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Best Classical Music of 2010
(and a little of 2009)

Here is a sample of the best classical music recordings of 2010, as determined by ArkivMusic.com, BBC Music Magazine awards, Gramophone awards and the Grammy Award nominations.  Depending on the award eligibility period, some recordings were released in 2009.  You can find these and other best-of-the-year recordings in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Music Department by clicking on the pictures or titles below.

Baroque

Trio Sonatas op. 2 and op. 5
Handel   Trio Sonatas op. 2 and op. 5
Academyof Ancient Music
Richard Egarr (harpsichord)
 
Weihnachtshistorie
Heinrich Schutz  Weihnachtshistorie
Ars Nova Copenhagen
Paul Hillier (conductor)
 

Chamber

Ligeti  String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2
Parker Quartet
 
Complete Viola Works
Quincy Porter  Complete Viola Works
Northwest Sinfonia
John McLaughlin Williams (conductor)
 
String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2
Prokofiev  String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2
Pavel Haas Quartet
 
Russian Music for Cello and Piano
Warner Nuzova Duo  Russian Music for Cello and Piano
 

Choral

The Creation
Haydn  The Creation
Freiburger Barockorchester
René Jacobs (conductor)
 
Golgotha
Martin Golgotha
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
Daniel Reuss (conductor)
 
Ceremony and Devotion: Music for the Tudors
The Sixteen  Ceremony and Devotion: Music for the Tudors
Harry Christophers (conductor)
 
Messa da Requiem
Verdi  Messa da Requiem
Santa Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra
Antonio Pappano (conductor)
 
Choral Music
Eric Whitacre  Choral Music
Elora Festival Singers
Noel Edison (conductor)
 

Contemporary

Violin Concerto
Unsuk Chin  Violin Concerto
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Viviane Hagner (violin)
 
Symphony No. 4
Arvo Pärt  Symphony No. 4
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor)
 
The Enchanted Wanderer
Shchedrin  The Enchanted Wanderer
Orchestra Of The Mariinsky Theatre
Valery Gergiev (conductor)
 

Early Music

Infelix ego – Byrd Edition, Vol. 13
Byrd  Infelix ego – Byrd Edition, Vol. 13
The Cardinall’s Musick
Andrew Carwood (conductor)
 
Media Vita
John Sheppard  Media Vita
Stile Antico
 
Puer Natus Est
Stile Antico  Puer Natus Est
 

Instrumental

Etudes
Marc-André Hamelin (piano) Etudes
 
24 Caprices
Paganini   24 Caprices
Julia Fischer (violin)
 
Volodos in Vienna
Arcadi Volodos (piano) Volodos in Vienna
 

Opera

L'Amour De Loin
Saariaho  L'Amour De Loin
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Kent Nagano (conductor)
 
The Nose
Shostakovich  The Nose
Mariinsky Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus
Valery Gergiev (conductor)
 
Götterdämmerung
Wagner  Götterdämmerung  
Hallé Orchestra
Sir Mark Elder (conductor)
 

Orchestral

Symphonic Poems
Dvorák  Symphonic Poems
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor)
 
Symphony No. 4
Mahler  Symphony No. 4
Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iván Fischer (conductor)
 
Overtures and Stage Music
Salieri  Overtures and Stage Music
Mannheimer Mozartorchester
Thomas Fey (conductor)
 

Solo Instrumentalist with Orchestra

Italian Concertos
Alison Balsom  Italian Concertos
Scottish Ensemble
Jonathan Morton (leader)
 
Violin Concerto
Elgar  Violin Concerto
Hallé Orchestra
Thomas Zehetmair (violin)
 
Gershwin
George Gershwin  Gershwin
Arranged by Ferde Grofé
Harmonie Ensemble/New York
Steven Richman (conductor)
 

Solo Vocal

Habanera
Elina Garanca (mezzo-soprano)  Habanera
Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra Milan
Karel Mark Chichon (conductor)
 
Opera arias by Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven & Wagner
Jonas Kaufmann  Opera arias by Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven & Wagner
Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor)
 
Colbran, the Muse
Rossini  Colbran, the Muse
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Joyce DiDonato (mezzo soprano)
 
Winterreise
Schubert  Winterreise
Mark Padmore (tenor)
Paul Lewis (piano)
 
Pyrotechnics: Opera Arias
Vivaldi  Pyrotechnics: Opera Arias
Europa galante
Vivica Genaux (mezzo-soprano)