Records of the year 2020

[Goon525]

Slightly to my surprise, I find that the ‘new’ Harnoncourt Schubert cycle is my choice too. My thanks to JLW for raving about it, because I doubt I’d have listened otherwise.

[jayne lee wilson]

A most wonderful release indeed !

Tangentially, I must say how welcome the increasing use of card sleeves has been in many new CD/SACD releases during 2020. Not only good for our fragile planet, but often encouraging some lovely artwork, especially with the gatefold designs where there are two or more discs.... as so often these days, BIS and Alpha (Gramophone Label of the Year) lead the way....

[Goon525]

Alpha are leading the way in many respects. A fully deserving (arguably overdue) recognition of a great young record label.

[cloughie]

A most wonderful release indeed !

Tangentially, I must say how welcome the increasing use of card sleeves has been in many new CD/SACD releases during 2020. Not only good for our fragile planet, but often encouraging some lovely artwork, especially with the gatefold designs where there are two or more discs.... as so often these days, BIS and Alpha (Gramophone Label of the Year) lead the way....

Fine if they are all card but those with a plastic tray glued in are a pain!

[jayne lee wilson]

Fine if they are all card but those with a plastic tray glued in are a pain!

Really C? Most of those I admired are just like that, but I have no problem with them at all. In fact the BIS approach, with the disc in a paper envelope, rather tightly inside the narrow card slipcase (and the booklet in the opposite one), is often more frustrating to use in extracting and replacing...

[Jonathan]

I'm limiting myself to "records" as albums, ie CDs. Now that streaming and download dominate ever more, I only bought three this year of new recordings actually issued in 2020.

Less familiar Franck:
Franck , Le Chasseur Maudit, Psyché (full version with three choral sections + texts), Les Éolides - Jean-Luc Tingaud/RNSO (Naxos)

I second this having discovered this recording via Spotify a couple of weeks ago - Le Chasseur Maudit is absolutely stunningly played!

[AmpH]

HAYDN - Cello Concerto's - Natalie Clein (cello) / G.O. Graz / Hofstetter ( Oehms ) - RECORD OF THE YEAR

HOWELLS - Piano Music Vol 1 - Matthew Schellhorn (piano) ( Naxos )

HOWELLS - Missa Sabrinensis - Soloists + Bach Ch / BBC CO / David Hill ( Hyperion )

BACH - St John Passion ( Cologne Recording ) - Soloists + BCJ / Suzuki ( BIS )

BACH - W.T.C. Book 1 - Trevor Pinnock (harpsichord) ( DG )

BEETHOVEN - Violin Sonatas 4/5/8 + 7/10 - James Ehnes (violin) / Andrew Armstrong (piano) ( Onyx )

JOMMELLI - Requiem - Soloists + Ghislieri Ch & Orch / Prandi ( Arcana )

[gurnemanz]

Tangentially, I must say how welcome the increasing use of card sleeves has been in many new CD/SACD releases during 2020. Not only good for our fragile planet, but often encouraging some lovely artwork, especially with the gatefold designs where there are two or more discs.... as so often these days, BIS and Alpha (Gramophone Label of the Year) lead the way....

... also HM and Naïve. And these good-looking designs are an incentive to buy the CD as an album rather than download or stream, especially if it is a recital with vocal texts.

Eg the Mucha pic on an attractive CD of Dvorak Songs & Duets which I did buy this year, though it appeared a few years ago. Good thing I got in quick - nla

[Richard Barrett]

I thought we already had an open thread on this subject. Anyway, my list is as follows (slightly larger than on the other thread):

Hindemith's Kammermusik series, conducted by Ashkenazy (Ondine)
Mauro Lanza & Andrea Valle, Systema Naturae
Berio, Coro, conducted by Grete Pedersen (BIS)
Eliane Radigue, Occam Ocean II
Morton Feldman, Coptic Light and String Quartet and Orchestra, conducted by Emilio Pomarico (Capriccio)
Haydn Symphonies vol. 8, conducted by Giovanni Antonini (Alpha)
Jean-Marie Leclair, violin concertos vol.2 with Leila Schayegh (Glossa)
Jon Hassell, Seeing through sound
"Fürchtet euch nicht" - bassoons and bombards from the German Baroque - Ensemble Syntagma Amici (Ricercar)

[jayne lee wilson]

I thought we already had an open thread on this subject. Anyway, my list is as follows (slightly larger than on the other thread):

Hindemith's Kammermusik series, conducted by Ashkenazy (Ondine)
Mauro Lanza & Andrea Valle, Systema Naturae
Berio, Coro, conducted by Grete Pedersen (BIS)
Eliane Radigue, Occam Ocean II
Morton Feldman, Coptic Light and String Quartet and Orchestra, conducted by Emilio Pomarico (Capriccio)
Haydn Symphonies vol. 8, conducted by Giovanni Antonini (Alpha)
Jean-Marie Leclair, violin concertos vol.2 with Leila Schayegh (Glossa)
Jon Hassell, Seeing through sound
"Fürchtet euch nicht" - bassoons and bombards from the German Baroque - Ensemble Syntagma Amici (Ricercar)

Thanks for the (revised) posting Richard.... see #1 for my explanation...

Wow, the BIS Coro.... bought the SACD but never played it through (Real Life got in the way, or I could blame Beethoven.....)....thanks for the reminder...

[Nick Armstrong]

(It just had to be!)

(Forgive wilful tangent)

Lewis Hamilton set some pretty good records in 2020....

.... and is now Sir Lewis!

[cloughie]

(Forgive wilful tangent)

Lewis Hamilton set some pretty good records in 2020....

.... and is now Sir Lewis!

...but Craig David made some awful ones!

[silvestrione]

(Forgive wilful tangent)

Lewis Hamilton set some pretty good records in 2020....

.... and is now Sir Lewis!

Well he does go round and round, like an LP, but the sounds (for some of us!) are far less ingratiating....

[jayne lee wilson]

Well he does go round and round, like an LP, but the sounds (for some of us!) are far less ingratiating....

The start of an F1 race, if not quite what it once was, is still a glorious music! With the melodramatic counterpoint of the excited commentary (great Sky team these days)......I love it!

Sir Lewis Hamilton set, or matched, quite a few "Records of the Year" in 2020... and became, like Marcus Rashford, an ambassador for humanity as well......... NOT WORTHY! etc.....

[Nick Armstrong]

Agreed! But perhaps I should lead us back on track after the synchronised excursion into the gravel which I set off...

Fast becoming a record of the year for me (just in time) is the new one of Rameau’s Les Boréades by Collegium 1704 / Luks (which you drew to my attention on an Early Music thread recently jayne )



Very very good indeed.