Critics' Choice: our favourite classical albums of 2022
Monday, December 19, 2022
Gramophone's reviewers choose their personal favourite classical albums of 2022
Moeran Chamber Music
Fidelio Trio
Resonus
Superlative Vaughan Williams anniversary offerings from Hyperion featuring Nicky Spence (5/22) and Martyn Brabbins (12/22) duly made their mark this year, but it was the excellent and enterprising Fidelio Trio’s invaluable Moeran anthology that really stole my heart: the early Piano Trio from 1920 emerges as a captivating find and the Violin Sonata, completed in 1923, is a darkly alluring affair. Andrew Achenbach
Zandonai Francesca da Rimini
Sols; Deutsche Oper, Berlin / Carlo Rizzi
Naxos
Christof Loy reimagines Zandonai’s torrid D’Annunzian thriller in terms of Italian neo-realist noir in his extraordinary Berlin staging of Francesca da Rimini, which also finds Jonathan Tetelman and Sara Jakubiak spellbinding as the lovers for whom desire becomes a prelude to unreason and escalating catastrophe. Erotic, unsettling and at times extreme, it’s absolutely riveting and quite genuinely unforgettable. Tim Ashley
Tippett The Midsummer Marriage
Sols; London Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner
LPO
Edward Gardner’s choice of a still unproven opera in English for a debut recording with his new orchestra appointment pays off spectacularly well. The live performance emphasises Tippett’s boldness in writing for all aspects of a ‘grand opera’ house: not just virtuoso work from vocal soloists but the vital music for a dance troupe and for their soloists too. Mike Ashman
Haydn Piano Sonatas, Vol 11
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet pf
Chandos
The 11th and final volume of Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s survey of Haydn’s piano music has all the charm, wit and energy of its predecessors, with a touching sense of, as I put it in my review, ‘enjoying the company of a beloved old friend before parting’. A truly remarkable ending to a series that sets the benchmark for future Haydn contenders. Michelle Assay
Shostakovich. Walton String Quartets
Albion Quartet
Signum
This is just a fantastic recording. It sounds great, the playing is erudite and courageous, and it’s quite simply the best thing I’ve heard all year. The architecture and pacing throughout the album are so well judged, and the excruciating yet exhilarating journey through these musical and emotional states captures the dichotomy of those times – and these times – so well. For this the Albion Quartet and their production team deserve high praise. Amy Blier-Carruthers
‘Hollywood Soundstage’
Sinfonia of London / John Wilson
Chandos
If, like me, you love nothing better than getting drunk on the sensuous glory of full orchestral sound, each release by John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London is more exciting than the last. But even so, this is something special: for its big-hearted emotional commitment; for the living, breathing physicality of both playing and recorded sound; and for the sheer inspiration of this vital (but still undervalued) 20th-century repertoire. I can’t stop listening. Richard Bratby
‘Stella – Renaissance Gems and their Reflections, Vol 3: Victoria’
ORA Singers / Suzi Digby
Harmonia Mundi
This has been a strong favourite of mine all year. The precision blend of the ORA Singers pays dividends in both Victoria’s rich textures and the exquisite modern reflective pieces. Suzi Digby coaxes ecstatic phrases from Alexander Campkin’s Ave regina caelorum, and Cecilia McDowall’s Alma redemptoris mater is unforgettably good. Edward Breen
Romitelli An Index of Metals
B Records
This vivid live recording of Romitelli’s final work is the album I came back to most this year. A meticulously crafted melange of contemporary classical, psychedelic rock and electronica, An Index of Metals remains an emblem for how composers of notated music can open on to other domains. Liam Cagney
Debussy Pelléas et Mélisande
Sols; Les Siècles / François-Xavier Roth
Harmonia Mundi
Pelléas is an opera that lives in shadows and half-light, in musical shades of grey. It’s a natural fit for Roth and Les Siècles’ period-instrument treatment: Allemonde has rarely been so hazy-beautiful, so richly textured. With the vertical weight thinned out, Debussy’s opera emerges with new clarity. It’s a stunner. Alexandra Coghlan
Dvořák Poetic Tone Pictures
Leif Ove Andsnes pf
Sony Classical
If you love Grieg’s Lyric Pieces as much as I do, then Leif Ove Andsnes’s wonderful album of Dvořák’s Poetic Tone Pictures will cast a similar spell. Try ‘Serenade’, with its sense of nostalgic melancholy, so Grieg-like in mood and tone. Other movements suggest parallels with Smetana, whose Czech Dances are hopefully on Andsnes’s radar. Rob Cowan
‘An Old Belief’
The Sixteen / Harry Christophers
Coro
I had been wondering when Harry Christophers and The Sixteen would record Parry’s Songs of Farewell. The sublime singing, balance of sound and interpretation of the texts, especially the longer ones of Donne and Psalm 39, confirm these motets as some of the greatest a cappella works of their time. Perhaps we could now have an album of Stanford? Jeremy Dibble
‘The Mercury Masters, Vol 2: 1958-1962’
Detroit SO / Paul Paray
Eloquence
Just about all of Paul Paray’s Detroit Symphony recordings guarantee clear lines, sharp rhythms, impeccable balances, colour and character galore plus typically vivid Mercury Living Presence sound. Newcomers should start with the all-stereo box, but if you can swing both volumes, you’ll take in the impressive breadth of this great conductor’s repertoire and how he galvanises his musicians. Jed Distler
‘Cinema’
Alexandre Tharaud pf Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia / Antonio Pappano
Warner Classics
If the number of plays following a positive review points the way to a nomination for Critics’ Choice, then ‘Cinema’, featuring pianist Alexandre Tharaud as soloist and Antonio Pappano as conductor, is it. I’m sure you’ll cherish his brilliantly played and presented two-disc set honouring composers of the big screen, in any season. Adrian Edwards
‘Mortua dulce cano’
Michał Gondko lute
Ramée
My top recommendation from this year is Michał Gondko’s album of lute music played on an instrument that seems to be from the 16th century, ‘Mortua dulce cano’. Not so much because of the lute itself, though it is lovely and he plays it beautifully, but because he has chosen unusual music from all corners of Europe. David Fallows
Beethoven ‘Diabelli’ Variations
Mitsuko Uchida pf
Decca
Plenty of worthy candidates but only one compelling choice, which is Mitsuko Uchida’s return to the studio after too long an absence. I’ll take the liberty of self-quoting: ‘If her performance comes across as a breathtakingly extravagant display of intellect and imagination, that’s only because this is exactly what Beethoven’s music is.’ David Fanning
Brahms Serenades Nos 1 & 2
Linos Ensemble
Capriccio
What a brilliant idea to play Brahms’s Second Serenade as chamber music, with one string player to a part (as in the original nonet version of Op 11). I’m so grateful to the Linos Ensemble, whose performances of both Serenades have already provided many months of joy and delight. Andrew Farach-Colton
Lusitano Motets
The Marian Consort / Rory McCleery
Linn
The Marian Consort’s finest recording to date showcases a composer who’s had precious little coverage previously. That he appears to have been of mixed heritage makes the appearance of this now singularly appropriate, but there’s no special pleading here: the music is first-rate, with exceptionally sure-footed performances supported by superlative sound. Fabrice Fitch
‘The New Gustav Leonhardt Edition’
Warner Classics
If Leonhardt could appear exactingly uncompromising in his lifetime – as pioneers can be – then our ears and perceptions have changed. So much in this rich retrospective spills out with refinement born of generosity in restraint. A sophisticated ear for timing and beauty prevails in the exquisite Couperin suites, typical of the civilised worlds he summons up. Jonathan Freeman-Attwood
Beethoven ‘Révolution, Vol 2’ – Symphonies Nos 6-9
Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall
Alia Vox
How revolutionary can another Beethoven symphony cycle truly be? Despite a little thing like a global pandemic, Jordi Savall concluded his anniversary project in rip-roaring style, leading an ensemble of handpicked young musicians with a vigour that belies his years. Neil Fisher
‘Cello Concertos from Northern Germany’
Gulrim Choï vc Ensemble Diderot
Audax
Ensemble Diderot’s resurrections of long-buried Baroque pearls are always a joy but this pre-Classical Germany-focused programme really was a revelation in placing the cello centre stage for the very first time. The ensemble’s cellist Gulrim Choï brings sparkle and a darkly burnished bite to a highly individual musical voyage of discovery, supported by a graceful, gusto-filled ensemble. Marvellous. Charlotte Gardner
Korndorf The Smile of Maud Lewis
orchestra / Leslie Dala
Redshift
Not Korngold but Korndorf, the Muscovite turned Canadian who died prematurely in 2001. His music can sound like Schnittke on steroids but The Smile of Maud Lewis is ‘post-minimalism’ at its most blissful (though not for the players) – a pocket-size pastorale with elements vaguely reminiscent of Steve Reich’s Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards. David Gutman
Bruckner Symphony No 8
Bruckner Orchestra, Linz / Markus Poschner
Capriccio
Markus Poschner’s account of the Eighth Symphony is one of the finest Bruckner recordings to have come my way in recent times, marrying a wonderfully articulate presentation of the score with a communicative power that’s enormously compelling. Capriccio’s first-class sound and excellent documentation make a desirable recording even more rewarding. Christian Hoskins
Handel ‘Winged Hands’ – Eight Great Suites
Francesco Corti hpd
Arcana
I don’t know what the chances are but for the second year running my choice is Handel harpsichord suites. Maybe Francesco Corti’s new recording does not surpass Pierre Hantaï’s wise musical offering from last year (Mirare, 2/21) but it has more suites and is an irresistible and ebullient showcase of harpsichord wizardry. As I wrote in my original review, this is ‘bravura stuff from a harpsichord magician’. Lindsay Kemp
Bach Italian Concerto. French Overture, etc
Mahan Esfahani hpd
Hyperion
I listened to Mahan Esfahani’s recording of Bach’s Italian Concerto and Overture in the French Style in shifts, sometimes only a few movements at a time. This is dazzling, provocative, occasionally maddening work from one of the few harpsichordists today with a truly wide and international audience. How did he do that? What is that odd and beguiling registration? Surprises abound, as does pleasure. Philip Kennicott
Lampe The Dragon of Wantley
Sols; The Brook Street Band / John Andrews
Resonus
John Frederick Lampe was a German who settled in Lo
don. This ‘burlesque’ is an affectionate parody of the kind of operas composed by Handel, his friend and fellow immigrant. The libretto by Henry Carey is deliberately inane; the music is charming, and quite serious in places. The performance is exemplary. Richard Lawrence
Messiaen Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus
Bertrand Chamayou pf
Erato
Messiaen’s piano masterpiece, radiantly played, bookended by reflective echoes from equally diligent composers. There is no other way to listen to this than to block out a few hours, line up some equivalent consumable treats of your own choosing and sink into the music’s depths. Isn’t that what records are for? Andrew Mellor
Schnittke. Shostakovich. Silvestrov ‘Outcast’ – String Quartets
Matangi Quartet
Matangi
A tremendous recording, weaving a narrative that starts off with Schnittke’s astonishing String Quartet No 3 from 1985 and moves backwards to Silvestrov’s Quartet No 1 from 11 years earlier – thus predating his current ‘postludial’ style – and further back still to Shostakovich’s Quartet No 8. Performances are rich in detail and nuance, the players committed to every note. Ivan Moody
Saint-Saëns Piano Transcriptions
Cyprien Katsaris pf
Piano21
Spectacular transcriptions for solo piano of Carnival of the Animals, the Organ Symphony, Africa and Piano Concerto No 2 (arr Bizet) are enticing enough, but the enterprising Katsaris also includes a DVD of the 1908 L’assassinat du duc de Guise (the first film to have a score written by a major composer) with himself as silent-film pianist. Jeremy Nicholas
Beethoven ‘Révolution, Vol 2’ – Symphonies Nos 6-9
Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall
Alia Vox
I spent last year’s Christmas to New Year hiatus immersed in the pandemic-delayed completion of Jordi Savall’s Beethoven cycle (Symphonies Nos 6‑9). I really don’t think I’ve heard anything more invigorating all year. The playing has energy and punch, and the set includes one of the best period-instrument Ninths on record. Mark Pullinger
Wagner Tristan und Isolde
Sols; Staatskapelle Berlin / Daniel Barenboim
BelAir
Measured purely by frequency of playback, Uchida’s Diabellis were my record of the year by a long chalk, and for the reasons outlined so precisely by David Fanning’s original review. For a present to myself, though, the possibilities opened up by the Barenboim/Tcherniakov Tristan – and by Mike Ashman’s scrutiny of it – promise lasting rewards. Peter Quantrill
Brian Faust
Sols; English National Opera Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins
Dutton
Another marvellous year. Any winner from a field that included Gipps, Pettersson, Adrian Williams, Daniel Jones, Holmboe, Héloïse Werner and operas by Hindemith and Phibbs had to be remarkable – and it was: ENO’s magnificent recording of Brian’s multi-layered late opera, Faust. And do read John Mauceri’s The War on Music (Yale)! Guy Rickards
Elgar Complete Organ Works
Tom Winpenny org
Naxos
In a strong field of new organ recordings, Tom Winpenny’s complete Elgar stands out. He really makes a strong case for the early Vesper Voluntaries and throws himself with tremendous brio into the Sonata in G. The Hereford instrument has just the requisite balance of mellowness and power. The ‘fill-ups’ are beautifully played, especially ‘Nimrod’. Naxos’s engineering and keen price make this issue even more attractive. Malcolm Riley
Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 3
Kristian Bezuidenhout fp Freiburg Baroque Orchestra / Pablo Heras-Casado
Harmonia Mundi
The triumphant conclusion of a complete cycle, these performances stand as a benchmark among original-instrument interpretations, even as they present vividly fresh perspectives on this much-beloved repertory. The Freiburg orchestra under Heras-Casado has never sounded more beautiful, nor Bezuidenhout more spontaneously imaginative. Patrick Rucker
Shostakovich Symphonies Nos 4 & 11
BBC Symphony & Philharmonic Orchestras / Gennady Rozhdestvensky
ICA Classics
I was not always Gennady Rozhdestvensky’s greatest fan but this live 1978 account of Shostakovich’s renegade Fourth Symphony is an absolute corker. It was Rozhdestvensky who gave the first performance in the West back in 1962 but honestly this sounds like the first performance: the belligerence, daring, and shock and awe of it is simply off the scale. The coupling – No 11 – has been bettered; this hasn’t. Edward Seckerson
Handel La Resurrezione
Sols; The English Concert / Harry Bicket
Linn
With sumptuous singing from Ashley Riches, Lucy Crowe, Iestyn Davies and Sophie Bevan, it’s absurd to single out Hugo Hymas, whose tender ‘Quando è parto dell’affetto’, for my buck, steals the show. Directed by Harry Bicket, this crack team of Handelians meets its match with The English Concert, elegantly and decisively driven by cellist Joseph Crouch. Mark Seow
Grieg Songs
Lise Davidsen sop Leif Ove Andsnes pf
Decca
My reviewing year started off with Lise Davidsen’s new album of Grieg songs, with refined and intelligent support from Leif Ove Andsnes, and it’s a recording I’ve returned to often, relishing the beauty – sometimes cool, sometimes fiery – of the performances and rediscovering the dramatic and emotional richness of the songs themselves. Hugo Shirley
Mozart ‘Mozart Momentum 1786’
Leif Ove Andsnes pf Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Sony Classical
It was a toss-up between Ravel and Mozart, with Les Siècles and Cédric Tiberghien shedding revelatory period-instrument light on Ravel’s concertos. But in the end, the second volume of ‘Mozart Momentum’ stole my heart, with Leif Ove Andsnes coaxing from his Mahler CO colleagues the most sublimely generous-spirited music-making. Harriet Smith
Adams Collected Works
Various artists
Nonesuch
As can be heard throughout this impressive 40-disc box-set collection, the music of John Adams reflects contemporary life in all its polymorphous multiplicity. Here is a composer who, in Rob Cowan’s words, ‘has the courage to oppose his convictions rather than slavishly follow them’. A highly recommended set, then, which would make a lovely gift for any John Adams enthusiast. Pwyll ap Siôn
Schütz David et Salomon – Psalmi & Canticum canticorum
Les Cris de Paris / Geoffroy Jourdain
Harmonia Mundi
Our turbulent times all but insist on more Schütz recordings, for their flood of musical ideas that speak with a sense of order and certainty in the world, and, in these performances, do so with welcome robustness. This mixture of the vocal works with instrumental interludes by Scheidt shows these German masters soaring and exclaiming colourfully and emphatically across the centuries. David Patrick Stearns
Tippett The Midsummer Marriage
Sols; London Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner
LPO
You have to grab every chance to hear Tippett’s big scores in concert, and Edward Gardner’s bravery in programming The Midsummer Marriage to open his LPO tenure paid off in a performance of integrity and intensity. Now, at last, there’s a companion recording to sit alongside Colin Davis’s half-century-old classic. David Threasher
Locke The Flat Consort
Fretwork with David Miller theorbo/archlute Silas Wollston hpd
Signum
This year’s forays into 17th-century music included marvellous interpretations of Monteverdi, Grandi, Schütz and Purcell. Timely quadricentennial celebrations of Matthew Locke reaffirmed his ingenuity and expressiveness whether writing for the London stage (Ensemble Correspondances’ Psyche) or intimate suites for viols and continuo most likely for private use in Hereford among friends (‘Papists and Delinquents’) that Fretwork play gorgeously. David Vickers
Van Dieren Complete Music for Piano Solo
Christopher Guild pf
Piano Classics
Ranging across Busoni and Schoenberg, Dutch folk music and post-Romantic virtuosity, Bernard van Dieren’s solo piano output might seem unduly disparate but Christopher Guild ensures its stylistic consistency while conveying its expressive vitality. Still to be fought for, the composer’s musical legacy could scarcely have a more searching or committed advocate. Richard Whitehouse
Birtwistle Duet for Eight Strings. Oboe Quartet. Piano Trio. Pulse Sampler
Nash Ensemble
BIS
The death of Sir Harrison Birtwistle in April 2022 brought extra poignancy to the appearance a few weeks earlier of an album featuring some of his later works. The Nash Ensemble’s long familiarity with, and constant advocacy of, Birtwistle’s music resonate throughout these assured and vibrantly intense performances – a worthy memorial of long-lasting value. Arnold Whittall
Handel Amadigi di Gaula
Sols; Early Opera Company / Christian Curnyn
Chandos
An A-list cast and crack period band strike sparks off each other in a thrilling performance of a ‘magic opera’ crammed with ravishing melody and evocative orchestral colours. Tim Mead brings honeyed tone to the hero’s soulful arias, while Mary Bevan’s sorceress is both dangerous and sympathetic. A Handelian winner. Richard Wigmore
Fauré Complete Songs
Cyrille Dubois ten Tristan Raës pf
Aparte
When it comes to complete recordings of Fauré’s mélodies, I’ll never forsake the sublime Elly Ameling, Gérard Souzay and Dalton Baldwin. But these intimate, burnished performances by tenor Cyrille Dubois and pianist Tristan Raës blew me away when they miraculously appeared this year. And I’ve not stopped listening to them since. William Yeoman
