Your records of the year 2019

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I can't remember which new releases came out at the beginning of this year and which at the end of last - but those I know are brand new include the Feldman/Philip Thomas box that has been mentioned a couple of times, and Frank Denyer's The Fish That Became the Sun (Songs of the Dispossessed) - the Live World Premiere was so powerful an event, I was concerned that the recording couldn't live up to expectations/memories. No need to have been worried - it is a superb recording of a great performance of a magnificent work.

I know reissues probably shouldn't be included, but the Warner "Complete Beethoven" box contains a handful of brand-new recordings, as well as gathering older ones in new contexts. It is a complete delight, with carefully selected performances, most of which hold their own with any in the catalogue - this will afford me (I hope!) many, many years of pleasure.

[vibratoforever]

Where to begin? Much chamber music: Beethoven: Razumovsky 1 & 2 - Quatuor Ébène; Haydn: Hanson Quartet's clever programme of various SQs; Mozart: another arrestingly good release from the Quatuor van Kuijk; Shostakovich: SQ's 2, 7 & 8 from the Pavel Haas Quartet; Zemlinsky et al (oops, sorry Schönberg) by the Quatuor Arod. Solo piano: Schubert D959 from Arcadi Volodos; a thought-provoking and annoying at times but never dull and largely stimulating Beethoven sonata cycle from Igor Levit. My discovery of the year - Vigilia by Rautavaara. And to plunder other choices above - Ivan Fischer's Mahler 7 and F-X Roth's Mahler 3. And, as I am going to hear him tomorrow night with the LSO in the Barbican, two more F-X R releases, but with Les Siècles - Mahler "Titan" and, possibly my disc of the year, Berlioz and the Symphonie Fantastique, although their 'Harold en Italie" is also pretty good.

F_X Roth has been the discovery of the year for me and the the three discs you mention are superb.

Vikingur Olafsson's Bach disc would be my choice if restricted to just one highlight

[Keraulophone]

1. Magnificat - the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge directed by Andrew Nethsingha (Signum)

2. Life - Igor Levit, piano (Sony)

3. Schubert : Piano Sonatas D959, D959, Impromptus D899, Klavierstücke D946 - András Schiff, 1820 Franz Brodmann fortepiano (ECM)

4. Dobrinka Tabakova : Kynance Cove and other works for choir - Truro Cathedral Choir; BBC Concert Orchestra; Natalie Clein, Cello; Joseph Wicks, organ; Christopher Gray, director.

[gurnemanz]

Grateful to Felix the Gnat (above) for putting the Bostridge/Adès Winterreise on his list. I had noted it but not followed it up, perhaps because I already have over 30 versions - including two earlier ones from Bostridge. I have now listened on Spotify to the latest, maybe the ultimate, stage of Bostridges's own journey with this cycle, which also includes his excellent book. His voice and interpretation have mellowed and there are many revelations (a spookily slow Crow and "spoken" Im Dorfe) also many insightful details from Adès accompanying on piano. Maybe some overdoing of his word-pointing but it is certainly indispensable and I'm sure I shall end up getting the CD.

[mathias broucek]

Grateful to Felix the Gnat (above) for putting the Bostridge/Adès Winterreise on his list. I had noted it but not followed it up, perhaps because I already have over 30 versions - including two earlier ones from Bostridge. I have now listened on Spotify to the latest, maybe the ultimate, stage of Bostridges's own journey with this cycle, which also includes his excellent book. His voice and interpretation have mellowed and there are many revelations (a spookily slow Crow and "spoken" Im Dorfe) also many insightful details from Adès accompanying on piano. Maybe some overdoing of his word-pointing but it is certainly indispensable and I'm sure I shall end up getting the CD.

Ah, but do you have the version on Naxos for trombone and piano (I'm not making this up...)?

[gurnemanz]

Ah, but do you have the version on Naxos for trombone and piano (I'm not making this up...)?

Thanks for the tip which I will definitely follow up. I do have a recording with hurdy-gurdy acccompaniment and one from Christoph Prégardien with accordion and wind quintet. Both thoroughly recommendable.

[vinteuil]

Thanks for the tip which I will definitely follow up. I do have a recording with hurdy-gurdy acccompaniment and one from Christoph Prégardien with accordion and wind quintet. Both thoroughly recommendable.

... and thanks for this tip, too. I think the hoidy-goidy can wait - but I've gone ahead and ordered the Prégardien

[jayne lee wilson]

No-one else into the Bestion Monteverdi yet? (see #14).....

Playing now, again and again, all over the house... God, its so, so wonderful! You think you heard it all, then the Magnificat begins.... dizzy with, faint with, pure sublime musical pleasure!

[Richard Barrett]

No-one else into the Bestion Monteverdi yet? (see #14).....

I think I mentioned before that I didn't like it much, especially in comparison with the previous new recording I've heard, by La Compagnia dei Madrigali.

[jayne lee wilson]

I think I mentioned before that I didn't like it much, especially in comparison with the previous new recording I've heard, by La Compagnia dei Madrigali.

Yes I did recall that.... but others had only heard brief excerpts back then on the listening thread & were quickly dismissive.... just hoping for one or two more....
It was pretty much musical love-at-first-light for me...

[teamsaint]

No-one else into the Bestion Monteverdi yet? (see #14).....

Playing now, again and again, all over the house... God, its so, so wonderful! You think you heard it all, then the Magnificat begins.... dizzy with, faint with, pure sublime musical pleasure!

I’ll give it a go Jayne.
Who knows, it may be nearly as good as the original and best Vespers.........

[Beresford]

... and thanks for this tip, too. I think the hoidy-goidy can wait - but I've gone ahead and ordered the Prégardien

You can see him performing Winterreise with accordion and wind quintet from the Wigmore Hall videos -

https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/live-streams/christoph-pregardien-winterreise

[DublinJimbo]

No-one else into the Bestion Monteverdi yet? (see #14).....

Playing now, again and again, all over the house... God, its so, so wonderful! You think you heard it all, then the Magnificat begins.... dizzy with, faint with, pure sublime musical pleasure!

I'd missed this when it came out, so many thanks for pointing it out. I'm listening as I write this and you're right: it's utterly captivating.

[Keraulophone]

No-one else into the Bestion Monteverdi yet? (see #14).....

https://youtu.be/COpeUYN_CEg

Ever alert to your findings, Jayne, I did have a brief listen to this new La Tempête / Bestion version when first you mentioned it. I wasn't at that time in the right frame of mind to welcome such a radical approach being in the process of helping my daughter prepare the soprano solos in a performance of the Vespers of 1610 in Truro Cathedral. I'm glad to say that it was a fabulous performance by Christopher Gray directing St Mary's Singers (the cathedral's voluntary choir) and English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, with all the soloists either past or current members of the cathedral choir. The latter, in particular, were outstanding; I'm not biased in any way, of course .

Now that that's all over, and our half term visit to Claudio's tomb in the Friari, Venice, has proved sufficiently inspirational for Katherine (17), I can return to the Bestion. One thing is becoming clear: I can't concentrate on writing Christmas cards while it's playing. Because today is the last day even for first class card posting, I'm going to have to postpone proper listening (old carol services will suffice), but I'll get back to you on this one. Finding so many approaches to this gorgeous music is unsurprising; it is endlessly fascinating and means a huge amount to so many, often from a young age. Monteverdi must have been utterly sick and tired of the Duke of Mantua to be able to write such brilliant escapology.

[Pianorak]

Igor Levit, Life
Philipp Kopachevsky: Brahms Piano Sonata Op. 5, Klavierstücke Op.116-119