James Manishen of the Winnipeg Free Post has put up his top ten recordings of classical music for 2011, and the Oregon Symphony’s Music for a Time of War made #3. See the other musical and arts genre lists here.
1. Glenn Gould, On Television: The Complete CBC Broadcasts 1954-1977
This 19-hour, 10 DVD set is the most comprehensive single collection devoted to the iconic Canadian Glenn Gould, who performs, deliberates, discusses, supplies documentaries and even conducts. A must have.
2. Robert Silverman, Mozart: The Piano Sonatas
The breadth and variety of Mozart’s genius is revealed in performances that allows the music to speak seemingly entirely of its own accord over the course of this seven CD set. More evidence of Robert Silverman’s stature among Canada’s most insightful pianists.
3. The Oregon Symphony, Carlos Kalmar, Music for a Time of War
Superbly prepared live performances recorded just before the OS travelled to Carnegie Hall. Vaughan Williams’s Fourth Symphony is a stunner and Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem is no less so.
4. Vilde Frang, Michail Lifits, Violin Sonatas by Bartók, Grieg & Strauss
5. Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano, Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2
6. Lise de la Salle, Liszt: Piano Works
7. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko, Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10
8. Joyce DiDonato, Chorus and Orchestra of the Lyon National Opera, Diva, Divo
9. Martha Argerich, Various Artists, Live from Lugano 2010
10. Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado, Mahler: Symphony No. 9