CDR Critics Review of the Year

[StephenO]

Listening to the immolation scene now - yes, very slow, but it seems right - there's a feeling of exhaustion (& I don't mean that the singer sounds tired) - Brunhilde's lost Siegfried, she's tired of life, the idea of the gods is worn out, & she wants the end to come. There's no triumph - just loss & failure.

Yet from the loss and failure comes a new hope, the promise of something better. I've always found this scene one of the most moving in all music and Katarina Dalayman seems to capture it perfectly.

[Flosshilde]

Yet from the loss and failure comes a new hope, the promise of something better. I've always found this scene one of the most moving in all music and Katarina Dalayman seems to capture it perfectly.

Yes - I've never really got a sense of the desolation Brunhilde is feeling until I heard it this morning.

[Daring Tripod]

Frankly, I get completely confused each year. Usually the 'Critics Choice' often comes up with choices that have hardly been played in the 'disc of the week' during the year. Incidentally, similar predicaments often apply to 'Critics Choices' in the Gramophone which, also, come up with CDs not particularly 'highly recommended' during the year and that applies also to the BBC 'Music Magazine'. So, at the end of the day, putting these together one hardly ever finds any conformity in selection. There are some years when there are certain items which are recommended by more than one of these lists and when this happens I thnk 'this must be worth consideration' and usually I find, indeed, that is an altogether exceptional performance. I often wonder if these end of the year selections often come up on purpose with selections not particularly highlighted during the year? Of course, I am talking of generalities and there are indeed notable exceptions.