Best of the Year Discs for 2011

by | Dec 27, 2011 | Best of the Year

CLASSICAL, Incl. HI-RES, CLASSICAL REISSUE & VINYL
LEE ACTOR: Concerto for Alto Sax and Orch. – Debra Richtmeyer, alto sax/Slovak Nat. Sym. Orch./Kirk Trevor; Dance Rhapsody; Celebration Ov. – Slovak Nat. Sym. Orch./Trevor (Con. for Horn & Orch.) – Navona NV5848
JOHN ADAMS: Son of Chamber Symphony, String Quartet – St. Lawrence String Q. – Nonesuch 523014
ALBÉNIZ-FRÜBECK DE BURGOS: Suite Española – New Philharmonia/ de Burgos – Decca/Original Recordings Group (2-45 rpm vinyl discs) ORG 100
ARNE: Artaxerxes (complete opera) – Soloists/Classical Opera Company/Ian Page – Linn multichannel SACD CKD 358 (2 discs)
ARNELL: Ballet Music: Harlequin, Punch—Concerto Capriccioso – Dutton 7227
BACEWICZ: Piano Quintet No. 1; Sonata No. 2; Piano Quintet No. 2 – Zimerman –  DGG 477 8332
BACH: Easter Oratorio; Ascension Oratorio – Soloists/ Retrospect Ensemble/ Matthew Halls – Linn multichannel SACD 373
BACH: St. Matthew Passion – Soloists/ Netherlands Bach Society/ Kampen Boys Choir/ Jos van Veldhoven – Channel Classics multichannel SACD CCSSA32511 (3 discs)
Beecham conducts French Music – EMI 9 09932 2
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major – Vienna Philharmonic Orch./  Wilhelm Furtwängler – Tahra mono SACD FURT 2008
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5; Piano Concerto No. 4 – Emanuel Ax, piano/ San Francisco Sym./ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFSmedia multichannel SACD 0037
BEETHOVEN: Ten Violin Sonatas – Temianka/Shure – Doremi DHR 8011-3
Bolet: His Earliest Recordings – APR 6009
BRAHMS: German Requiem  – Harnoncourt – RCA 88697720662
IVES-BRANT: A Concord Symphony; COPLAND: Organ Symphony – San Francisco Sym./ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFS Media multichannel SACD SFS 0038
BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1; Romance in F; String Quintet in A Minor – Vadim Gluzman, violin/ Sandis Šteinbergs, violin (Quintet)/ Maxim Rysanov and Ilze Klava, viola/ Reinis Birznieks, cello/ Bergen Philharmonic Orch./ Andrew Litton – BIS multichannel SACD-1852
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 0; Three Pieces – Beethoven Orch. Bonn/ Stefan Blunier – MDG Live multichannel SACD (2+2+2) MDG 937 1673-6
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 3 – Kubelik/Bavarian Radio – Audite 95.543
BRUCKNER: Sym. No. 7 – Rudolf/ Cincinnati Symphony – HDTT HDCD 242
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Live – Works of WALTON; GIOVANNI GABRIELI; BACH; GRAINGER; REVUELTAS; & PROKOFIEV – arr. for symphonic brass/Conductors: Dale Clevenger, Jay Friedman, Michael Mulcahy & Mark Ridenour –  CSO Resound multichannel SACD CSOR 901 1103
BENJAMIN DALE: Piano Sonata; Prunella; Night Fancies; YORK BOWEN: Miniature Suite – Danny Driver, p. – Hyperion CDA67827
DEBUSSY: La mer; Jeux; Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun – London Symphony Orchestra/ Valery Gergiev – LSO Live multichannel SACD LSO0692
DVORAK: Symphony No. 7; Symphony No. 8 – Baltimore Sym. Orch./ Marin Alsop – Naxos audio-only Blu-ray NBD0010
DVORAK: Symphonies Nos. 6 in D Major & No. 9 “From the New World” – Baltimore Sym. Orch./ Marin Alsop – Naxos audio-only Blu-ray NBD0014
“El Cant de la Sibil-la” – Montserrat Figueras, sop./ La Capella Reial de Catalunya/ Jordi Savall – Alia Vox Heritage multichannel SACD 9879
“Espana” = RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio Espagnol; GRANADOS:  Danze espanola No. 5; CHABRIER: Espana; MOSZKOWSKI: Spanish Dances, Book 1 – London Sym. Orch./ Ataulfo Argenta – London/Original Recording Group ORG 104 (2-45 rpm vinyl discs)
FALLA: The Three Cornered Hat; La Vida Breve: Interlude and Dance – Teresa Berganza, mezzo/Suisse Romande /Ernst Ansermet – London/Original Recording Group ORG 102 (2-45 rpm vinyl discs)
Anatole Fistoulari conducts French Music – Opus Kura OPK 7060
“French Orchestral Music” – CHAUSSON; FAURE; HONEGGER- Jean Fournet cond. –  Regis RRC1328
Youra Guller plays Concertos by BEETHOVEN and CHOPIN – Tahra TAH 719
LEE HOIBY: Summer and Smoke – Manhattan School of Music Opera Th. and Orch./vocal soloists/Steven Osgood – Albany TROY 1272/73, (2 CDs)
GUNNAR IDENSTAM: Jukkaslater (Songs for Jukkasjarvi) – Soloists with Gunnar Idenstam, organ and pre-recorded sounds – BIS multichannel SACD 1868
IVES: The Unanswered Question; JOHN ADAMS: The Wound-Dresser; BRITTEN: Sinfonia da Requiem; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 4 – The Oregon Symphony/ Carlos Kalmar/ Soloists – PentaTone Classics multichannel SACD PTC 5186 393
JANACEK: Glagolitic Mass; Sinfonietta – Soloists/ Malanowicz, organ/ Warsaw Philharmonic Choir/ Warsaw Philharmonic Orch./ Antoni Wit – Naxos multichannel audio-only Blu-ray NBD0026
KABALEVSKY: Piano Sonatas – Christoph Deluze, p. – Praga Digitals multichannel SACD PRD/DSD 250 279
KOPPEL: String Quartets; Quintet – Sjaelland String Quartet – Dacapo 6.220566
CONSTANT LAMBERT Vol. 22 – Historic-Recordings HRCD 0075
Sir Charles Mackerras: Life with Czech Music – Supraphon SU 4041
STEVEN MACKEY: ‘Lonely Motel’ – Steven Mackey, guitar/Rinde Eckert, vocals/ eighth blackbird – Cedille CDR90000 128
MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde  – Wunderlich/Fischer-Dieskau/Krips  DGG 477 8986
MARIN MARAIS: Pieces de Viole from Five Books – Jordi Savall, basse de viole & ens. – Alia Vox Heritage multichannel SACD 9872
Martzy plays SCHUBERT – Testament SBT2 1468
MENDELSSOHN: String Quartet in D Major; Amdante and Scherzo; String Quartet in E-flat – Zemlinsky Quartet – Praga Digitals multichannel SACD PRD/DSD 250269
MENDELSSOHN: Die Erste Walpurgisnacht; BRAHMS & SCHUMANN works – Soloists/ Choral Academy/ Bavarian State Orch./ Kent Nagano – Farao 108059
MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto in E Minor; Octet – James Ehnes, violin/ Philharmonia Orch./Ashkenazy – Onyx 4060
MOZART: String Quartets K. 157, 458, 589 – Jerusalem Quartet – Harmonia mundi HMC 902076
MOZART: Piano Sonatas (complete) – Robert Silverman, piano – IsoMike (4.0) SACD 5602 (7 discs)
David Nadien plays – Cembal d’amour CD 161
“Nordic Sounds” – Soloists & Swedish Radio Choir/ Peter Dijkstra – Channel Classics multichannel SACD CCS SA 29910
ZYGMUNT NOSKOWSKI:  Orchestral Works Vol. 2 = Sym. No. 2;  Odglosy pamiatkowe; Var. on an original theme – Polska Orkiestra Radiowa /Lukasz Borowicz – Sterling CDS 10932
“Notable Women” – Trios by Today’s Female Composers – Lincoln Trio – Cedille CDR 90000 126
Orchestra 2001 – ‘To the Point’ = Works of JENNIFER HIGDON, ANDREW RUDIN, GUNTHER SCHULLER, ROMEO CASCARINO & JAY REISE – Soloists/’Orchestra 2001/James Freeman – Innova 745
“Profanes et Sacrées” – 2oth Century French Chamber Music – RAVEL: Introduction and Allegro; TOMASI: Cinq Danses profanes et sacrées; DUTILLEUX: Les Citations; DEBUSSY: Sonata for flute, viola & harp; FRANCAIX: Dixtuor – Boston Symphony Chamber Players – BSO Classics multichannel SACD 1102
RAMEAU:  L’Orchestre de Louis XV: Suites D’Orchestre – Le Concert des Nations/ Jordi Savall –  Alia Vox multichannel SACDs (2 discs) AVSA9882
Fritz Reiner Rarities Vol. 2  – Pristine Audio PASC 294
RHEINBERGER: Organ Concerto No. 1 in F; Organ Concerto No. 2; Three Pieces for Cello & Organ – Stefan Johannes Bleicher, organ/ Cäcilia Chmel, cello/ Musikkollegium Winterthur/ Douglas Boyd – MD&G Scene multichannel SACD MDG 901 1643-6
SCHUBERT: Sym. No. 9; Five German Dances – Budapest Festival Orch./ Ivan Fischer – Channel Classics multichannel SACD CCS SA
SCHULHOFF: Violin Sonatas1 & 2; Suite – Becker-Bender, v./ Becker, p. – Hyperion CDA67833
SCHUMANN: Carnaval; Davidsbündlertänze – Alessandra Ammara, piano – Arts Music multichannel SACD 47755-8
SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartets; Miaskovsky: String Quartet  – Pacifica String Quartet – Cedille CDR 90000 127 (2)
“The Sound of Harp”  Music from Heaven – Silke Aichhorn, concert harp – Top Music Int. Alloy Gold CD TM-UQCD 1071
SPOHR: String Sextet; Nonet in F Major – Camerata Freden – Tacet Real Surround Sound DVD-Audio DVD D172
SPOHR: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6 – NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover/ Howard Griffiths – CPO multichannel SACD 777 179-2
STANFORD: Piano Concerto No. 2; Concert Variations – Finghin Collins, piano/ Kenneth Montgomery – Claves 50-1101
Stokowski conducts the Moderns – Guild GHCD 2379/80
“Strid” – Sondre Bratland, Kirsten Braten berg, Liv Ulvik, Bjorn Sigurd Glorvigen, Helga Gunnes, folk singers/ Oslo Ch. Choir/Hakon Daniel Nystedt, director – 2L multichannel SACD 73
SUK: Fantasy for Violin and Orch.; Pohádk; Fantastické Scherzo – Michael Ludwig, v./ Buffalo Philharmonic Orch. /JoAnn Falletta – Naxos 8.572323
SZYMANOWSKI: Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 2 – Soloists/ Warsaw Philharmonic Orch./ Antoni Wit – Naxos audio-only Blu-ray  NBD0021
WAGNER: Orchestral Works, Volumes 1 and 2 – Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orch./ Edo de Waart – Exton multichannel SACDs OVCL-00153 (Vol. 1); 68 min. OVCL-00198 (Vol. 2)
WALTON: Belshazzar’s Feast; Symphony No. 1 – London Sym. Orch./ Sir Colin Davis – LSO Live multichannel SACD LSO0681
WEINBERG: Symphony No. 3; Suite No. 4 from “The Golden Key” – Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/ Thord Svedlunc – Chandos multichannel SACD CHSA 5089
 
JAZZ, POP, FOLK, WORLD (incl. Hi-Res)
The Band – Rock Of Ages – Capitol /Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab stereo-only SACD UDSACD 2046
Blood Sweat And Tears – Child Is Father To The Man – Columbia/Speakers Corner, vinyl CS 9619
Bill Evans…The Sesjun Radio Shows – T2 Entertainment PRCD2011005 (2)
Buck Pizzarelli and the West Texas Tumbleweeds – Back In The Saddle Again – Arbors ARCD 19414
Marianne Faithfull – Strange Weather – Island Records/ORG vinyl 45 rpm (2 discs)
Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica – The Unforgettable Sounds Of Esquivel – TIKI 001
Percussion In Hi-Fi:  Dick Schory’s New Percussion Ensemble/ David Carroll and His Orchestra – HDTT www.highdeftapetransfers.com
Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon (2-CDs and LP) – EMI Music (2); EMI SHVL 804
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys – Grand Isle (no #)
Esperanza Spalding – Chamber Music Society – Heads Up Int. vinyl UI 32454-01 (2 discs)
Kenny Werner with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra – Institute of Higher Learning – Half Note HN4548
Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key Of Life – Motown Records/Speakers Corner Records – vinyl  (2 discs + 2 7” 45s) 06007 5303833
Neil Young (guitars & vocals) – Le Noise – Reprise vinyl 525956-1
MUSIC BLU-RAYS & DVDs (Classical/Jazz/Pop)
Daniel Barenboim 4 DVD-Box Set (Liszt Recital; With West-Eastern Divan Orch.; With Chicago Sym.; Tango Argentina) – EuroArts 2058238
Fiddler On The Roof, 40th Anniversary 2-Disc Set, Blu-ray – MGM
Mimi Fox – Live At The Palladium – Favored Nations FN2710-9
Genius Within – The Inner Life of Glenn Gould – Lorber Films LF-DVD-71
An Evening with Dave Grusin, Blu-ray- Concord Music HUI-32928-09
Hiromi Solo – Live at Blue Note, NYC – Telarc TEL-32866-09
Khachaturian documentary (Peter Rosen) – VAI 4298
Michel Legrand and the Cinema – Arthaus Musik 101 549
MAHLER: Des Knaben Wunderhorn; Adagio from Symphony No. 10 – Pierre Boulez, Blu-ray – Acentus Music 10231 2010
MAHLER: Symphony No. 4; Ruckert Lieder – Claudio Abbado cond., Blu-ray – EuroArts 2057984
Masters Of American Music – The Story Of Jazz (5 DVDs) – Medici TV  2058938
Dado Moroni, piano – Live in Beverly Hills, Blu-ray – Resonance Records RBD-401
Les Paul, Live In New York – Questar Blu-ray
Güher & Süher Pekinel, Two Pianos Live in Concert – “Bach Jazz” – ArtHaus Musik 1101 389
Ravel Meets Gershwin – Simon Rattle cond., Blu-ray – EuroArts 2053648
Ray (starring Jamie Foxx), Blu-ray – Universal 61112068
Trimpin – The Sound of Invention- Microcinema MC-1267
WEINBERG: The Passenger (complete opera), Blu-ray – Neos 51005
West Side Story – 50th Anniversary Edition, Blu-ray (3 discs) – MGM

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