Gramophone Editor’s Choice recordings – Awards issue 2014
Gramophone
Friday, September 19, 2014
Read the reviews and stream this month's Editor's Choice recordings
Recording of the Month
Monteverdi Vespri solenni per la Festa di San Marco
Concerto Italiano / Rinaldo Alessandrini
(Naïve)
‛Their most essential Monteverdian work in donkey’s years' Review
Beethoven 'Beethoven Journey, Vol 3'
Mahler CO / Leif Ove Andsnes
(Sony)
‘Having used up my stash of superlatives, all I can say is: go buy' Review
Dvořák Symphony No 8
Pittsburgh SO / Manfred Honeck
(Reference Recordings)
‘Honeck’s interpretation is rich in imagination and the playing of the Pittsburgh Symphony scales the heights' Review
Mozart String Quartets Nos 14, 16 & 19
Casals Quartet
(Harmonia Mundi)
‘Cuarteto Casals shatter a glass ceiling of historic inhibitions and camouflage nothing' Review
Vivaldi Cello Sonatas
Marco Ceccato vc Accademia Ottoboni
(Zig-Zag Territoires)
‘A fine player with a genuine affinity for Vivaldi. His readings are elegant and much the most poetic I have heard' Review
Leighton 'Organ Works, Vol 1'
Stephen Farr org
(Resonus)
‘We experience with wonderful clarity Leighton’s clever manipulation of these familiar, comforting tunes' Review
Scharwenka. Tchaikovsky Piano Sonatas
Joseph Moog pf
(Onyx)
‘One of the modern era’s best recordings of this work' Review
Byrd. Philips 'Adoramus te'
Clare Wilkinson mez Rose Consort of Viols
(Deux-Elles)
‘Clare Wilkinson turns in perhaps the finest performances I can remember from her in this repertory' Review
Schubert 'Nachtviolen'
Christian Gerhaher bar Gerold Huber pf
(Sony)
‘Gerhaher catches the anguish and desolation without ever compromising beauty of tone and breadth of line' Review
Schoenberg Moses und Aron
Soloists; SWR SO / Sylvain Cambreling
(Hänssler Classic)
‘Extraordinarily intense austerity' Review