: $15.49 | You save: $1.49
available here.
We're thrilled that Teldec decided to carry the torch of Sony's
abandoned "Ligeti Edition" CDs. Their first installment, featuring
Gyorgy Ligeti's Piano Concerto and "Melodien," doesn't
disappoint. The ensembles, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and
trumpeter Peter Masseurs forge near-perfect performances of these
complex, colorful, and wildly inventive works.
BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST PERFORMANCE (WITHOUT ORCHESTRA)
Winner:
"Truls Mork ~ Britten - Cello Suites 1-3"
Benjamin Britten
Our price: $15.49 | You save: $1.49
available here.
The solo cello suites of Benjamin Britten bear little resemblance
to those by Bach. Britten's pieces sound like elegies, not dances,
and Truls Mork emphasizes the pieces' lyrical, somber nature. A nice
disc of seldom-played cello works.
Our Pick:
"Alkan: Symphony for solo piano"
Charles-Valentin Alkan
Our price: $18.97 | You save: $1.01
available here.
Marc-Andre Hamelin continues his recording spree of playing
the most difficult piano pieces with a colorful, insightful
performance of Charles-Valentin Alkan's "Symphony for Solo Piano."
Hamelin plays the massive work, as well as a handful of shorter
Alkan works, with deceptive ease.
BEST CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Winner:
"Hadyn: Complete String Quartets [BOX SET]"
Franz Joseph Haydn
Our price: $151.18 | You save: $16.80
available here.
Five years in the making, the Angeles String Quartet's giant, 21-CD
cycle of Haydn's complete string quartets somehow sounds good enough
that it's worth the wait. This reasonable box set has it all: great
playing, warm acoustics, and hours of chamber music discoveries.
Our Pick:
We can't argue with the Grammys on this pick; the Angeles Quartet's Haydn box was the achievement of a lifetime, and proof that American chamber ensembles can deliver the goods when given a chance.
BEST SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE (WITH OR WITHOUT CONDUCTOR)
Winner:
"After Mozart"
Alexandr Raskatov
Our price: $15.49 | You save: $1.49
available here.
Gidon Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica ensemble explore works
influenced by Mozart on the fascinating "After Mozart." This
disc--featuring Mozart's own "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" as well as
pieces by Valentin Silvestrov and Alfred Schnittke--offers something
for every classical lover.
Our Pick:
"Bach - Musikalisches Opfer (The Musical Offering) / Le Concert des
Nations Savall"
Johann Sebastian Bach
Our price: $18.97 | You save: $1.01
available here.
Though it wasn't nominated, we'd hand our award to Jordi Savall for
his gorgeous period-instrument performance of Bach's "Musical
Offering," with the Concert of Nations. As with all of Savall's
recordings, you'll find drama, wit, and insight in this
interpretation.
BEST CLASSICAL CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION
Winner:
"Sharon Isbin"
Christopher Rouse
Our price: $15.49 | You save: $1.49
available here.
Guitarist Sharon Isbin is quickly establishing herself as the
classical six-stringer to watch. Her recording of Rouse's "Concert
de Gaudi for Guitar and Orchestra" challenges our perception of a
classical guitar work, yet it's still as enjoyable as the Spanish
classics.
Our Pick:
"Pasion Segun San Marcos"
Osvaldo Golijov
Our price: $30.00
available here.
It's a vocal work and, though it wasn't even nominated for this
category's award, the genre-blurring St. Mark Passion of Osvaldo
Golijov is too irresistible to pass up. Sung in Spanish, with
gorgeous Caribbean and Latin American instrumentation, this is a
modern masterpiece.
BEST CLASSICAL CROSSOVER ALBUM
Winner:
"Perpetual Motion"
Bela Fleck
Our price: $12.58 | You save: $5.40
available here.
Sony seems to have a lock on this category, so it's no surprise
that Bela Fleck's "Perpetual Motion" won top honors this year. This
intriguing disc of classical pieces arranged for banjo is impressive
musically and conceptually.
Our Pick:
Again, we have to agree with the Grammys. "Perpetual Motion" reminds us of the best classical guitar CDs by John Williams--imaginative, relaxing, and perfectly played. You'd never guess these works weren't composed for the five-string banjo.