Gramophone Discs of the Month and Editor’s choices 2009

January

• Handel: Acis and Galatea; Original Cannons Performing Version 1718; Susan Hamilton, Nicholas Mulroy, Thomas Hobbs, Nicholas Hurndall Smith & Matthew Brook; Dunedin Consort & Players, John Butt; Linn: CKD319; Spotify link
• Favourite Works for Strings; Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40; Mozart: Serenade No. 13 in G major, K525 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik'; Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48; Moscow Soloists, Yuri Bashmet (director); Onyx: ONYX4037; Spotify link
• Bach, J S: Partita No. 4; Beethoven: Diabelli Variations; Stephen Kovacevich (piano); Onyx: ONYX4035; Spotify link
• Beethoven - Complete String Quartets, Quintets and Fragments; Endellion String Quartet; Warner Classics: 2564694713; Spotify link
• Pergolesi: Missa Romana; Scarlatti, A: Messa per il Santissimo Natale; Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini; Naive: OP30461; Spotify link

February

• Holst - Orchestral Works Volume 1; The Morning of the Year; The Lure; The Golden Goose; The Perfect Fool: ballet music; Joyful Company of Singers & BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Richard Hickox; Chandos: CHSA5069; Spotify link
• Purcell: Dido and Aeneas; Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano), Gerald Finley (baritone), Lucy Crowe (soprano), Patricia Bardon (mezzo-soprano), William Purefoy (counter-tenor), Sarah Tynan (soprano), John Mark Ainsley (tenor), Carys Lane (soprano) & Rebecca Outram (soprano); Choir of the Age of Enlightenment & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Steven Devine and Elizabeth Kenny (directors); Chandos: CHAN0757; Spotify link
• Composers in Person; EMI: 2175752; Spotify link
• Bellini: La Sonnambula; Cecilia Bartoli (Amina), Juan-Diego Flórez (Elvino), Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Il Conte Rodolfo), Liliana Nikiteanu (Teresa), Gemma Bertagnolli (Lisa), Peter Kalman (Alessio) & Javier Camarena (Un Notaro); Orchestra La Scintilla, Alessandro De Marchi; Decca: 4781087; Spotify link
• Piano Rarities - Vol 1: Transcriptions; Cyprien Katsaris (piano); Piano 21: P21030; Spotify link

March

• James Ehnes – Homage; James Ehnes (violin and viola) & Eduard Laurel (piano); Onyx: ONYX4038; Spotify link
• Glazunov: Symphony No. 6 in C minor, Op. 58; La Mer (Fantasie); Introduction and Dance of Salome, Op. 90; Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Jose Serebrier; Warner Classics: 2564696270; Spotify link
• Donna, Mozart opera and concert arias; Diana Damrau (soprano); Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, Jérémie Rhorer; Virgin: 2120232; Spotify link
• Pure Mendelssohn; Sebastian Knauer (piano); Berlin Classics: 0016372BC; Spotify link

April

• Händel:  Coronation Anthems; The Sixteen, Harry Christophers; Coro: COR16066; Spotify link
• Schubert - Schwanengesang & Songs After Seidl; Christoph Prégardien (tenor) & Andreas Staier (fortepiano); Challenge Classics: CC72302; Spotify link
• Dvorák & Herbert - Cello Concertos; Gautier Capuçon (cello); Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi; Virgin: 5190352; Spotify link
• Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5; Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel; DG: 4778022; Spotify link
• Jean-Marie Leclair – Sonatas; John Holloway (violin), Jaap ter Linden (violoncello) & Lars Ulrik Mortensen (harpsichord); ECM: 4766280; Spotify link

May

• Bernstein: Mass; Randall Scarlata (baritone); Celebrant Absolute Ensemble, Chorus sine nomine, Company of Music, Tölzer Knabenchor & Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich, Kristjan Järvi; Chandos: CHSA5070(2); Spotify link

June

• The Berlin Recital; Bartók: Sonata for Solo Violin, BB 124, Sz. 117; Violin Sonata No. 1, Sz 75; Kreisler: Liebesleid; encore; Schön Rosmarin; encore; Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 121; Kinderszenen, Op. 15; Martha Argerich (piano) & Gidon Kremer (violin); EMI: 6933992; Spotify link
• Shchedrin: The Sealed Angel; Clare Wills (oboe); The Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge & The Choir of King's College London, Geoffrey Webber & David Trendell; Delphian: DCD34067; Spotify link

July

• Handel - Opera Duets and Arias; Sandrine Piau (soprano) & Sara Mingardo (contralto); Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini; Naive: OP30483; Spotify link
• Handel: Faramondo; Max Emanuel Cencic, Philippe Jaroussky, Sophie Karthäuser, Marina de Liso, ,Xavier Sabata, Terry Wey, In-Sung Sin & Fulvio Bettini; Choeur de la Radio Suisse, Lugano & I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis; Virgin: 2166112; Spotify link
• Korngold - Sonnett fur Wien; Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano), William Dazeley (baritone) & Iain Burnside (piano); Signum: SIGCD160; Spotify link

August

• Adès: The Tempest; Simon Keenlyside, Kate Royal, Toby Spence, Ian Bostridge, Cyndia Sieden, Philip Langridge, Donald Kaasch, Jonathan Summers, David Condier, Stephen Richardson & Graeme Danby; The Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Thomas Adès; EMI: 6952342; Spotify link
• Piotr Anderszewski at Carnegie Hall; Piotr Anderszewski (piano); Virgin: 2672912; Spotify link
• Hans Hotter; Hans Hotter (bass-baritone), Gerald Moore (piano - most works); EMI: 2649012; Spotify link

September

• Bernstein: Mass; Jubilant Sykes (baritone); Morgan State University Choir, Peabody Children's Chorus, Morgan State University Marching Band & Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop; Naxos - 8559622-23; Spotify link
• Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 - 5 (Complete); Boris Berman (piano) & Horacio Gutierrex (piano); Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Neeme Järvi; Chandos: CHAN10522(2)X; Spotify link; Spotify link
• Britten - Before Life and After; Mark Padmore (tenor) & Roger Vignoles (piano); Harmonia Mundi : HMU907443; Spotify link
• Purcell: The complete Fantazias; Fretwork; Harmonia Mundi : HMU907502; Spotify link

October

• Verdi: Requiem; Anja Harteros, Sonia Ganassim Rolando Villazon & Rene Pape, Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano; EMI: 6989362; Spotify link
• Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto & Piano Trios; Leonidas Kavakos (violin); Sony: 88697433032; Spotify link
• Liszt Abroad; Rebecca Evans (soprano), Andrew Kennedy (tenor), Matthew Rose (baritone) & Iain Burnside (piano); Signum: SIGCD155; Spotify link
• Weber - Clarinet Concertos; Fabio di Casola (clarinet); Chamber Philharmonic of St Petersburg, Juri Gilbo; Sony – 88697376322; Spotify link
• Haydn: The Seasons; Genia Kühmeier (soprano), Werner Güra (tenor) & Christian Gerhaher – baritone; Concentus Musicus Vienna & Arnold Schoenberg Chor Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt; Deutsche HM: 88697281262; Spotify link
• Veronique Gens - Tragediennes 2 (from Gluck to Berlioz); Veronique Gens (soprano); Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset; Virgin – 2165742; Spotify link

Awards Issue

• Unknown Britten; Les illuminations, Op. 18; Orchestrated by Colin Matthews; Sandrine Piau (soprano); Northern Sinfonia, Thomas Zehetmair; Rondo Concertante for piano and strings; Rolf Hind (piano); In memoriam Dennis Brain for 4 horns and strings; Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins, Peter Francomb & Chris Griffiths (horns); Northern Sinfonia, Thomas Zehetmair; Untitled Fragment for strings; Northern Sinfonia, Thomas Zehetmair; Variations for piano solo; Rolf Hind (piano); Movements for a Clarinet Concerto for clarinet and strings; Realized by Colin Matthews; Michael Collins (clarinet); Northern Sinfonia, Thomas Zehetmair; NMC: NMCD140; Spotify link
• Jonas Kaufmann sings Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven & Wagner; Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Mahler Chamber Orchestra & Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Claudio Abbado; Decca: 4781463; Spotify link

November

• Schubert: Winterreise D911; Mark Padmore (tenor) & Paul Lewis (piano); Harmonia Mundi: HMU907484; Spotify link
• Bad Boys; Bryn Terfel (baritone), Balcarras Crafoord; Swedish Radio Choir & Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paul Daniel; DG: 4778091; Spotify link

December

• Salzburg; Martha Argerich & Nelson Freire (piano); DG: 4778570; Spotify link
• Ravel; Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No. 2; Valses nobles et sentimentales; La Valse; Ma Mère l'Oye; Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin; EMI: 9663422; Spotify link
• Rossini - Colbran, the Muse; Opera arias; Joyce DiDonato; Orchestra dell' Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Roma, Edoardo Muller; Virgin – 6945790; Spotify link

NB. The list above includes only those Discs of the Month and Editor’s choices that Spotify links were found for.