Your Records of the Year 2014

[Barbirollians]

Bax orchestral music/Andrew Davis.
RVW Symphonies/Rozhdestvensky.
Weinberg complete string quartets,Quatuor Danel.
Milford and Stanford violin concertos/EM Records.

Ah yes that Milford and Stanford disc is also in my top ten .

[DublinJimbo]

The Abbado/Lucerne recordings.
RLPO and Vasily Petrenko: Shostakovich Symphony No. 13.
Igor Levit: Beethoven's late piano sonatas.
The Pacifica Quartet's completion of their Shostakovich quartet cycle.
C.P.E. Bach: Magnificat, Heilig ist Gott, Sinfonie in D with the RIAS Kammerchor and the Akadamie für alte Musik Berlin conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann.
Philippe Cassard & Cédric Pescia: Schubert Piano Sonata D.959, Rondo, Allegro, Fantasie.

[gurnemanz]

Most of the items I have bought this year have been re-issues. My most recent purchase of a completely new recording arrived a couple of days ago and I think it's going to be a favourite: Anna Prohaska's 1914 anniversary offering "Behind the Lines" . A marvellously virtuoso and versatile recital of war-related songs, including well-known and unfamiliar songs from a wide variety of sources.

Non-classical favourite: Lucinda Williams' new double album: 'Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone'

[AmpH]

The set of Schumann symphonies by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Yannick Nezet-Seguin has been a constant source of delight in the last few months, with their dynamic and spirited live performances well captured by DG.

I have yet to hear a disappointing disc from Natalie Clein, and I was delighted to find her latest offering of Saint Saens cello concertos on Hyperion was outstanding - particularly the less well known and demanding second concerto where she uses her wonderful technique to carry it off with real bravado.

A recent purchase of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet with Martin Frost as the soloist and a quartet including Janine Jansen amongst others, is rapidly becoming a favourite, combining both beauty and drive into a performance which has a real sense of ensemble. The BIS recording is to the usual high standards I have come to expect from this label.

On the reissue / big box front, the Netherlands / Leusink set of Bach Cantatas ( together with Richard Stokes' book ) and the Maria Joao Pires DG box have provided constant joy and solace throughout a difficult and challenging year.

Away from classical, the Joni Mitchell box of her first ten albums has brought welcome relief to my aging LP's, as has a similar box of ZZTop albums which have provided great fun and entertainment.

[cloughie]

The set of Schumann symphonies by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Yannick Nezet-Seguin has been a constant source of delight in the last few months, with their dynamic and spirited live performances well captured by DG.

I have yet to hear a disappointing disc from Natalie Clein, and I was delighted to find her latest offering of Saint Saens cello concertos on Hyperion was outstanding - particularly the less well known and demanding second concerto where she uses her wonderful technique to carry it off with real bravado.

A recent purchase of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet with Martin Frost as the soloist and a quartet including Janine Jansen amongst others, is rapidly becoming a favourite, combining both beauty and drive into a performance which has a real sense of ensemble. The BIS recording is to the usual high standards I have come to expect from this label.

On the reissue / big box front, the Netherlands / Leusink set of Bach Cantatas ( together with Richard Stokes' book ) and the Maria Joao Pires DG box have provided constant joy and solace throughout a difficult and challenging year.

Away from classical, the Joni Mitchell box of her first ten albums has brought welcome relief to my aging LP's, as has a similar box of ZZTop albums which have provided great fun and entertainment.

Where lesser artistes go for reinvention Joni settles for evolution!

[BBMmk2]

Although, as everyone on here knows, I am not a Mozart fan, not at all but for thy most part, I have to agree with barbs about the Mozart/Abbado/Argerich pc's. Marvelous recoreding.

Also Abbado's Bruckner 1 as well with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and

The Sixteen, "Voice of the Turtle Dove"

John Pickard: Eden; Symphony no.4, Gaia Symphony. Eikhanger Bjorsvik Musiklagg, Andreas Hansen.

"Flowers of the Field". Roderick Williams, City of London Choir, London Mozart Players, Hilary Devan Whetton.

[soileduk]

Second favourite is the new cd of the Brahms violin sonatas with Augustin Dumay and Louis Lorte. Sublime music making.

I fell for that too, has to be better than Kavakos.. right? I wonder if I can get a refund.

[soileduk]

OK, a little more positive. The CPO Panufnik and Weinberg chamber discs have had a good outing lately as has the Räihälä disc on Alba

[gurnemanz]

Roderick Williams, City of London Choir, London Mozart Players, Hilary Devan Whetton.

We've seen Roderick W three times this year. Very impressed.

[jayne lee wilson]

JLW RECORD OF THE YEAR 2014:
"Rameau: The Sound of Light"
Musicaeterna/Nadine Koutcher/Teodor Currentzis. Sony ALAC 24/88.2.

In an amazing year for new releases, this stood out in its startlingly radical, recreative, expressionist yet emotionally faithful realisation of some of Rameau's best music. Yes, the recording veers close to or into overload in one or two stormy passages (try tr.7), but has remarkably vivid presence, with an in-the-room realism in its 24/88.2 guise. Currentzis takes risks, e.g. the avant-garde noise-burst before "Essayons du brillant" from Platee (tr.10), the fade to silence on the "Contredanse pour les peuples boreades", but when you hear the heartbreaking tenderness of Nadine Koutcher's utterances in "Tristes Appret" (the devastatingly lovely end of the sequence), and the breathless hush of Currentzis' orchestra's accompaniment, you'll forgive him anything...


CONTEMPORARY:
David Matthews Symphony No.7; Vespers. Bournemouth SO/Bach Choir etc/Carewe/Hill. Dutton Epoch CD.
Birtwistle Moth Requiem etc. BBC Singers/Nash Ens.,/Kok. Signum CD.
Richard Causton Millennium Scenes etc. Halle/BCMG/Collon, Wigglesworth, Cornelius. NMC CD.
Dusapin Morning in Long Island. OPRF/Myung-Whun Chung. DGCD

CLASSICAL/BAROQUE
"Mozart's Instrumental Oratorium" Symphonies 39-41. Vienna Concentus/Harnoncourt. SONY ALAC 24/96.
Beethoven Symphonies 2; 8. ORR/Gardiner. SDG FLAC 24/96.
Schubert Symphonies 1; 2. Swedish CO/Dausgaard. BIS FLAC 24/96.***
CPE Bach "Empfindsamkeit!". Symphonies& Concerti. Barokkanerne. LAWO CD.
CPE Bach Symphonies 1-6 Wq. 182. Stuttgart CO/Wolfram Christ. HANSSLER CD.

Among many discoveries, 2014 has seen my rapprochement with Computer Audio and hi-res listening via USB Asynchronous, using either JRiver MC or Audirvana Plus. I'm more convinced than ever of the rewards of 24-bit audio, and revelling in them as in a fine Sancerre or Pouilly Fuisse...
They may be luxuries, but what essential luxuries they seem!

**Extra Special Commendation! My close runner-up!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ah! Just as I was thinking of posting on the "Missing Pals" Thread, she posts! Welcome back JLW.

[Petrushka]

Welcome back JLW.

[Nick Armstrong]

JLW RECORD OF THE YEAR 2014:
"Rameau: The Sound of Light"
Musicaeterna/Nadine Koutcher/Teodor Currentzis. Sony ALAC 24/88.2.

In an amazing year for new releases, this stood out in its startlingly radical, recreative, expressionist yet emotionally faithful realisation of some of Rameau's best music. Yes, the recording veers close to or into overload in one or two stormy passages (try tr.7), but has remarkably vivid presence, with an in-the-room realism in its 24/88.2 guise. Currentzis takes risks, e.g. the avant-garde noise-burst before "Essayons du brilliant" from Platee (tr.10), the fade to silence on the "Contredanse pour les peoples boreades", but when you hear the heartbreaking tenderness of Nadine Koutcher's utterances in "Tristes Appret" (the devastatingly lovely end of the sequence), and the breathless hush of Currentzis' orchestra's accompaniment, you'll forgive him anything...

Jayne - I totally agree! Snapped it up within moments of hearing bits on CD Review:

I thought the Currentzis/Musicaeterna Rameau sounded wonderful, and succumbed to temptation - listening now via the Airport Express: fab !!!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rameau-Sound...rentzis+rameau

.


And a warm welcome back to the fold

[EdgeleyRob]

Great to have you back Jayne

[hedgehog]

JLW

CONTEMPORARY:

Richard Causton Millennium Scenes etc. Halle/BCMG/Collon, Wigglesworth, Cornelius. NMC CD.

The CD is certainly worth a plug I'm interested to read what you found especially good there jlw.
I just went to look at when I bought that CD because I couldn't believe it was 2014 - seemed so long ago but I only got it in April. I don't buy many CD's, most of my pennies go on live concerts of mostly contemporary music.

Is there a best concert (or CD) 2014 thread? For me that has to be musikfabrik's performance of Partch's Delusion of the Fury.