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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