# Your best of 2009



## Vic (Sep 2, 2009)

Sort of nervous starting a new thread, but I thought this might be a fun topic:

What is your personal composer of the year?
Conductor?
Artist (solo or orchestra)?
Performance?
CD?
CD cycle?

Maybe this will be inspiring to share...
Late happy new year by the way!!!


Mine are:
Composer - Schostakovich
Conductor - Bohm (just got Bruckner 4th... sooo nice)
Artist - Nina Stemme
Performance - Tristan und Isolde, Covent Garden, Cond: pappano, nina stemme as isolde
CD - Jancek 2nd string quartet by the Pavel Haas quartet or Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten with Peter Pears
CD cycle - Schostakovich string quartets Borodin quartet


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## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

It's a good idea for a thread. The questions made me think. Here's my answers::

*What is your personal composer of the year?*

I got more interested in Purcell. I already had the main work (Dido & Aeneas) but not much else. He was among BBC's Radio 3 "composers of the year", and this gave me a wider interest in other theatrical works, his instrumental works and more of his anthems, hymn, odes, songs. He is very accessible. I like his style which I find very polished. Another tragic early death.

*Conductor?*

I am much impressed by Ivan Fischer, chief conductor of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Everything I have heard is very good.

*Artist (solo or orchestra)?*

Difficult to choose, but I do like Paul Lewis (pianist) who has recently worked his way through the Beethoven piano sonatas. I haven't bought any yet but have some on loan from a friend.

*Performance?*

If you mean live performance, I especially enjoyed the London Prom on 10 Sept with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, performing Haydn Symphony No 98 and Schubert's Symphony No 9 in C major, 'Great'. I love the VPO and Franz Welser-Möst is such a smoothie. So too is Haydn and Schubert, of course. (*N.B*. I understand that this concert is being repeated on Radio 3 on 7 Jan 2010).

*CD?*

I bought another version of Dido & Aeneas with Chistopher Hogwood/Academy of Ancient Music (Bott/Kirkby), and thoroughly splendid it is.

*CD cycle?*

I didn't buy a cycle but, in the spirit of this thread, if I had done so it would probably have been either Beethoven Symphonies, Vanska/Minnesota, or the Beethoven piano sonatas by Lewis.


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## Il Seraglio (Sep 14, 2009)

Vic said:


> Performance - Tristan und Isolde, Covent Garden, Cond: pappano, nina stemme as isolde


Yay, I was there too (well, it could have been a different day, but whatever). Those hecklers were really annoying. I'd say Pappano and the LSO could have held their own in Bayreuth. I really enjoyed that performance.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

*Composer*

I'm not sure if I can remember as far back as January 2009, but the latter half of the year certainly featured what I can only call a strong emotional 'dependence' on the music of Tchaikovsky. It wasn't a journey of discovery, as I already have a large and well-listened-to collection of Tchaikovsky; I just felt the emotional _need_ to return to his music more often than is usual for me.

*Conductor*

As with Artemis, I've been impressed by Ivan Fischer. I went along to his Proms concert this year and was very impressed; particularly by his rendition of Dvorak's 7th Symphony, which is one of my all-time favourite pieces. However, I've probably paid the most _attention_ to Daniel Barenboim - I find him strangely adorable!

*Artist (solo or orchestra)*

I'm not so sure if I can single any out because I don't really gravitate towards artists... I feel a desire to explore whatever music takes my fancy at a given moment, and then I just survey the sounds given by the various soloists/orchestras and then purchase my personal favourite - I haven't displayed any particular interest or loyalty in any particular one.

*Performance*

I unfortunately didn't physically go to many live concerts last year, but, as I mentioned, I went to Ivan Fischer's Prom, which I loved. Other than that, I would have to say that 2009 was the year of the Berliner Philharmoniker's Digital Concert Hall - I was more than happy paying just under 10 euros to watch many of their concerts on my laptop. I particularly recall Steven Isserlis's performance of Dvorak's Cello Concerto; Sir Simon Rattle's take on the Brahms Symphonies and Mitsuko Uchida's performance of the Schumann Piano Concerto.

*CD*

Most definitely, my CD of the year would have to be Andre Previn's recording of the Manfred Symphony. There's little more I can voice about it - Byron's drama is one of my most cherished piece of literature and Tchaikovsky's music matches it wonderfully.

I was also taken by some performances of Schubert's late Piano Sonatas by Murray Perahia; Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata featuring Britten and Rostropovich; and also Solti's recording of Verdi's Requiem - so many more CDs that I was particularly pleased with are springing to mind, but I'll leave it at that!

*CD Cycle*

I can't remember if I bought a full cycle of anything last year - I desperately wanted a cycle of Dvorak's symphonies, but hardly anyone seems to have covered 1-3, with a few extra performances of 4, and I was left disappointed by the sound of Neeme Jarvi's cycle, so I didn't buy it.

2010 looks set to be an 'English music' year however. I'm very new to Vaughan Williams, but I've just bought Previn's cycle of his symphonies. I think it will take me a while to get used to his music - if I feel displaced, I'll continue to return to Brahms!


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## Vic (Sep 2, 2009)

Regarding BerlinPhil Digital Concert Hall:

This is so interesting, I just stumbled across it two days ago. I am currently trying to figure out how I can send the music to my Hifi and have the pictures on the laptop if you see what I mean. However, I loved the trailers. Did you listen to the Bartok + Britten + Strauss concert in October? It sounds really interesting. Might pick this as my first.

Il Seraglio:
I loved the opera. I was crying and laughing and I am now a huge Nina Stemme fan. www.ninastemme.com shows all her future performances. I want to go to Russalka in Munich (October - sadly not during Oktoberfest though). Already so excited as I bet she's a fantastic Russalka.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Composer - This year I have really fallen in love with Antonin Dvorak, his life is so amazing and he was such a humble man. The overall feel of his music is just something to die for, so pleasant and beautiful. 

Conductor - Neeme Jarvi, Ive bought quite a few of his recordings and he is an excellently polished conductor. THe prime reason however is for his revival of some works I would otherwise never have heard, such as Taneyev's Orchestral music, Dvoraks early symphonies, the symphonies of Tubin and Steinberg and fibich as well as a recording of Barbers Adagio for strings.

CD - Colin Davis with the Royal Concertgebouw Orkest - Dvorak Symphonies 7, 8, 9 & Symphonic Variations. The 7th is probably the best recording around, the 8th is good - the orchestra plays amazingly, the 9th is an alright recording.

CD cycle - Evgeny Svetlanov - Myaskovsky complete Symphonies. Simply because its the only one around !


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Polednice said:


> *Composer*
> 
> I'm not sure if I can remember as far back as January 2009


Whatwas it you were saying about classsical music and memory?


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Polednice said:


> I'm very new to Vaughan Williams, but I've just bought Previn's cycle of his symphonies. I think it will take me a while to get used to his music


I really do hope you'll get into RVW's music. My personal favourite British symphony cycle, full stop. Just great music, all of it.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Vic said:


> Regarding BerlinPhil Digital Concert Hall:
> 
> This is so interesting, I just stumbled across it two days ago. I am currently trying to figure out how I can send the music to my Hifi and have the pictures on the laptop if you see what I mean. However, I loved the trailers. Did you listen to the Bartok + Britten + Strauss concert in October? It sounds really interesting. Might pick this as my first.


I'm not quite sure what you mean by that first part... I haven't seen the particular concert you mentioned, but I'm sure it would be a great one to start with. I just love the fact that all of the performances are archived - I spend so much time flicking through all of the concerts and thinking, 'Ah! How did I miss this one? A great way to spend an evening!'



emiellucifuge said:


> CD - Colin Davis with the Royal Concertgebouw Orkest - Dvorak Symphonies 7, 8, 9 & Symphonic Variations. The 7th is probably the best recording around, the 8th is good - the orchestra plays amazingly, the 9th is an alright recording.
> 
> ...
> 
> Whatwas it you were saying about classsical music and memory?


Ha! Usually I have a good short-term _and_ long-term memory, but it's failed me now  In that other thread, it's just my short-term under scrutiny, so all is well! 

Are you sure that the recording with Colin Davis is with the RCO? I just wonder, because I have what seems to be the exact same recording, but it's Colin Davis with the LSO... Whatever the case, I really like his interpretation of the late Dvorak symphonies.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Yes I think he did it with both!


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2010)

What is your personal composer of the year?
Hands down, it would have to be Mahler. This whole year has been a huge exploration of classical music for me, and while I have enjoyed, even loved, much of what I have discovered, it really is easy for me to select Mahler as my personal composer of the year. I have sought to procure as much of his works as I can, and as my wallet (and wife) allow.

Conductor?
Really tough choice here. There are several I would pick, but I will stick for now with 3 - Otto Klemperer, for his wonderful recordings of Mahler's 2nd, Mozart's Magic Flute, and Bruckner's 6th; John Eliot Gardiner, for too much to list, but including Beethoven's 9th, Missa Solemnic, and Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, and Michael Tilson Thomas, for the Mahler cycle that I am thoroughly enjoying (and almost have in its entirety).

Artist (solo or orchestra)?
For solo, I will pick Mstislav Rostropovic (I love his recordings of Bach's cello suites, Dvorak's cello concerto, and so much else). For ensemble, I will go with the Emerson String Quartet (Beethoven's Late string Quartets, Schubert's String Quintet, and so much more). For orchestra, I will choose the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique (Gardiner's orchestra) for the above-mentioned performances.

Performance?
I personally attended no performances, but I will list here Dudamel's LA premiere conducting Mahler's 1st, as I did see that on PBS. That is the closest I came to seeing a performance.

CD?
Easy one - even though it isn't mentioned until now in this list, this one goes to du Pre/Barbirolli performing Elgar's Cello Concerto (along with Elgar's Cockaigne, and Sea Songs). One of the most beautiful pieces I have heard in my exploration. Sad, moving, powerful.

CD cycle?
I don't have many complete cycles, and those I have aren't in my favorites list. But there are a few that I am close to completing, and the standout here for me is Michael Tilson Thomas directing the SFSO performing Mahler's symphonies.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

*Composer*- *Bach*... always Bach. Even with a sizable collection I am still discovery new facets of the man. Although I might add two other possibilities: *Shostakovitch*... who I am just really beginning to explore. I purchased several symphonies, the preludes, the string quartets, songs, and his opera, _The Nose_, this year. After that... I have been especially interested in English composers this year... discovering or exploring more deeply the works of Bax, Vaghan-Williams, Elgar, Bantock, Cyril Scott... and most importantly, *Delius*... who I have found to be a delicious composer... even a writer of more than one marvelous opera. Lastly... *Daniel Catan* is perhaps my personal favorite among newly discovered living composers. His lush operas Rappaccini's Daughter and Florenzia merge the magic realism of South America with elements of Puccini, Impressionism, Post-Romanticism, and even Modernism. *Alan Hovhaness* was another marvelous discovery... and I found myself wanting more and more.

*Conductor*- Perhaps Marin Alsop, the protege of Bernstein, through whose many marvelous performances on Naxos I greatly broadened my collection of American Modern and Contemporary composers.

*Artist*- Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. His marvelous performances of Debussy's piano music are simply exquisite.

*Performance-* I finally got around to John Eliot Gardiner with the English Baroque Soloists and His Majesty's Sackbutts and Cornetts, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Lynne Dawson, Anne Sophie von Otter, Nancy Argenta, etc... performing Monteverdi's _L'Orfeo_: Stunning!!!

*CD-* The new disc of Shostakovitch' opera, _The Nose_, by Valery Gergiev and the Mariinksy Theater. This is an absolutely audacious and outrageous work given a no-holds-barred recording. One cannot help but recognize how much was lost due to Soviet suppression of Shostakovitch.

*CD cycle*- Wilhelm Kempff's recording of Schubert's complete piano sonatas which raised Schubert several notches higher... if such was possible... in my esteem.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

What is your personal composer of the year?
This is really hard for me to answer. I know I listened to a lot more Mahler than any other composer last year, but I really feel that pride of place should go to Arvo Part. Why? His music always felt much more personal to me than that of any other composer.

Conductor?
Paavo Jarvi.

Artist (solo or orchestra)?
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Performance?
Mahler 1. Cincinnati Symphony, Paavo Jarvi conducting. An absolutely perfect performance in just about every way. I wish this performance could be replaced by an earlier one of Kaplan conducting the 2nd symphony with the same orchestra, but even typing the word "conducting" just now was difficult for me to do.

CD?
Celibidache's Bruckner 4 from Munich. Changed my life.

CD cycle?
James Levine's Mahler series. And this coming year it promises to be Paavo Jarvi's Bruckner cycle. It only missed this pick because the first installment hadn't been released on Amazon until summer, the second installment until December. But it's absolutely this year's.


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## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

Vic said:


> Sort of nervous starting a new thread,


Don't be 

What is your personal composer of the year?

*Beethoven*. You see, I have only been "into" classical music since Fall of 2008, beginning in the Baroque. Much of last year was dominated by discovering _some_ of Beethoven! (Still listen to plenty of Baroque, though!)

Conductor?

I'm not quite at the stage where I can really say who is better than who, so I guess I'll go with the conductor of my most-recent-favorite recording, *Jos van Immerseel*. I imagine it was pretty tough to get that small number of players to sound that large.

Artist (solo or orchestra)?

Though I could think of a few good candidates, going to pick a pianist I (somewhat surprisingly) don't often see mentioned in posts here on the topic: *Andras Schiff*. I think he's great, and I am eternally in his debt for his excellent lectures on Beethoven's piano sonatas.

Performance?

I didn't go to many live performances, so I'll go with a performance of Bruckner's 4th by the Utah Symphony. It was my first live symphony!

CD?

I can't pick just one 

CD cycle?

For the first half of the year, Helmut Walcha's Bach organ works (though I've since picked up a couple discs by organists I like better, he's still my baseline). Latter half would be the above-mentioned Anima Eterna Beethoven symphonies.


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Composer - Mahler
Conductor - Solti
Artist - Ferruccio Furlanetto (always will be)
Performance - None this year : (
CD - Don Giovanni (Karajan)
CD cycle - Barenboim's Beethoven Complete Symphonies


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

World Violist said:


> CD cycle?
> James Levine's Mahler series. And this coming year it promises to be Paavo Jarvi's Bruckner cycle. It only missed this pick because the first installment hadn't been released on Amazon until summer, the second installment until December. But it's absolutely this year's.


I have to hear this cycle. You are the biggest Mahler fan I know. I have been eating away at Solti's box set, but I have such a respect for Levine.

Is it breathtaking?


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> I have to hear this cycle. You are the biggest Mahler fan I know. I have been eating away at Solti's box set, but I have such a respect for Levine.
> 
> Is it breathtaking?


If you can find Levine's Mahler 3, get it ASAP. You ask whether it's breathtaking? The first movement is breathtaking by itself (and I mean this in the good way). he takes a quick approach, all to the good, and by the end it's really intense. The last movement might have its detractors (at a couple minutes short of a half hour it's anything but concise), but Levine has such an amazing sense of line that you come away wondering how it could be done any differently. And goodness, those Chicago brass are really something else.

And then there's his recording of the fourth symphony, also from Chicago, and it's almost hilarious how innocent and light-footed the whole thing is. The slow movement, again on the broad side of things, is otherworldly. And his recent recording of the 6th from Boston is absolutely the opposite, just as it needs to be.

Is it breathtaking? In a word, yes.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

How about the 8th?


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

emiellucifuge said:


> How about the 8th?


Levine hasn't gotten around to recording the 2nd or 8th yet, but I'm hoping he'll do so in Boston. They've been recording every single concert since he's become their director, and since that's where his latest Mahler 6 is from, I'm really looking forward to more Mahler from this pairing.


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## Il Seraglio (Sep 14, 2009)

Composer -
Mozart as usual. Most of all, I've enjoyed listening to John Eliot Gardiner's interpretation of the Great Mass in C Minor and the underrated opera La Clemenza di Tito conducted by Sylvain Cambreling.

Conductor -
Well this has been a big year for me in terms of Wagner listening so Solti is up there by default.

Artist -
This one has to go to the divine voice of the late tenor Fritz Wunderlich and his interpretation of Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin and Schumann's Dichterliebe. I've never heard singing like it in my life. No hyperbole, honest.

Performance -
The edge would have to go to Gardiner's Mass in C Minor on this one (Nobel Prize concert on youtube). I loved his attention to detail and sense of flow. My only complaint would be some excessive use of staccato by the singer in the Ladaumus Te aria.

Was tempted to mention the Tsarina's Slippers by Tchaikovsky from Covent Garden broadcast on BBC2. The staging was lavish, the orchestra was superb and it was a nice introduction to Russian opera, but I found the singing far too abrasive for my liking.

CD -
Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin sung by Wunderlich with Hubert Gieson on piano.

CD cycle -
Trevor Pinnock's cycle of Mozart symphonies. Numbers 25, 29, 38, 39, 40 and 41 being particular highlights. My only complaint is the lack of alternative movements or unnumbered symphonies. Very barebones.


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

World Violist said:


> Levine hasn't gotten around to recording the 2nd or 8th[*] yet,


[*]_commercially_...

There *is* a "Veni, Creator spiritus" on disc 5 of the 12 CD collection 'Chicago Symphony Orchestra- The First 100 Years,' led by Levine and recorded at the Ravinia Festival in Summer, 1979.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Chi_townPhilly said:


> [*]_commercially_...
> 
> There *is* a "Veni, Creator spiritus" on disc 5 of the 12 CD collection 'Chicago Symphony Orchestra- The First 100 Years,' led by Levine and recorded at the Ravinia Festival in Summer, 1979.


Well I rather doubt there are a lot of people who would shell out $200 or whatever it is for the first part of Mahler 8... but they have Reiner in that box, so hey.

I almost had the opportunity to buy that set while I was in Chicago. I say "almost" because I didn't exactly have $200 in my pocket...


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

I went bananas for the organ last year, so this reflects my choices, I guess.

Personal composer of the year?
J.S. Bach

Conductor?
No one. I very rarely listened to orchestral music in 2009.

Artist (solo or orchestra)?
Piet Wiersma; Dutch organist, died in 2003, I managed to purchase his OOP unfinished Bach organ integral (on a very small label: EuroSound).

Performance?
_Fantasia in C-minor_ BWV 562, played by Piet Wiersma.
Recorded just a few hours before he died, leaving his integral unfinished. Very heartfelt performance on the Lohman-organ (1817) in the 13th century church of the village of Eenrum, NL.

CD?
OK. Let's choose something non-organesque. 
_Cantigas de Santa Maria: Eno nome de Maria_ by Johanette Zomer & Antequera (Alpha).

CD cycle?
The (also OOP) complete Bach organ integral played by Ewald Kooiman (Coronata). Just like the one by Wiersma, I've been so lucky to obtain it. And unfortunately there is another resemblance: Ewald Kooiman died in January 2009.


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## linda1986 (Feb 19, 2010)

Here is my personal list :

What is your personal composer of the year? Michael Djupstrom
Conductor? Marin Alsop
Artist (solo or orchestra)? Luciano Pavarotti

[promo link removed]


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## JAKE WYB (May 28, 2009)

Composer - *Bohuslav Martinu* - all new and marvellous to me and at last someone who wrote a decent amount of individual quailty stuff rather than scraps

Conductor - *Donald Runnicles* - making magic with his new leadership of BBCSO and doing marvellous Martinu at glasgow city halls

Artist - *BBC Scottish Orchestra *- all marvellous top notch performanxces every time never let me down at last without the mudiocrity spurned by ilan volkov who isnt their principal conductor any more at last

Perormsnce - BBC phil ( i think) doing *Shostakovich 11 *at the proms - absolutely gripping - most gripping performance ive seen in years

not bought any cds this year that are _new_


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## TresPicos (Mar 21, 2009)

Composer - Some French ones (Dutilleux, Ravel) and some British ones (Alwyn, Bridge). 

CD - Frank Bridge's Piano music on Naxos.


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