Jonathan Blumhofer
BMOP releases a fitting, moving tribute to a giant of contemporary music; Johannes Moser turns in a sweeping performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto.
Hats off to harpsichordist Justin Taylor for the resonant, gripping performances he turns in on his debut album.
Odyssey Opera’s first commercially-released album is a fun showcase; BMOP delivers an excellent performance of Four Saints in Three Acts.
Ken Thomson’s Restless doesn’t hide from dark places or things; Oberlin Orchestra does right by Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera.
Jerusalem Quartet’s Bartók is more elegant than hard-edged; Heath Quartet’s Tchaikovsky is vigorous and sweeping.
Adam Schoenberg is also one of the most widely-performed living composers of orchestral music; in fact, he’s among the top-ten in that category.
Cameron Carpenter played the Terry Riley composition commandingly.
Lara Downes’ America Again is a great album, and one with multiple layers of meaning.
Three CD reviews, including a disc featuring Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, and Jeremy Denk teaming up to play less-than-barn-burning favorites by Brahms.
Commentary: Best Classical Performances of 2016
Picks for the top live classical performances of 2016. Feel free to agree, disagree, add to them, come up with your own list, etc.
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