The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: Here are the Classical Music WINNERS of this year’s Grammy Awards, complete with the nominees they beat. | February 16, 2013
By Jacob Stockinger
It’s time to catch up.
It has been a busy week for local music and other events. So some things inevitably got put off, especially reviews.
Sorry, but The Ear can hear more and faster than he can write and post. My apologies.
One the highlights last week was the announcement on last Sunday night of the 55th annual Grammy Awards for 2013. Of course, on the CBS-TV broadcast just about all the attention went to the more popular genres – rock, pop, rap, gospel, R&B, country and so forth.
But I thought you might like to see how the industry is leaning more towards recognizing contemporary music. Not a lot of the really GREAT composers seem to have scored big.
Here are some stories (with photos — dual winner chamber music group eighth blackbird is below in a photo by Allen J. Scherben for the Los Angles Times) and analyses, including one from NPR’s exceptional blog “Deceptive Cadence”:
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2013/02/grammys_2013_eighth_blackbird.html
Similarly, the Grammys seem to be focusing on smaller and less well-known labels. Many of which are the in-house labels of the performing organizations. Of course, that is also a trend in the recording industry, and the Grammys exist to promote the recording industry.
In any case, the horse race aspect interest me less than offering you what could be a good check list of new recording to acquire for your library – and your listening pleasure:
You can also find the complete list of nominations and, later, winners in ALL genres at www.grammy.com
Any comments or advice to others you can provide about the nominees would be appreciated. Just use the COMMENT section.
So, maestro, a drum roll, please!
70. Best Engineered Album, Classical
Americana: Daniel Shores, engineer; Daniel Shores, mastering engineer (Modern Mandolin Quartet); [Sono Luminus]
Beethoven: The Late String Quartets, Op. 127 & 131: Bruce Egre, engineer (Brentano String Quartet); [Aeon]
WINNER: Life & Breath – Choral Works By René Clausen: Tom Caulfield & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer; (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale); [Chandos]
Music For A Time Of War: Jesse Lewis & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Brayman, mastering engineer (Carlos Kalmar & The Oregon Symphony); [PentaTone Classics]
Souvenir: Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer; (TrondheimSolistene); [2L (Lindberg Lyd)]
71. Producer Of The Year, Classical
WINNER: Blanton Alspaugh (below)
- Chamber Symphonies (Gregory Wolynec & Gateway Chamber Orchestra)
- Davis: Río De Sangre (Joseph Rescigno, Vale Rideout, Ava Pine, John Duykers, Kerry Walsh, Guido LeBron, The Florentine Opera Company & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
- Gjeilo: Northern Lights (Charles Bruffy & Phoenix Chorale)
- In Paradisum (Brian A. Schmidt & South Dakota Chorale)
- Life & Breath – Choral Works By René Clausen (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale)
- Music For A Time Of War (Carlos Kalmar & The Oregon Symphony)
- Musto: The Inspector (Glen Cortese & Wolf Trap Opera Company)
Tim Handley
- Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (Leonard Slatkin & Orchestre National De Lyon)
- Debussy: Orchestral Works, Vol. 7 (Jun Märkl & Orchestre National De Lyon)
- Debussy: 24 Préludes (Jun Märkl & Royal Scottish National Orchestra)
- Fuchs, K.: Atlantic Riband; American Rhapsody; Divinium Mysterium (JoAnn Falletta, Paul Silverthorne, Michael Ludwig & London Symphony Orchestra)
- Gershwin: Piano Concerto In F; Rhapsody No. 2; I Got Rhythm Variations (Orion Weiss, JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
- Hailstork: An American Port Of Call (JoAnn Falletta, Virginia Symphony Chorus & Virginia Symphony Orchestra)
- Holst: Cotswolds Symphony; Walt Whitman Overture (JoAnn Falletta & Ulster Orchestra)
- Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (Marin Alsop & Baltimore Symphony Orchestra)
- Roussel: Le Festin De L’Araignée (Stéphane Denève & Royal Scottish National Orchestra)
- Still: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 (John Jeter & Fort Smith Symphony)
Marina Ledin, Victor Ledin
- Americana (Modern Mandolin Quartet)
- Brubeck & American Poets (Lynne Morrow & Pacific Mozart Ensemble)
- Delibes: Sylvia; Coppélia (Martin West & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra)
- Mind Meld (ZOFO Duet)
- Rupa-Khandha (Los Angeles Percussion Quartet)
- Weigl: Isle Of The Dead; Six Fantasies; Pictures & Tales; Night Fantasies (Joseph Banowetz)
James Mallinson
- Britten: War Requiem (Gianandrea Noseda, Joseph Cullen, Alastair Tighe, Choir Of Eltham College, London Symphony Chorus & Orchestra)
- Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 (Bernard Haitink & London Symphony Orchestra)
- The Greatest Film Scores Of Dimitri Tiomkin (Richard Kaufman, Whitney Claire Kaufman, Andrew Playfoot, London Voices & London Symphony Orchestra)
- Massenet: Don Quichotte (Valery Gergiev, Andrei Serov, Anna Kiknadze, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Soloists’ Ensemble Of The Mariinsky Academy Of Young Singers & Mariinsky Orchestra)
- Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances (Valery Gergiev & London Symphony Orchestra)
Dan Merceruio
- Arensky: Quartets Nos. 1 & 2; Piano Quintet, Op. 51 (Ying Quartet)
- Brasileiro – Works Of Francisco Mignone (Cuarteto Latinoamericano)
- Change Of Worlds (Ensemble Galilei)
- The Complete Harpsichord Works Of Rameau (Jory Vinikour)
- Critical Models – Chamber Works Of Mohammed Fairouz (Various Artists)
- The Kernis Project: Schubert (Jasper String Quartet)
- Le Bestiaire (Celine Ricci)
- Scarlatti: La Dirindina & Pur Nel Sonno (Matthew Dirst & Ars Lyrica Houston)
- Two Lutes – Lute Duets From England’s Golden Age (Ronn McFarlane & William Simms)
- Weill-Ibert-Berg (Timothy Muffitt & Baton Rouge Symphony Chamber Players)
72. Best Orchestral Performance
WINNER: Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine: Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony); [SFS Media] (below)
Mahler: Symphony No. 1: Iván Fischer, conductor (Budapest Festival Orchestra); [Channel Classics]
Music For A Time Of War: Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony); [PentaTone Classics]
Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances: Valery Gergiev, conductor (London Symphony Orchestra); [LSO Live]
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5: Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra); [BIS]
73. Best Opera Recording
Berg: Lulu: Michael Boder, conductor; Paul Groves, Ashley Holland, Julia Juon & Patricia; Petibon; Johannes Müller, producer (Symphony Orchestra Of The Gran Teatre Del Liceu); [Deutsche Grammophon]
Handel: Agrippina; René Jacobs, conductor; Marcos Fink, Sunhae Im, Bejun Mehta, Alexandrina; Pendatchanska & Jennifer Rivera (Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin); [Harmonia Mundi]
Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress; Vladimir Jurowski, conductor; Topi Lehtipuu, Miah Persson & Matthew Rose; Johannes Müller, producer (London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus); [Opus Arte]
Vivaldi: Teuzzone: Jordi Savall, conductor; Delphine Galou, Paolo Lopez, Roberta Mameli, Raffaella; Milanesi & Furio Zanasi (Le Concert Des Nations); [Naïve Classique]
WINNER: Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen: James Levine & Fabio Luisi, conductors; Hans-Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel & Deborah Voigt; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus); [Deutsche Grammophon]
74. Best Choral Performance
Handel: Israel In Egypt: Julian Wachner, conductor (Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Trinity Choir Wall Street); [Musica Omnia]
WINNER: Life & Breath – Choral Works By René Clausen; Charles Bruffy, conductor (Matthew Gladden, Lindsey Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sarah Tannehill & Pamela Williamson; Kansas City Chorale); [Chandos]
Ligeti: Requiem; Apparitions; San Francisco Polyphony. Peter Eötvös, conductor (Barbara Hannigan & Susan Parry; WDR Sinfonieorchester; Köln; SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart & WDR Rundfunkchor Köln); [BMC]
The Nightingale. Stephen Layton, conductor (Michala Petri; Danish National Vocal Ensemble); [OUR Recordings]
Striggio: Mass For 40 & 60 Voices. Hervé Niquet, conductor (Le Concert Spirituel); [Glossa]
75. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Americana. Modern Mandolin Quartet; [Sono Luminus]
WINNER: Meanwhile. Eighth Blackbird. [Cedille Records] (below)
Mind Meld. ZOFO Duet; [Sono Luminus]
Profanes Et Sacrées. Boston Symphony Chamber Players; BSO Classics]
Rupa-Khandha. Los Angeles Percussion Quartet; [Sono Luminus].
76. Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Clavier. András Schiff; [ECM New Series]
The Complete Harpsichord Works Of Rameau. Jory Vinikour; [Sono Luminus]
Gál & Elgar: Cello Concertos. Claudio Cruz, conductor; Antonio Meneses (Northern Sinfonia); [AVIE Records]
Holst: The Planets. Hansjörg Albrecht; [Oehms Classics]
WINNER: Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola. Kim Kashkashian; [ECM New Series] (bel0w)
77. Best Classical Vocal Solo
Debussy: Clair De Lune. Natalie Dessay (Henri Chalet; Philippe Cassard, Karine Deshayes & Catherine Michel; Le Jeune Coeur De Paris); [Virgin Classics]
Homecoming – Kansas City Symphony Presents Joyce DiDonato. Joyce DiDonato (Michael Stern; Kansas City Symphony); [Kansas City Symphony]
Paris Days, Berlin Nights. Ute Lemper (Stefan Malzew & Vogler Quartet); [Steinway & Sons]
WINNER Poèmes. Renée Fleming (Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France); [Decca Records] (below)
Sogno Barocco. Anne Sofie Von Otter (Leonardo García Alarcón; Sandrine Piau & Susanna Sundberg; Ensemble Cappella Mediterranea); [Naïve Classique]
78. Best Classical Compendium
Partch: Bitter Music. Partch, ensemble; John Schneider, producer. [Bridge Records, Inc.]
WINNER: Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis. Antoni Wit, conductor; Aleksandra Nagórko & Andrzej Sasin, producers; [Naxos] (below)
Une Fête Baroque. Emmanuelle Haïm, conductor; Daniel Zalay, producer; [Virgin Classics]
79. Best Contemporary Classical Composition
WINNER: Hartke, Stephen: Meanwhile – Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays. Stephen Hartke, composer (Eighth Blackbird); Track from: Meanwhile; [Cedille Records]
León, Tania: Inura For Voices, Strings & Percussion. Tania León, composer (Tania León, Son Sonora Voices, DanceBrazil Percussion & Son Sonora Ensemble); Track from: In Motion; [Albany Records].
Praulins, Ugis: The Nightingale. Ugis Praulins, composer (Stephen Layton, Michala Petri & Danish National Vocal Ensemble); Track from: The Nightingale; [OUR Recordings]
Rautavaara, Einojuhani: Cello Concerto No. 2 ‘Towards The Horizon’. Einojuhani Rautavaara, composer (Truls Mørk, John Storgårds & Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra); Track from: Rautavaara: Modificata; Percussion Concerto ‘Incantations’; Cello Concerto No. 2 ‘Towards The Horizon’; [Ondine]
Stucky, Steven: August 4, 1964. Steven Stucky, composer; Gene Scheer, librettist (Jaap Van Zweden, Dallas; Symphony Chorus & Orchestra); [DSO Live]
1 Comment »
The Well-Tempered Ear 
The diversity of the classical music world seems better represented in the technical categories than it does in the music categories. But, that PBS/Met Ring that was broadcast, that was Really an Event, and deserved its Grammy.
I suppose there are at least two ways to look at this stuff. One is Promote those who have a Headstart on Wide Audience Recognition, and get their stuff Out there, big-time.
The opposite approach, in bringing new stars to the Big Time through awards could pay off just as well, if we are thinking in terms of getting classical music to an ever-wider audience.
When a mandolin group gets so much attention, and Harry Partch’s music gets a nomination, it seems as if neither approach is operating. If classical musicians do not think that the pop music industry gets behind a new star, or the resurgence of a previously influential artist, and awards the bejeezus out of’em, think again. That is how blockbusters are made, by popular acclaim, and by industry-wide approvals like an awards show. Merit has to be assumed, just to get this far, so it is less a question of who is the best, but more one of Who Should we PUSH…
MBB
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Comment by Michael BB — February 17, 2013 @ 11:34 pm