AllMusic 2016 Year in Review
Favorite Classical Instrumental Albums
The world of classical instrumental music received many welcome new additions this year, like Lance Friedel and the London Symphony Orchestra's performance of Bruckner's Fifth Symphony, the latest from piano duo Christina Naughton and Michelle Naughton, and Christian Tetzlaff and Lars Vogt's interpretations of Brahms' violin sonatas.
Alan Gilbert / New York Philharmonic
Christopher Rouse: Odna Zhizn; Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4; Prospero's Rooms
Four of Christopher Rouse's powerful orchestral works receive world premiere recordings on this 2016 release from Dacapo.
Andrés Orozco-Estrada / Houston Symphony Orchestra
Antonín Dvorák: Symphony No. 7; Symphony No. 8
Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Houston Symphony present the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies of Antonín Dvorák on this hybrid SACD from PentaTone.
Andrés Orozco-Estrada / Frankfurt Symphony Orchestra / hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra)
Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird (Suite 1919)
Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony present the Rite of Spring and the Firebird Suite in focused multichannel sound.
![Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations [2015 Recording]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0004598295/front/400/OZ-hS7f8WkSyaXnIApD2b4Af7E_1E-2MlBBPmPAXRBU=.jpg)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations [2015 Recording]
Angela Hewitt revisits Bach's Goldberg Variations in a recording that reflects a lifetime spent with this music.
Praised for her Bach recordings on Hyperion, Angela Hewitt turns her attention to the sonatas of Bach's contemporary, Domenico Scarlatti.
The Arditti String Quartet celebrates 40 years of cutting-edge performances in this collection of short works on Winter & Winter.
Brahms: String Quartets; Piano Quintet
Balance, sense of ensemble, and fine sound make this a major Brahms chamber release.
Christian Tetzlaff / Lars Vogt
Tetzlaff and Vogt have outdone themselves with this carefully considered and highly original version of the Brahms sonatas.
Christina Naughton / Michelle Naughton
A combination of technical brilliance and deep musical communion creates one of the most satisfying duo piano recordings in recent memory.
John Dowland: Lachrimae or Seven Tears
Lutenist Elizabeth Kenny and Phantasm present the pavans, galliards, and almans of John Dowland's collection, Lachrimae or Seven Tears.
Love is the theme of Ensemble Meridiana's album of works by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Jean-Fery Rebel, and Michel Corrette.
Esther Yoo / Vladimir Ashkenazy / Philharmonia Orchestra
Sibelius, Glazunov: Violin Concertos
For her debut album on Deutsche Grammophon, Esther Yoo performs contrasting violin concertos by Alexander Glazunov and Jean Sibelius.
James Ehnes / Andrew Armstrong
Violin Sonatas: Elgar, Debussy, Respighi
Violin sonatas by Debussy, Elgar, and Respighi give this album by James Ehnes and Andrew Armstrong melancholy and nostalgic moods.
Jean-Guihen Queyras / Pablo Heras-Casado / Isabelle Faust / Alexander Melnikov
The Freiburgers' strings seem to purr and the cello emerges with startling clarity in the last of this series.
Lin creates a magical atmosphere of favorite compositions and delightful rarities, amplified by excellent illustrations in the booklet.
Jiří Bělohlávek / Czech Philharmonic
Dvorák: Slavonic Dances Opp. 46 & 72
There's something uniquely satisfying about this version of the much-recorded Slavonic Dances where the musicians shine in the small details.
John Eliot Gardiner / London Symphony Orchestra
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 4 'Italian'
John Eliot Gardiner leads the London Symphony Orchestra in two of Mendelssohn's symphonies, presented on hybrid SACD and Blu-ray disc.
John O'Conor's 2016 release on Steinway & Sons offers five representative piano sonatas by Franz Joseph Haydn.
John Storgårds / Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Per Nørgård: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 6
The music of Per Nørgård is perhaps best experienced through his symphonies; this release is especially recommended.
Joshua Weilerstein / Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Igor Stravinsky: Apollo Musagete; Concerto in D; Pulcinella
Joshua Weilerstein's debut recording for MDG Gold is an extraordinary presentation of three neoclassical works by Igor Stravinsky.
Kent Nagano / Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
Kent Nagano leads live performances of Halloween-themed orchestral classics with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.
François Couperin: Leçons de Ténèbres
Little-known music by Sébastien de Brossard makes a strong balance for Couperin's Leçons de Ténèbres in this wonderful Baroque release.
Lance Friedel / London Symphony Orchestra
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 5
Lance Friedel and the London Symphony Orchestra present a powerful performance of Bruckner's Fifth that audiophiles will want to own.
Downes realizes that concert music influenced by jazz and blues or spirituals mixes naturally with actual jazz or blues pieces.
Metcalf offers a set of works deeply informed by popular music without being "crossover."
Marin Marais: Dans les Jardins d'Eurytus
Marie van Rhijn offers harpsichord transcriptions of music by Marin Marais, adapted from his tragédie en musique, Alcide.
Mariss Jansons / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra present an audiophile recording of Prokofiev's wartime Symphony No. 5.
Masaaki Suzuki / Tapiola Sinfonietta
Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite; Apollon Musagète; Concerto in D for Strings
Masaaki Suzuki and the Tapiola Sinfonietta present brilliant performances of Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, Apollon musagète, and the Concerto in D.
Michael Tilson Thomas / San Francisco Symphony
Mason Bates: Works for Orchestra
Tilson Thomas is still breaking new ground; the optimism generated by Bates' new stylistic fusion is deep.
John Jones: Eight Setts of Lessons for the Harpsichord
The forgotten English composer John Jones is back in the spotlight, thanks to Mitzi Meyerson's recording of his harpsichord music.
Neeme Järvi / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
In French music of the 20th century Järvi was to the manner born, and the result is an absolute delight.
Beethoven: Sonata No. 29 'Hammerklavier'; Bagatelles Op. 126
Nelson Goerner's first album of Beethoven's piano music offers the late "Hammerklavier" Sonata and the Bagatelles, Op. 126.
Noriko Ogawa plays Erik Satie on an 1890 Erard piano, Vol. 1
Noriko Ogawa plays the best-known piano music of Erik Satie on this first volume of a super audio series for BIS.
Osmo Vänskä / Minnesota Orchestra
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 3, 6 & 7
Osmo Vänskä completes his second cycle of the symphonies of Jean Sibelius, this time with the Minnesota Orchestra in an audiophile showcase.
Paul Bateman / Kerenza Peacock / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Huw Watkins
Davis' music is a good deal more subtle than its purely diatonic surfaces and minimalist-like basic thematic material might suggest.
J.S. Bach: Sonatas for Flute and Harpsichord
Flutist Pauliina Fred and harpsichordist Aapo Häkkinen give sparkling performances of J.S. Bach's six flute sonatas.
Richard Tognetti / Australian Chamber Orchestra
Richard Tognetti leads the Australian Chamber Orchestra in exciting period performances of Mozart's last three symphonies.
San Francisco Symphony / Michael Tilson Thomas
Debussy: Images; Jeux; La Plus Que Lente
Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony perform three evocative orchestral works by Claude Debussy.
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival / Alan Gilbert
Messaien: Des canyons aux étoiles
Olivier Messiaen's Des canyons aux étoiles received a brilliant performance at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in 2015.
Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Ben Gernon / Sean Shibe
Peter Maxwell Davies: An Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra's enthusiasm makes it clear that Maxwell Davies' music will be around for a long time.
Semyon Bychkov / Czech Philharmonic
The Tchaikovsky Project: Pathétique, Romeo & Juliet
Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic begin Decca's Tchaikovsky Project with the "Pathétique" Symphony and Romeo and Juliet.
Horatiu Radulescu: Sonatas & String Quartets, Vol. 1
Mode's series of the sonatas and string quartets of Horatiu Radulescu begins with this CD by Stephen Clarke and the JACK Quartet.
Stephen L. Mosko / Calarts Twentieth Century Players
Morton Subotnick: Music for The Double Life of Amphibians
A major release remastering the original 1980s-era landmark of contemporary music.
Steven Isserlis / Paavo Järvi / Philharmonia Orchestra
Elgar & Walton: Cello Concertos
Steven Isserlis and Paavo Järvi present cello concertos by Elgar and Walton, with two short works by Gustav Holst and his daughter, Imogen Holst.
This is a remarkable meeting of performer and venue, a rare pleasure that will lead listeners to rediscover familiar favorites.
Trevor Pinnock's Journey is a survey of 200 years of harpsichord music, from Antonio de Cabezón to Domenico Scarlatti.
Valery Gergiev / London Symphony Orchestra
Scriabin: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
Scriabin's first two symphonies are presented live on this double SACD package by Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Britten, Korngold: Violin Concertos
Vilde Frang's match-up of violin concertos by Korngold and Britten makes this one of her most fascinating albums.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin / Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin's live performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 1 produces energy and tone colors that make it a delight.