The AllMusic Classical Editors' Favorites of 2008
Dec. 19, 2008
Stephen Eddins
Anne Sofie von Otter, soprano - Boldemann, Gefors, Hillborg: Orchestral Songs
Anders Hillborg: … lontana in sonno …
Isabelle Faust, violin; Teunis van der Zwart, horn; Alexander Melnikov, piano - Brahms: Horn Trio; Violin Sonata; Fantasien
Brahms: Horn Trio, Op. 40, 1. Andante - Poco più animato
John Butt, cond. - Bach: St. Matthew Passion
Bach: St. Matthew Passion, Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder
Matthew Schellhorn, piano; James Clark, violin; David Cohen, cello; Barnaby Robson, clarinet - Messiaen: Chamber Works
Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du Temps, 1. Liturgie de cristal
John Adams, cond. - Adams: A Flowering Tree
Adams: A Flowering Tree, Act 2. Scene 5, Kumudha’s Final Transformation
Quatuor Ebène - Quatuor Ebène performs Ravel, Debussy & Fauré
Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, 2. Assez vif et bien rhythmé
Bertrand de Billy, cond.; Anna Netrebko, soprano; Rolando Villazon, tenor - Puccini: La Boheme
Puccini: La Boheme, Act 1, O soave fanciulla
Andrew Russo, piano - Mixtape
Daniel Felsenfeld: Play that funky music (Toscanini’s glasses) (after Wild Cherry)
Various Artists - Lully: Psyche
Lully: Psyche, Prologue, Air pour Dryads, Silvains
Alan Johnson, cond. – Cuomo: Arjuna’s Dilemma
Cuomo: Arjuna’s Dilemma, Part 3, The Vision
Uncle Dave Lewis
Ensemble Belladonna - Melodious Melancholye
Anonymous, English: Alas, departynge is ground of woo
Psophos Quartet - Nicolas Bacri: String Quartets Nos. 3-6
Bacri: String Quartet No. 5, First movement
Kazuhiko Komatsu, cond. - Isotaro Sugata: Peaceful Dance of Two Dragons
Sugata: The Rhythm of Life, First movement
John Salmon, piano - Nikolai Kapustin: Piano Sonata No. 15
Kapustin: Piano Sonata No. 15, Fourth movement
Pro Musica Nipponia - Takashi Yoshimatsu: Stellar Dream Dances
Yoshimatsu: Stellar Dream Dances, “Bugi no maiâ€
Now Ensemble - Now
Dancigers: Cloudbank
Lara St. John, violin - Matthew Hindson: Violin Concerto
Liszt: Totentanz (arranged for violin and orchestra)
Jennifer Koh, violin & Reiko Uchida, piano - String Poetic
Harrison: Grand Duo, Polka
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano - George Gershwin: Complete Music for Piano & Orchestra
Gershwin: Variations on “I Got Rhythmâ€
Patrick Mason, baritone - American Orchestral Song
Griffes: Poems of Ancient China and Japan, Op. 10, “So Fei Gathering Flowersâ€
James Sinclair, cond. - Charles Ives: The Three Orchestral Sets
Ives: Orchestral Set No. 3 - First movement
Mark Davis Scatterday, cond. - Jorge Liderman: Barcelonazo
Jorge Liderman: Barcelonazo
Marc-André Hamelin, piano - In a State of Jazz
Alexis Weissenberg: Boum! (after Charles Trenet)
Astra Chamber Music Society - Johanna Beyer: Sticky Melodies
Beyer: Bees
moderntimes_1800 - Sinfonias from the Enlightenment
C.P.E. Bach: Sinfonia in E flat major, First movement
Mirian Conti, piano - Benjamin Lees: Piano Music 1947-2005
Lees: Sonata Breve
The Azure Ensemble - Chen Yi, Karen Tanaka: Invisible Curve
Tanaka: Frozen Horizon
Elizabeth Farr, lute-harpsichord - J. S. Bach: Music for Lute-Harpsichord
J. S. Bach: Partita for lute in C minor, BWV 997, Prelude
Olga Solovieva, piano - Herman Galynin: Piano Music
Galynin: Suite, Toccata
Dennis Russell Davies, cond. - Philip Glass: Waiting for the Barbarians
Glass: Waiting for the Barbarians, Act 1
Gloria Cheng, piano - Piano Music of Salonen, Stucky & Lutoslawski
Salonen: Three Preludes, 1. Libelulla meccanica
Gunar Letzbor, lute - Wenzel Ludwig Edler von Radolt: Viennese Lute Concertos
Edler von Radolt: Concerto in F major, Menuette en canon
Min Kwon, piano - Schubert: Sonata in D major; Liszt: Don Juan Fantasy, Gnomenreigen
Liszt: Gnomenreigen, S. 145/2
Maxine Eilander, harp - William Lawes: The Harp Consorts
William Lawes: Harp Consort No. 11 in D minor
Alexander Rudin, cond. - Alexander Alyabiev: The Magic Drum
Alyabiev: The Magic Drum
Del Sol String Quartet - Ring of Fire
Kui Dong: Spring
Lejaren Hiller - A Total Matrix of Possibilities
Hiller: String Quartet No. 6, First Movement
Paavo Järvi, cond. - Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, Limoges
Wibert Aerts, violin - Violin Faces
Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Sonata for solo violin No. 2, Second movement
Sara Davis Buechner, piano - Ferruccio Busoni: The Bach-Busoni Edition Vol. 1
Busoni: Improvisation on the Bach Chorale, “Wie wohl ist mir, o Freunde der Seeleâ€
Kristina Reiko Cooper, cello - Stone and Steel
Dowland-Zimmerli: George Whitehead’s Allemand
Rick Benjamin, cond. - George M. Cohan: You’re a Grand Old Rag
Cohan: Harrigan
Philippe Herreweghe, cond. - Lassus: Cantiones sacrae
Lassus: Qui timet Deum
Patsy Morita
Leon Fleisher, piano - The Essential Leon Fleisher
Korngold: Suite for 2 violins, cello & piano left hand, 3. Groteske. Möglich rasch
Christine Schäfer, soprano - Apparition: Henry Purcell and George Crumb
Crumb: Apparition, 1. The Night in Silence under Many a Star
Howard Shelley, piano - Clementi: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Clementi: Piano Sonata in G minor, Op. 8, No. 1, 1. Allegro
Adrienne Soós and Ivo Haag, piano - Moscheles: Grande Sonate Op. 47; Weber: 8 Pieces Op. 60
Moscheles: Grande Sonate, Op. 47, 4. Allegro
Severin von Eckhardstein, piano - Nikolaj Metner: Piano Works
Metner: 3 Hymnen an die Arbeit, Op. 49, 1. Allegretto molto tranquillo
Radoslav Kvapil, piano - Jan Václav VorÃsek: Piano Music
VorÃsek: Sonata in B flat minor, Op. 20, 3. Allegro con brio
Blair Sanderson
Prazák Quartet - Schubert: String Quartet D 887; String Trios D 471, D 581 [Hybrid SACD]
Schubert: String Quartet D 887, 1. Allegro molto moderato
Ursula Oppens, piano - Oppens Plays Carter
Carter: Night Fantasies
Julia Breuer, flute; Matthias Engler, percussion; Elmar Schrammel, piano -
Morton Feldman: For Philip Guston
Feldman: For Philip Guston
Oliver Knussen, cond. - Charles Wuorinen: The Dante Trilogy
Wuorinen: The Dante Trilogy, The Great Procession
Arturo Tamayo, cond. - Iannis Xenakis: Orchestral Works, Volume 5
Xenakis: Metastasis
Rumon Gamba, cond. - Vincent d'Indy: Jour d'été à la montagne; La Forêt enchantée; Souvenirs
d'Indy: La Forêt enchantée
Valery Gergiev, cond. - Mahler: Symphony No. 6 [Hybrid SACD]
Mahler: Symphony No. 6, 1. Allegro energico, ma non troppo
Valery Gergiev, cond. - Mahler: Symphony No. 7 [Hybrid SACD]
Mahler: Symphony No. 7, 1. Langsam
Hilary Hahn, violin - Schoenberg, Sibelius: Violin Concertos
Schoenberg: Violin Concerto, 1. Poco allegro
Yevgeny Sudbin Plays Scriabin [Hybrid SACD]
Scriabin: Poème, Op. 59/1
Antony Walker, cond. - Fauré: Requiem; La Naissance de Vénus; Cantique de Jean Racine
Fauré: Requiem, Offertoire
Harry Christophers, cond. - Handel: Messiah
Handel: Messiah, O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
Allesandro de Marchi, cond. - Handel: Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno
Handel: Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Fido specchio
Kristjan Järvi, cond. - Franz Schmidt: Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln [Hybrid SACD]
Schmidt: Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln, Und eine Tür ward aufgetan im Himmel
Anne Sofie von Otter, soprano - Boldemann, Gefors, Hillborg: Orchestral Songs
Anders Hillborg: … lontana in sonno …
Isabelle Faust, violin; Teunis van der Zwart, horn; Alexander Melnikov, piano - Brahms: Horn Trio; Violin Sonata; Fantasien
Brahms: Horn Trio, Op. 40, 1. Andante - Poco più animato
John Butt, cond. - Bach: St. Matthew Passion
Bach: St. Matthew Passion, Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder
Matthew Schellhorn, piano; James Clark, violin; David Cohen, cello; Barnaby Robson, clarinet - Messiaen: Chamber Works
Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du Temps, 1. Liturgie de cristal
John Adams, cond. - Adams: A Flowering Tree
Adams: A Flowering Tree, Act 2. Scene 5, Kumudha’s Final Transformation
Quatuor Ebène - Quatuor Ebène performs Ravel, Debussy & Fauré
Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, 2. Assez vif et bien rhythmé
Bertrand de Billy, cond.; Anna Netrebko, soprano; Rolando Villazon, tenor - Puccini: La Boheme
Puccini: La Boheme, Act 1, O soave fanciulla
Andrew Russo, piano - Mixtape
Daniel Felsenfeld: Play that funky music (Toscanini’s glasses) (after Wild Cherry)
Various Artists - Lully: Psyche
Lully: Psyche, Prologue, Air pour Dryads, Silvains
Alan Johnson, cond. – Cuomo: Arjuna’s Dilemma
Cuomo: Arjuna’s Dilemma, Part 3, The Vision
Uncle Dave Lewis
Ensemble Belladonna - Melodious Melancholye
Anonymous, English: Alas, departynge is ground of woo
Psophos Quartet - Nicolas Bacri: String Quartets Nos. 3-6
Bacri: String Quartet No. 5, First movement
Kazuhiko Komatsu, cond. - Isotaro Sugata: Peaceful Dance of Two Dragons
Sugata: The Rhythm of Life, First movement
John Salmon, piano - Nikolai Kapustin: Piano Sonata No. 15
Kapustin: Piano Sonata No. 15, Fourth movement
Pro Musica Nipponia - Takashi Yoshimatsu: Stellar Dream Dances
Yoshimatsu: Stellar Dream Dances, “Bugi no maiâ€
Now Ensemble - Now
Dancigers: Cloudbank
Lara St. John, violin - Matthew Hindson: Violin Concerto
Liszt: Totentanz (arranged for violin and orchestra)
Jennifer Koh, violin & Reiko Uchida, piano - String Poetic
Harrison: Grand Duo, Polka
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano - George Gershwin: Complete Music for Piano & Orchestra
Gershwin: Variations on “I Got Rhythmâ€
Patrick Mason, baritone - American Orchestral Song
Griffes: Poems of Ancient China and Japan, Op. 10, “So Fei Gathering Flowersâ€
James Sinclair, cond. - Charles Ives: The Three Orchestral Sets
Ives: Orchestral Set No. 3 - First movement
Mark Davis Scatterday, cond. - Jorge Liderman: Barcelonazo
Jorge Liderman: Barcelonazo
Marc-André Hamelin, piano - In a State of Jazz
Alexis Weissenberg: Boum! (after Charles Trenet)
Astra Chamber Music Society - Johanna Beyer: Sticky Melodies
Beyer: Bees
moderntimes_1800 - Sinfonias from the Enlightenment
C.P.E. Bach: Sinfonia in E flat major, First movement
Mirian Conti, piano - Benjamin Lees: Piano Music 1947-2005
Lees: Sonata Breve
The Azure Ensemble - Chen Yi, Karen Tanaka: Invisible Curve
Tanaka: Frozen Horizon
Elizabeth Farr, lute-harpsichord - J. S. Bach: Music for Lute-Harpsichord
J. S. Bach: Partita for lute in C minor, BWV 997, Prelude
Olga Solovieva, piano - Herman Galynin: Piano Music
Galynin: Suite, Toccata
Dennis Russell Davies, cond. - Philip Glass: Waiting for the Barbarians
Glass: Waiting for the Barbarians, Act 1
Gloria Cheng, piano - Piano Music of Salonen, Stucky & Lutoslawski
Salonen: Three Preludes, 1. Libelulla meccanica
Gunar Letzbor, lute - Wenzel Ludwig Edler von Radolt: Viennese Lute Concertos
Edler von Radolt: Concerto in F major, Menuette en canon
Min Kwon, piano - Schubert: Sonata in D major; Liszt: Don Juan Fantasy, Gnomenreigen
Liszt: Gnomenreigen, S. 145/2
Maxine Eilander, harp - William Lawes: The Harp Consorts
William Lawes: Harp Consort No. 11 in D minor
Alexander Rudin, cond. - Alexander Alyabiev: The Magic Drum
Alyabiev: The Magic Drum
Del Sol String Quartet - Ring of Fire
Kui Dong: Spring
Lejaren Hiller - A Total Matrix of Possibilities
Hiller: String Quartet No. 6, First Movement
Paavo Järvi, cond. - Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, Limoges
Wibert Aerts, violin - Violin Faces
Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Sonata for solo violin No. 2, Second movement
Sara Davis Buechner, piano - Ferruccio Busoni: The Bach-Busoni Edition Vol. 1
Busoni: Improvisation on the Bach Chorale, “Wie wohl ist mir, o Freunde der Seeleâ€
Kristina Reiko Cooper, cello - Stone and Steel
Dowland-Zimmerli: George Whitehead’s Allemand
Rick Benjamin, cond. - George M. Cohan: You’re a Grand Old Rag
Cohan: Harrigan
Philippe Herreweghe, cond. - Lassus: Cantiones sacrae
Lassus: Qui timet Deum
Patsy Morita
Leon Fleisher, piano - The Essential Leon Fleisher
Korngold: Suite for 2 violins, cello & piano left hand, 3. Groteske. Möglich rasch
Christine Schäfer, soprano - Apparition: Henry Purcell and George Crumb
Crumb: Apparition, 1. The Night in Silence under Many a Star
Howard Shelley, piano - Clementi: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Clementi: Piano Sonata in G minor, Op. 8, No. 1, 1. Allegro
Adrienne Soós and Ivo Haag, piano - Moscheles: Grande Sonate Op. 47; Weber: 8 Pieces Op. 60
Moscheles: Grande Sonate, Op. 47, 4. Allegro
Severin von Eckhardstein, piano - Nikolaj Metner: Piano Works
Metner: 3 Hymnen an die Arbeit, Op. 49, 1. Allegretto molto tranquillo
Radoslav Kvapil, piano - Jan Václav VorÃsek: Piano Music
VorÃsek: Sonata in B flat minor, Op. 20, 3. Allegro con brio
Blair Sanderson
Prazák Quartet - Schubert: String Quartet D 887; String Trios D 471, D 581 [Hybrid SACD]
Schubert: String Quartet D 887, 1. Allegro molto moderato
Ursula Oppens, piano - Oppens Plays Carter
Carter: Night Fantasies
Julia Breuer, flute; Matthias Engler, percussion; Elmar Schrammel, piano -
Morton Feldman: For Philip Guston
Feldman: For Philip Guston
Oliver Knussen, cond. - Charles Wuorinen: The Dante Trilogy
Wuorinen: The Dante Trilogy, The Great Procession
Arturo Tamayo, cond. - Iannis Xenakis: Orchestral Works, Volume 5
Xenakis: Metastasis
Rumon Gamba, cond. - Vincent d'Indy: Jour d'été à la montagne; La Forêt enchantée; Souvenirs
d'Indy: La Forêt enchantée
Valery Gergiev, cond. - Mahler: Symphony No. 6 [Hybrid SACD]
Mahler: Symphony No. 6, 1. Allegro energico, ma non troppo
Valery Gergiev, cond. - Mahler: Symphony No. 7 [Hybrid SACD]
Mahler: Symphony No. 7, 1. Langsam
Hilary Hahn, violin - Schoenberg, Sibelius: Violin Concertos
Schoenberg: Violin Concerto, 1. Poco allegro
Yevgeny Sudbin Plays Scriabin [Hybrid SACD]
Scriabin: Poème, Op. 59/1
Antony Walker, cond. - Fauré: Requiem; La Naissance de Vénus; Cantique de Jean Racine
Fauré: Requiem, Offertoire
Harry Christophers, cond. - Handel: Messiah
Handel: Messiah, O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
Allesandro de Marchi, cond. - Handel: Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno
Handel: Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Fido specchio
Kristjan Järvi, cond. - Franz Schmidt: Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln [Hybrid SACD]
Schmidt: Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln, Und eine Tür ward aufgetan im Himmel