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

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.

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.

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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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.

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 !

Whatwas it you were saying about classsical music and memory? :P

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.

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!'

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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Yes I think he did it with both!

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.

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.

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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"Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n
wirst du, mein Herz, in einem Nu!
Was du geschlagen
zu Gott wird es dich tragen!"
-Gustav Mahler

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.

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