Classic CD Magazine has issued its awards for 1999(maybe a little
early).  The categories and winners are:

   Disc of the year - Elgar's Symphony no. 3 - Payne - NMC
   Bach and before - Handel's Ariodante - von Otter/Minkowski - Archiv
   Historic - Debussy/Resphigi - de Sabata - Testament
   Reissue - Wagner's Lohengrin - Konya/Leinsdorf - RCA
   Rare Repertoire - Elgar's Symphony no. 3 - Payne - NMC
   Living Composer - Henze's Undine - Knussen - DG
   Orchestral - Gounod's Symphonies - Marriner - Philips
   Concerto - Haydn's cello concertos -Isserlis/Norrington - RCA
   Chamber - Dvorak violin sonatas - Marwood/Tomes - Hyperion
   Instrumental - Bach English Suites - Perahia - Sony
   Opera - Gounod's Romeo et Juliette - Gheorghiu/Plasson - EMI
   Song and Choral - Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette - Gardiner - Philips
   Best Buy - Berlioz's complete operas - Davis - Philips
   Critics' Award - Philip's Great Pianists Series

My comments are:

1.  I prefer "Ariodante" on Harmonia Mundi conducted by McGegan.

2.  Marriner makes the cut.

3.  Gounod and Berlioz are each selected twice for different recordings.

4.  In my opinion, the most worthy selection was for the Berlioz complete
operas conducted by Davis.

5.  Isserlis appears to have replaced Ofra Harnoy as RCA's favorite
cellist.  This must be a triumph of musicality over cheese cake, although
I never thought that Harnoy's physical attributes were anything special.

Don Satz
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