Favourite Records of 2023

[Barbirollians]

Time for the review of the year thread. I suspect we should say favourite new records rather than reissues .

For me this year

Rivales - Veronique Gens and Sandrine Piau
Bach Cantatas - Iestyn Davies

Recentish but which i goy to know this year

Zimerman's Szymanowski recital
Hilary Hahn's Paris album
A tribute to Pauline Viardot recital - Marina Viotti and Chrstophe Rousset

[CallMePaul]

My favourite CD of the year is Sir Stephen Hough's bersion of Mompou's Musica Callada, which I have been playing far more than the composer's own recording. Sir Stephen's version is well-recorded and his choice of piano (a Yamaha) makes for great clarity.

I have also been impressed by Konstantin Krimmel and Daniel Heide in Schubert's Die Schone Mullerin. I generally prefer a tenor in this cycle but Krimmel has convinced me that there is room for a baritone version as well. I have yet to order this but it is a planned New Year treat!

[Parry1912]

At last … after decades of waiting …

Parry: Scenes from Prometheus Unbound (Vann)

also

Ysaye: Sonatas (Hahn)
Nielsen: Symphonies (Luisi)
Schreker: Die Ferne Klang, etc. (Eschenbach)

[gurnemanz]

Echo: Schubert, Loewe, Schumann & Wolf
Georg Nigl (baritone), Olga Pashchenko (fortepiano/piano)
ALPHA934

A beautiful recital of story-telling Lieder.

Also:

Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers
Bru Zane BZ2006

Plenty to discover on this 8CD collection.

[richardfinegold]

I seem to have bought very little this past year, in comparison to previous years, and most of what I have purchased are older recordings. I tend to stream newer releases that interest me and only purchase if I deem them to be exceptional. Also since I retired I have spent time exploring the byways of my CD collection. So the only discs that would meet the criteria here are:
Saint-Saens Piano Conceros, 2 discs released on BIS featuring the Kantorow family, and
Mozart String Quintets with the augmented Ebene Quartet.
It’s possible that the Kantorow discs were 2022 releases

[silvestrione]

Benjamin Grosvenor, Schumanns and Brahms
Des Canyons aus Etoiles, Messiaen Utah Sym Orch, Thierry Fischer
Mahler 9, BRSO, Simon Rattle
Several other new discs, which I've only played half of, or they are still in their wrappers! e.g. 'Tom and Will', The KIngs Singers and Fretwork...will surely be good...

[Nick Armstrong]

At last … after decades of waiting …

Parry: Scenes from Prometheus Unbound (Vann)

It gets a shout here:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/critics-choice-our-favourite-classical-recordings-of-2023

The 2023 recording that comes to mind first as most played and enjoyed is this one:

[pastoralguy]

Mozart String Quintets with the augmented Ebene Quartet.

Probably my new release of the year!

[Goon525]

Does anyone know why Record Review isn’t having its customary end of year panel where three or four regular reviewers pick their best of the year?

[Cockney Sparrow]

Does anyone know why Record Review isn’t having its customary end of year panel where three or four regular reviewers pick their best of the year?

I suggest its because so many of the regulars aren't reviewers of recorded music but persons who tick the necessary BBC boxes and are commissioned to come on and tell us about their "favourite recording" of a particular work....with varying degrees of success.