Classical/Jazz/Rock (incl. both Hi-Res Formats)
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This is our 19th annual Best of the Year list and as usual, we make no definitive claims for the list. It is predicated on the personal tastes of all our contributors and also on what was available to us, but with an equal emphasis on both the musical and sonic quality of each disc (except for some of the reissue material). You will notice a much larger number of SACD and DVD-A titles than last year. Many of the SACDs are available in either separate CD versions or as hybrid CD layer versions, and all SACDs are multichannel unless identifed as Stereo. All of these discs have been reviewed in AUDIOPHILE AUDITION during the past year and can be quickly located for their reviews and record numbers using our handy site search engine in the left-hand column of every page.
CLASSICAL
BACH: Goldberg Variations – András Schiff, piano – ECM New Series
BACH: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 etc. – Murray Perahia – Sony SACD
BACH: The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues on Four Antiphonal Organs – E. Power Biggs – Sony Classical SACD
BARTOK: Violin Sonata No. 2; DOHNANYI: Violin Sonata, Op. 21. Cecilia Zilliacus, violin; Bengt-Åke Lundin, piano. Caprice
Cecilia Bartoli – The SALIERI Album – Decca
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3, Triple Concerto – Urban Svensson, violin; Mats Rondin, cello; Boris Berezovsky, cello; Swedish Chamber Orchestra / Thomas Dausgaard – Simax
BEETHOVEN: String Quartets Op. 18, Nos. 4 (C minor), 5 (A major) & 1 (F major) – Prazák Quartet – Praga Digitals
BEETHOVEN: Complete Violin Sonatas – Augustin Dumay/Maria João Pires – Deutsche Grammophon (3)
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies 1-9 – Barbara Bonney, soprano; Birgit Remmert, contralto; Kurt Streit, tenor; Thomas Hampson, baritone. City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. – EMI Classics (5 CDs):
BEETHOVEN: Sym. Nos. 5 & 7 – Vienna Philharmonic/Carlos Kleiber- DGG stereo SACD
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonatas 21, 23, 26 – Mari Kodama, Pentatone SACD
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos 1 – 5 – Aimard, p./Harnoncourt – Teldec (3 CDs)
BEETHOVEN: Fidelio (comp. opera) – Sir Simon Rattle cond. – EMI Classics (2)
BIBER: Missa Salisburgensis – Reinhard Goebel & Paul McCreesh – Archiv SACD
HEINRICH IGNAZ FRANZ VON BIBER (1644-1704): Virtuoso in the Making. Ricordo – Linn
BIZET: Carmen (complete opera) – Gheorghiu/Alagna/Plasson – EMI (3)
Jussi Bjoerling Rediscovered – RCA
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor – Eugen Jochum conducts Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam – Tahra
Cantate Domino – Oscars Motet Choir – Proprius stereo SACD
Renaud Capuçon & Gauitier Capuçon – Face à Face: Music by JOHANN HALVORSEN (Passacaglia after Handel), KODALY (Duo, Op. 7), ERIC TANGUY (Sonata for violin and cello), ERWIN SCHULHOFF (Duo), and JOSEPH GHYS & ADRIEN FRANÇOIS SERVAIS (Variations brilliants sur God Save the King, Op. 38) – Virgin Classics
Boris Christoff Recital – Preiser
CHOPIN: The Four Ballads – Anita Chang, p. – AIX DVD-A
CORELLI: Violin Sonatas Op. 5 – Andrew Manze/Egarr – Harmonia mundi (2)
FRANÇOIS COUPERIN: Keyboard music, Vol. 1. Angela Hewitt, piano. – Hyperion
Songs of DEBUSSY AND MOZART: Beau soir, Clair de lune, Pierrot, Apparition, Pantomime, Fêtes galantes/1er livre, Ariettes oubliées (Debussy); Dans un bois solitaire, Oiseaux si tous les ans, Warnung, Der Zauberer, Das Veilchen, Sehnsucht nach dem Frühlinge, Als Luise die Briefe ihres untreuen Liebhabers verbrannte, Abendempfindung (Mozart). Julian Banse, soprano/András Schiff, piano – ECM New Series
DIAMOND: Sym. No. 1, Violin Concerto No. 2 – Seattle Sym./Gerard Schwarz – Naxos
Dream of the Orient – Concerto Köln & Sarband – Archive
DVORAK: Piano Quintets in A, Op. 5 and Op. 81 – Prazák Quartet, Ivan Klánsky – Praga Digitals
Heritage & Legacy 2: ELGAR, His Forebears and Successors (ELGAR: In the South Overture. MACCUNN: The Land of the Mountain and the Flood Overture. FREDERIC AUSTIN: Symphony in E Major. BLISS: Pyanepsion) – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Douglas Bostock – RLPO Live in association with Classico (Olufsen Records)
Kathleen Ferrier in MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde cond. Barbirolli w/Richard Lewis – APR
HANDEL: Rinaldo – Vivica Genaux, Miah Persson, Inga Kaina, Lawrence Zazzo, James Rutherford, Christophe Dumaux, Dominique Vissé, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra conducted by René Jacobs – Harmonia Mundi (3 CDs):
Vladimir Horowitz: Legendary RCA Recordings – RCA/BMG
HANDEL: Organ Concertos Vol. I & II – Daniel Chorzempa – Pentatone SACDs (2)
HANDEL: Music for Royal Fireworks; Water Music – Perlman – Telarc SACD
HASHIMOTO: Sym. No. 1 & other works – Tokyo Metro Sym. – Naxos
Felix Hell, Organ Sensation – Reference Recordings
HUMMEL & SCHUBERT: Quintets – Trio Wanderer (Vincent Coq, piano; Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian, violin; Raphaël Pidoux, cello) with Christophe Gaugué, viola, and Stéphane Logerot (double bass) – Harmonia Mundi
Immersion – 13 Contemporary Composers create works especially for surround sound – Starkland DVD-A
Karajan conducts GRIEG and SIBELIUS Berlin Philharmonic – DGG
In Honor Rudolf Kolisch – SCHUBERT, WEBERN, SCHOENBERG, BERG, BARTOK – Music&Arts
MAHLER: Sym. No. 3; Kindertotenlieder – San Francisco Sym./Michael Tilson Thomas – SF Sym./Delos SACD (2)
MESSIAEN: From the Canyons to the Stars – Myung When Chung – DGG (2)
MOZART: Piano Concertos, Vol. 1, K. 482 and 595 – Christian Zacharias, piano and conducting the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra – MDG
MOZART: Piano Quartets KV 478 and 493 – Gaede Trio (Daniel Gaede, Thomas Selditz, Andreas Greger, Markus Schirmer, piano) – Tacet
MOZART: Requiem – Sir Charles Mackerras – Linn SACD
MUSSORGSKY: Songs and Dances of Death; Songs by Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky – Galina Vishnevskaya, soprano/Mstislav Rostropovich, piano and cond. London Philharmonic – EMI Classics
MUSSORGSKY: Boris Gudonov excerpts; WAGNER: Parsifal excerpts w/ Rossi-Lemeni – Leopold Stokowski conducts the San Francisco Symphony and NY Philharmonic – Cala
David Oistrakh Edition – Vol. 11: The Complete BEETHOVEN Violin Sonatas w/Lev Oberin – DOREMI
OFFENBACH: La Belle Hélène – Janine Linda, Andé Dran, Roger Giraud, Jacques Linsolas, Lucien Mans, Jean Mollien, Paris Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus conducted by René Leibowitz – Preiser (2)
PROKOFIEFF: Alexander Nevsky – Russian State Sym./Yablonsky – Naxos DVD-A
RAMEAU: Complete Harpsichord Works – Michel Kiener – Harmonia mundi (2)
RAVEL: Bolero, Daphnis & Chloe Suite etc. – Minnesota Orch./ Skrowaczewski – Mobile Fidelity SACD
Artur Rubinstein in London – BRAHMS, CHOPIN, BEETHOVEN, SCHUBERT – BBC Legends
Pnina Salzman, Vol. 2 – BRAHMS w/Y. Ettlinger, clarinet – DOREMI
JOLY BRAGA SANTOS: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5; Nos. 3 & 6 – Alvaro Cassuto cond. – Naxos (2 separate CDs)
SCHUBERT: Piano Sonatas D.958, 959, 960 – Murray Perahia – Sony Classical
Carl Schuricht conducts BRAHMS & R. STRAUSS – Urania
SCHUMANN: The Four Symphonies, Overture to Manfred, Violin Concerto, and Andante and Variations, WoO 10; with Five Songs by Clara Schumann – The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch – Philadelphia Orchestra label (3 CDs)
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 7 – combined Rotterdam Philharmonic & Kirov Orch./Valery Gergiev – Philips SACD
SHOSTAKOVICH: Jazz Suites 1 & 2, The Bolt – Russian State Sym./Yablonsky – Naxos DVD-A
BEETHOVEN: Kreutzer Sonata; BARBER: Cello Sonata; TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Trio in A Minor – Oscar Shumsky /Earl Wild/Charles Curtis in Concert, Wolftrap 1979 -Ivory Classics
Gregory Sokolov Edition – BEETHOVEN; CHOPIN; SCHUBERT; SCRIABIN; RACHMANINOV; PROKOFIEV – Opus 111 NAIVE
TELEMANN: Flute Concertos – Emmanuel Pahud, fl./Berliner Barock Solisten / Rainer Kussmaul – EMI Classics
Maggie Teyte – A Vocal Portrait – Naxos
BEETHOVEN: Missa Solemnis; Choral Fantasy Milanov; Castagna; Bjoerling; Kipnis; Dorfman, piano – NBC and NY Phil. cond. by Toscanini – Music&Arts
VERDI: Requiem; Te Deum – Milanov; Castagna; Bjoerling; Moscona; A. Toscanini cond.- Music&Arts
MICHAEL TORKE: Orchestral Works Set (reissued from Argo originals) Ecstatic Records (6 CDs)
TRABACI: Keyboard Music Book I of 1603 – Sergio Vartolo, harpsichord & organ – Naxos (3)
Valkommen Till Varen – Swedish Songs – Stockholm Academic Male Chorus – Proprius stereo SACD
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: The Early Chamber Music – The Nash Ensemble – Hyperion (2)
VERDI: Aida (complete opera) – Tebaldi; Del Monaco; Stignani; Corena; Erede cond. – Naxos
VIVALDI: The Four Seasons & TARTINI: Sonata – Anne-Sophie Mütter, v./Trondheim Soloists – DGG DVD-A
VIVALDI: La Stravaganza Op. 4 – Rachel Podger – Channel Classics SACD (2)
WAGNER: Die Walkuere: Act I and Act II–excerpts Lehmann; Melchior; Bruno Walter and the Vienna Philharmonic – Opus Kura
Walton conducts WALTON – The 1964 New Zealand Tour – Bridge
WEBER & FERDINAND RIES: Music for Clarinet and Piano – Pierre-André Taillard, clarinet; Edoardo Torbianelli, fortepiano – Harmonia Mundi
WOLCUM YULE – Celtic and British Songs and Carols – Anonymous 4 with Andrew Lawrence-King – Harmonia Mundi
The Very Best of Fritz Wunderlich – EMI Classics
JAZZ/POP/ROCK
Monty Alexander Trio – Impressions in Blue – Telarc Jazz
The Band – Music from Big Pink – Capitol DVD-A
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds – Capitol DVD-A
Bob Belden Band – Black Dahlia – Blue Note SACD
Blue Man Group – Audio – Virgin Records DVD-A
The Ray Brown Trio – Soular Energy – Groove Note SACD & LP
The Essential Dave Brubeck – Sony Legacy (2)
Music from the Miramax motion picture “Chicago” (Kander & Ebb) – Epic/Sony SACD
A Chorus Line – Original B’dway Cast – Sony Classical SACD
John Coltrane – Blue Train – Blue Note stereo SACD
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme – Impulse stereo SACD (& double CD)
Chick Corea – Rendezvous in New York – Stretch SACD (2)
Crosby-Nash – Another Stoney Evening – DTS DVD-A
Paul Desmond & Gerry Mulligan – Two of a Mind – RCA Bluebird
Duke Ellington – The Blanton-Webster Band – Never No Lament – RCA Bluebird (3)
Donald Fagan – Kamakiriad – Reprise DVD-A
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – Little Worlds – Columbia (3 Cds)
Frida – Soundtrack music by Elliot Goldenthal & others – DG/UMG
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band – XXL – Silverline DVD-A
Peter Gabriel: Passion – Music for the film “The Last Temptation of Christ” – Geffen stereo SACD
Sir Roland Hanna – Everything I love – IPO Recordings
Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul – Mobile Fidelity stereo SACD
Hiromi, piano – Another Mind – Telarc Jazz SACD
Diana Krall – When I Look In Your Eyes – Verve SACD
Alison Krause + Union Station – Live – Rounder SACD (2)
Jason Moran – The Bandwagon – Blue Note
Geoff Muldaur’s Futuristic Ensemble – Private Astronomy – Edge Music/Universal
Aaron Neville – Nature Boy – Verve SACD
Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing Trio – Odyssey SACD
The Persuasions Sing the Beatles – Chesky SACD
Oscar Peterson – Dimensions: A Compendium of the Pablo Years – Pablo/Fantasy (4 Cds)
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon – Capitol SACD
John Pizzarelli Trio Live at Birdland – Telarc SACD (2)
Seabiscuit – Randy Newman’s Music for the film – Decca
Wayne Shorter – Alegria – Verve
Star Trek: Nemesis – Motion picture soundtrack music by Jerry
Goldsmith – Varese Sarabande SACD
Steely Dan – Everything Must Go – Reprise DVD-A
Gerald Wilson – New York, New Sound – Mack Avenue Records
The Anthony Wilson Trio – Our Gang – Groove Note stereo SACD
Yes – Fragile – Rhino DVD-A
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