Here are 10 classical albums of 2014 that especially brightened my listening year:
Wagner: “Parsifal. Soloists, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet, Daniele Gatti, conductor (Sony Classical, Blu-ray DVD): The Met could not have launched its Wagner year (2013) any more gloriously than with this musically exemplary, dramatically striking production of the composer’s drama song. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, this “Parsifal” boasts a dream cast - including Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, Rene Pape as Gurnemanz and Katarina Dalayman as Kundry - and sumptuous orchestral playing under Gatti’s sensitive direction.
Adams: “The Gospel According to the Other Mary.” Soloists, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Deutsche Grammophon, two CDs): John Adams lavished some of his most inspired music into this modern Passion play, which tells the story of Christ’s death from a feminist perspective, using both biblical and modern texts. The oratorio resonates powerfully in this world-premiere recording.
Schubert: “Winterreise. Jonas Kauffman, tenor; Helmut Deutsch, piano (Sony Classical): This is the performance of Schubert’s sublime cycle Jonas Kaufmann’s many admirers have been waiting for. The cycle of 24 songs becomes, through the German tenor’s magnificent voice and probing artistry, a deeply affecting journey across the snowbound landscape of the soul.
Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano; BBC Philharmonic, Gianandrea Noseda, conductor (Chandos, two CDs): The brilliant French pianist places each concerto in its rightful context, searching out those qualities of rhythmic attack and variegated color that are unique to it. Noseda proves himself a model collaborator.
“Stella di Napoli.” Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano; Orchestra and Chorus of the Lyon National Opera, Riccardo Minasi, conductor (Erato): Here’s an excursion through some little-known byways of bel canto opera, including not only the usual suspects (Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti) but several relatively obscure composers (Pacini, Carafa, Mercadante) as well. Di Donato’s alluring sound, liquid coloratura and intuitive word-painting make it a trip well worth taking.
Schumann: The Four Symphonies Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Yannick Nezet-Seguin conductor (Deutsche Grammophon, two CDs): The standard complaint about Robert Schumann’s symphonies - that they are badly orchestrated - seems groundless once you hear what Nezet-Seguin and his crack ensemble do with them. A winning combination of transparency and urgency set these live performances apart from the big-orchestra competition.
“1930s Violin Concertos - Volume 1. Gil Shaham, violin; various orchestras and conductors (Canary Classics, two CDs): This thoughtful double album is the result of Shaham’s multi-season survey of vintage fiddle concertos by Samuel Barber, Alban Berg, Benjamin Britten, Karl Amadeus Hartmann and Igor Stravinsky. Each is played so impeccably that all one can say about Volume 2 is “Bring it on.”
Monteverdi: “Vespri solenni per la Festa di San Marco. Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini, conductor (Naïve, one CD and bonus DVD): Here is a reconstruction of a full vespers service Claudio Monteverdi might have led as chapel master at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. Tying together psalms and a Magnificat from the composer’s sacred anthology “Selva morale e spirituale” with various instrumental sonatas, Alessandrini makes this gem of Italian Baroque sacred music gleam with new splendor.
Hindemith: “Nobilissima Visione,” Five Pieces for String Orchestra. Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz, conductor (Naxos): The music Paul Hindemith wrote for Leonide Massine’s 1936 ballet about St. Francis of Assisi is almost always heard in the composer’s three-movement concert suite. But hearing the complete score is a revelation, and Naxos’ fine new recording does it full justice.
Tuur: Symphony No. 7 (“Pietas”), Piano Concerto. Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR Choir, Paavo Jarvi, conductor (ECM New Series): A symphony dedicated to the Dalai Lama and including choral texts of the Buddha, Gandhi, Deepak Chopra, Mother Teresa and Jim Hendrix might sound like an invitation to New Age-y disaster, but such is not the case with this 2009 work by Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tuur. The bold sweep of Tuur’s sound-mass, gathering ecstatic intensity in the final section, convinces you the symphony remains a vital musical genre in the early 21st century.
