The Well-Tempered Ear

Here are the 2011 Grammy winners for classical music. Contemporary classical music scores big.

By Jacob Stockinger

Here is a complete list of the classical music recordings that were nominated for this year’s Grammys along with the winners.

Among the winners and nominees, you will find some tried and true classics, the “old” classics such as Mozart and Verdi. But what stands out this year is how many winners are works by 20^th century and contemporary composers. Critic Alex Ross should be pleased.

The list, which is a good way to build your library or collection,  is also interesting for how many releases came from the house labels of orchestras.

And for those of you who still think of Naxos as a budget label, think again. The label won big in several different categories and with original recordings.

Are there other trends you see in the nominees and winners? The Ear wants to hear.

Here is the list. For more information, visit:

http://www.grammy.com/NOMINEES

95. Best Engineered Album, Classical

WINNER TIE: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina, Mark Donahue, John Hill & Dirk Sobotka, engineers (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony Orchestra) [Naxos] AND

Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works, Leslie Ann Jones, Kory Kruckenberg, Brandie Lane & David Sabee, engineers (Eliesha Nelson & John McLaughlin Williams) [Dorian Sono Luminus]

Have You Ever Been…? Robert Friedrich, engineer (Turtle Island Quartet, Stefon Harris & Mike Marshall) [Telarc]

Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse Mark Donahue, David Frost, Tom Lazarus, Steven Mackey & Dirk Sobotka, engineers (Gil Rose, Rinde Eckert, Catch Electric Guitar Quartet, Synergy Vocals & Boston Modern Orchestra Project) [BMOP/sound]

Vocabularies. Steven Miller, Allen Sides & Roger Treece, engineers (Bobby McFerrin) [Emarcy]

96. Producer Of The Year, Classical

WINNER: David Frost

• Britten’s Orchestra (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
• Chambers, Evan: The Old Burying Ground (Kenneth Kiesler & The University Of Michigan Symphony Orchestra)
• Dorman, Avner: Concertos For Mandolin, Piccolo, Piano And Concerto Grosso (Andrew Cyr, Eliran Avni, Mindy Kaufman, Avi Avital & Metropolis Ensemble)
• The 5 Browns In Hollywood (5 Browns)
• Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse (Gil Rose, Rinde Eckert, Catch Electric Guitar Quartet, Synergy Vocals & Boston Modern Orchestra Project)
• Meeting Of The Spirits (Matt Haimovitz)
• Two Roads To Exile (ARC Ensemble)
• 

Blanton Alspaugh

• Corigliano: Violin Concerto ‘The Red Violin’ (Michael Ludwig, JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
• Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (Leonard Slatkin & Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
• Tower Of The Eight Winds – Music For Violin & Piano By Judith Shatin (Borup-Ernst Duo)
• Tyberg: Symphony No. 3; Piano Trio (JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Wind Serenades (Gregory Wolynec & Gateway Chamber Ensemble)

Tim Handley

• Adams: Nixon In China (Marin Alsop, Tracy Dahl, Marc Heller, Thomas Hammons, Maria Kanyova, Robert Orth, Chen-Ye Yan, Opera Colorado Chorus & Colorado Symphony Orchestra)
• Debussy: Le Martyre De Saint Sébastien (Jun Märkl & Orchestre National De Lyon)
• Dohnányi: Variations On A Nursery Song (JoAnn Falletta, Eldar Nebolsin & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Harris: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 (Marin Alsop & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)
• Hubay: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 And 2 (Chloë Hanslip, Andrew Mogrelia & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)
• Messiaen: Poèmes Pour Mi (Anne Schwanewilms, Jun Märkl & Orchestre National De Lyon)
• Piazzolla: Sinfonía Buenos Aires (Daniel Binelli, Tianwa Yang, Giancarlo Guerro & Nashville Symphony Orchestra)
• Ries: Works For Flute And Piano (Uwe Grodd & Matteo Napoli)
• Roussel: Symphony No. 1 (Stéphane Denève & Royal Scottish National Orchestra)
• Shchedrin: Concertos For Orchestra Nos. 4 & 5 (Kirill Karabits & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)
• Stamitz: Flute Concertos (Robert Aitken, Donatas Katkus & St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra)
• Strauss, R: Josephs-Legende; Rosenkavalier; Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Orchestral Suites) (JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)

Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin

• Brubeck: Songs Of Praise (Lynne Morrow, Richard Grant, Quartet San Francisco & The Pacific Mozart Ensemble)
• Cascade Of Roses (Janice Weber)
• Gnattali: Solo & Chamber Works For Guitar (Marc Regnier)
• If I Were A Bird (Michael Lewin)
• Kletzki: Piano Concerto (Joseph Banowetz, Thomas Sanderling & Russian Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works (Eliesha Nelson & John McLaughlin Williams)
• Rubinstein: Piano Music (1852-1894) (Joseph Banowetz)
• Rubinstein: Piano Music (1871-1890) (Joseph Banowetz)
• 20th Century Harp Sonatas (Sarah Schuster Ericsson)

James Mallinson

• Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Bernard Haitink, Duain Wolfe, Miah Persson, Christianne Stotijn, Chicago Symphony Chorus & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
• Prokofiev: Romeo And Juliet (Valery Gergiev & London Symphony Orchestra)
• Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer (Valery Gergiev, Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Aleksashkin, Kristina Kapustinskaya, Mariinsky Chorus & Mariinsky Orchestra)
• Strauss, R: Ein Heldenleben; Webern: Im Sommerwind (Bernard Haitink & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
• Strauss, R: Eine Alpensinfonie (Bernard Haitink & London Symphony Orchestra)
• Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations; Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante (Gautier Capuçon, Valery Gergiev & Orchestra Of The Mariinsky Theatre)
• Wagner: Parsifal (Valery Gergiev, Gary Lehman, Violeta Urmana, René Pape, Evgeny Nikitin, Alexei Tanovitski, Nikolai Putilin, Mariinsky Chorus & Mariinsky Orchestra)

97. Best Classical Album

WINNER: Verdi: Requiem. Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master; Christopher Alder, producer; David Frost, Tom Lazarus & Christopher Willis, engineers/mixers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Barbara Frittoli & Mario Zeffiri; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus) [CSO Resound]

Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4. Mariss Jansons, conductor; Everett Porter, producer; Everett Porter, mastering engineer (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) [RCO Live]

Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina. Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer; Mark Donahue, John Hill & Dirk Sobotka, engineers/mixers (Terrence Wilson; Nashville Symphony Orchestra) [Naxos]

Gil Rose, Rinde Eckert, Mark Donahue, David Frost, David Frost, Tom Lazarus, Steven Mackey & Dirk Sobotka, Silas Brown; Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse. Gil Rose, conductor; Rinde Eckert; Catch Electric Guitar Quartet; Mark Donahue, David Frost, producer; David Frost, Tom Lazarus, Steven Mackey & Dirk Sobotka, engineers/mixers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer; Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse. [BMOP/sound]

Sacrificium. Giovanni Antonini, conductor; Cecilia Bartoli; Arend Prohmann, producer; Philip Siney, engineer/mixer (Il Giardino Armonico) [Decca]

98. Best Orchestral Performance

WINNER: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina. Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Terrence Wilson; Nashville Symphony) [Naxos]

Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4. Mariss Jansons, conductor (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) [RCO Live]

Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse. Gil Rose, conductor; Rinde Eckert (Catch Electric Guitar Quartet; Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Synergy Vocals) [BMOP/sound]

Salieri: Overtures & Stage Music. Thomas Fey, conductor (Mannheimer Mozartorchester) [Haenssler Classic]

Stravinsky: Pulcinella; Symphony In Three Movements; Four Études. Pierre Boulez, conductor (Roxana Constantinescu, Kyle Ketelsen & Nicholas Phan; Chicago Symphony Orchestra) [CSO Resound]

99. Best Opera Recording

WINNER: Saariaho: L’Amour De Loin. Kent Nagano, conductor; Daniel Belcher, Ekaterina Lekhina & Marie-Ange. Todorovitch; Martin Sauer, producer (Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Rundfunkchor Berlin). [Harmonia Mundi]

Berg: Lulu. Antonio Pappano, conductor; Agneta Eichenholz, Jennifer Larmore, Klaus Florian Vogt & Michael Volle; David Groves, producer (Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House) [Opus Arte]

Hasse: Marc’ Antonio E Cleopatra. Matthew Dirst, conductor; Jamie Barton & Ava Pine; Keith Weber, producer (Ars Lyrica Houston) [Dorian Sono Luminus]

Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer. Valery Gergiev, conductor; Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Aleksashkin & Kristina. Kapustinskaya; James Mallinson, producer (Orchestra Of The Mariinsky Theatre; Chorus Of The Mariinsky Theatre). [Mariinsky]

Sullivan: Ivanhoe. David Lloyd-Jones, conductor; Neal Davies, Geraldine McGreevy, James Rutherford, Toby Spence & Janice Watson; Brian Pidgeon, producer (BBC National Orchestra Of Wales; Adrian Partington Singers) [Chandos]

100. Best Choral Performance

WINNER: Verdi: Requiem. Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master (Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Barbara Frittoli & Mario Zeffiri; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus) [CSO Resound]

Bach: Cantatas. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor; Erwin Ortner, chorus master (Bernarda Fink, Gerald Finley, Christian Gerhaher, Werner Güra, Julia Kleiter, Christine Schäfer, Anton Scharinger & Kurt Streit; Concentus Musicau Wien; Arnold Schoenberg Chor) [Deutsche Harmonia Mundi]

Baltic Runes. Paul Hillier, conductor (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir). [Harmonia Mundi]

Haydn: The Creation. René Jacobs, conductor; Hans-Christoph Rademann, choir director (Julia Kleiter, Maximilian Schmitt & Johannes Weisser; Freiburger Barockorchester; RIAS Kammerchor) [Harmonia Mundi]

Martin: Golgotha. Daniel Reuss, conductor (Judith Gauthier, Marianne Beate Kielland, Adrian Thompson, Mattijs Van De Woerd & Konstantin Wolff; Estonian National Symphony Orchestra; Cappella Amsterdam & Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir) [Harmonia Mundi]

101. Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)

WINNER: Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 23 & 24. Mitsuko Uchida (The Cleveland Orchestra). [Decca]

Daugherty: Deus Ex Machina. Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Terrence Wilson (Nashville Symphony) Track from: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony [Naxos]

Dorman, Avner: Mandolin Concerto. Andrew Cyr, conductor; Avi Avital (Metropolis Ensemble). Track from: Dorman, Avner: Mandolin Concerto; Piccolo Concerto; Concerto Grosso; Piano Concerto [Naxos]

Kletzki: Piano Concerto In D Minor, Op. 22. Thomas Sanderling, conductor; Joseph Banowetz (Russian Philharmonic Orchestra) Track from: Kletzki: Piano Concerto [Naxos]

Porter, Quincy: Concerto For Viola & Orchestra. John McLaughlin Williams, conductor; Eliesha Nelson (Northwest Sinfonia) Track from: Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works [Dorian Sono Luminus]

102. Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)

WINNER: Messiaen: Livre Du Saint-Sacrement. Paul Jacobs [Naxos]

Chopin: The Nocturnes. Nelson Freire [Decca]

Hamelin: Études. Marc-André Hamelin [Hyperion Records]

Paganini: 24 Caprices. Julia Fischer [Decca]

20th Century Harp Sonatas. Sarah Schuster Ericsson [Dorian Sono Luminus]

103. Best Chamber Music Performance

WINNER: Ligeti: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2. Parker Quartet. [Naxos]

Beethoven: Complete Sonatas For Violin & Piano. Isabelle Faust & Alexander Melnikov. [Harmonia Mundi]

Gnattali: Solo & Chamber Works For Guitar. Marc Regnier (Tacy Edwards, Natalia Khoma & Marco Sartor) [Dorian Sono Luminus]

Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works. Eliesha Nelson & John McLaughlin Williams (Douglas Rioth; Northwest Sinfonia) [Dorian Sono Luminus]

Schoenberg: String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4. Fred Sherry String Quartet (Christopher Oldfather & Rolf Schulte) [Naxos]

104. Best Small Ensemble Performance

WINNER: Dinastia Borja. Jordi Savall, conductor; Hespèrion XXI & La Capella Reial De Catalunya (Pascal Bertin, Daniele Carnovich, Lior Elmalich, Montserrat Figueras, Driss El Maloumi, Marc Mauillon, Lluís Vilamajó & Furio Zanasi; Pascal Bertin, Daniele Carnovich, Josep Piera & Francisco Rojas) [Alia Vox]

Ceremony And Devotion – Music For The Tudors. Harry Christophers, conductor; The Sixteen [CORO]

Trondheimsolistene – In Folk Style. Øyvind Gimse & Geir Inge Lotsberg, conductors (Emilia Amper & Gjermund Larsen; Trondheim Solistene) [2L (Lindberg Lyd)]

Victoria: Lamentations Of Jeremiah. Peter Phillips, conductor; The Tallis Scholars [Gimell]

Whitacre, Eric: Choral Music. Noel Edison, conductor; Elora Festival Singers (Carol Bauman & Leslie De’Ath) [Naxos]

105. Best Classical Vocal Performance

WINNER:  Sacrificium. Cecilia Bartoli (Giovanni Antonini; Il Giardino Armonico). [Decca]

Ombre De Mon Amant – French Baroque Arias. Anne Sofie Von Otter (William Christie; Les Arts Florissants) [Deutsche Grammophon]

Turina: Canto A Sevilla. Lucia Duchonová (Celso Antunes; NDR Radiophilharmonie) [Haenssler Classic]

Vivaldi: Opera Arias – Pyrotechnics. Vivica Genaux (Fabio Biondi; Europa Galante) [Virgin Classics]

Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder. Measha Brueggergosman (Franz Welser-Möst; The Cleveland Orchestra) Track from: Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder; Preludes & Overtures [Deutsche Grammophon]

106. Best Classical Contemporary Composition

WINNER: Daugherty, Michael: Deus Ex Machina. Michael Daugherty (Giancarlo Guerrero). Track from: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony [Naxos]

Henze, Hans Werner: Appassionatamente Plus. Hans Werner Henze (Stefan Soltesz) Track from: Appassionatamente Plus Lulu-Suite [Cybele Records]

Lindberg, Magnus: Graffiti. Magnus Lindberg (Sakari Oramo). Track from: Lindberg: Graffiti; Seht Die Sonne. [Ondine]

Pärt, Arvo: Symphony No. 4. Arvo Pärt (Esa-Pekka Salonen). Track from: Pärt: Symphony No. 4 [ECM New Series]

Shchedrin, Rodion Konstantinovich: The Enchanted Wanderer. Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin (Valery Gergiev) Track from: Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer. [Mariinsky]

107. Best Classical Crossover Album

WINNER: Tin, Christopher: Calling All Dawns. Lucas Richman, conductor (Sussan Deyhim, Lia, Kaori Omura, Dulce Pontes, Jia Ruhan, Aoi Tada & Frederica von Stade; Anonymous 4 & Soweto Gospel Choir; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) [Tin Works Publishing]

Meeting Of The Spirits. Matt Haimovitz (Amaryllis Jarczyk, Jan Jarczyk, John McLaughlin, Dominic Painchaud, Leanna Rutt & Matt Wilson) [Oxingale Records]

Off The Map. The Silk Road Ensemble [World Village]

Roots – My Life, My Song. Jessye Norman (Ira Coleman, Steve Johns, Mike Lovatt, Mark Markham & Martin Williams) [Sony Classical]

Vocabularies. Bobby McFerrin. [Emarcy/Universal]

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