2014 Presto Discs of the Year

John Adams' controversial new work was commissioned by Gustavo Dudamel and sets texts in English and Spanish that seek to show the Gospel story through the eyes of its less significant players, Martha and Mary Magdalene. Written in collaboration with director Peter Sellars, it's a challenging and bold masterpiece for the Twenty-irst Century.

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Among the last works he ever wrote, the Magnificat and Heilig (a large-scale motet for double choir) show CPE Bach at his most inventive. A stellar lineup of soloists including soprano Elizabeth Watts, together with the RIAS Kammerchor and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and under the baton of Hans-Christoph Rademann, make the case for these striking works.

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC

Steven Isserlis and Robert Levin have been collaborating in chamber music for so long that the mere juxtaposition of their names is enough to signal something worth listening to. Here, in their long-awaited set of Beethoven's Cello Sonatas (including the three sets of Variations and the arrangement of the Horn Sonata), they don't disappoint; and the use of a fortepiano rather than a modern grand is the icing on the cake.

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

The late Colin Davis has long been acknowledged as an expert in all things Haydn, and his collection of late Haydn symphonies with the LSO (recorded in 2010-11) clearly shows how well-deserved this reputation is. By turns refined, tender, jolly and more, they're delightfully vivid performances of some of Haydn's most forward-looking works.

Available Formats: 2 SACDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

A fascinating and long-awaited reunion - Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim's first joint recital for 15 years - this album is centred around the two-piano version of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. The soundworld is, unsurprisingly, utterly different in this incarnation, but the performance certainly convinces. Mozart's Duo Sonata K448 and Schubert's Variations D813 complete the lineup.

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Franco Fagioli has been one of the standard-bearers of the recent countertenor resurgence - just one of several names that have been championing the castrato repertoire of the Eighteenth Century. Nicola Porpora, who taught both Caffarelli and Farinelli, knew better than most how best to write for these voices, and this disc pays tribute to his compositional genius.

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC

A Scheherazade that really plays up the Oriental elements - the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic don't shy away from raw string playing and a forthright percussion sound, while also incorporating Middle Eastern instruments into Rimsky-Korsakov's exotic fantasy. Also included are some short works by Turkish composers and an orchestrated version of Balakirev's fearsomely difficult piano work, Islamey.

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Indisputably today's pre-eminent tenor, Jonas Kaufmann shows what he's made of in this Parsifal from the Met in 2013 - and with Katarina Dalayman, Peter Mattei and René Pape on board too as Kunrdy, Amfortas and Gurnemanz respectively, it's a performance to be treasured. Francois Girard's staging, at times grim and even oppressive, serves to highlight the redemptive themes of the opera.

Available Format: 2 DVD Videos

Available Format: Blu-ray

Perhaps William Walton's most significant orchestral works, brought together on one disc. The Symphony was an instant, but also a sustained, success that dispelled any lingering doubts that there may have been about Walton's calibre as a composer; the Violin Concerto was a special commission from the legendary virtuoso Jascha Heifetz, in whose footsteps (ably accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Edward Gardner) Tasmin Little treads with fearless technique.

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Lydia Teuscher (soprano), Ida Falk Winland (soprano), Tim Mead (countertenor), Samuel Boden (tenor), Neal Davies (bass), Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Igor Levit (piano)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Mark Padmore (Evangelist), Camilla Tilling (soprano), Magdalena Kožená (mezzo), Topi Lehtipuu (tenor), Christian Gerhaher (baritone), Roderick Williams (Jesus), Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Sir Simon Rattle, Peter Sellars (director)

Available Format: 2 DVD Videos + Blu-ray

Gil Shaham (violin), New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Boston Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sejong Soloists, Juanjo Mena, David Robertson

Available Format: 2 CDs

Philip Dukes (viola), BBC Philharmonic, Sir Andrew Davis

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Isabelle Faust (violin), Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello) & Alexander Melnikov (Graff fortepiano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Maria João Pires (piano), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Leif Ove Andsnes (piano & direction), Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC

Maurizio Pollini (piano)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch (violin), Battalia

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Roderick Williams (baritone), BBC Singers & Nash Ensemble, Nicholas Kok

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Martin Fröst (clarinet), Janine Jansen ( violin), Boris Brovtsyn (violin), Maxim Rysanov (viola), Torleif Thedéen (cello), Roland Pöntinen (piano)

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC

Leonidas Kavakos (violin) & Yuja Wang (piano)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

London Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Anna Bonitatibus (mezzo-soprano), Accademia degli Astrusi, Federico Ferri

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Ingrid Fliter (piano), Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Jun Märkl

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Berlin Comedian Harmonists

Available Format: CD

Joyce DiDonato (Maria Stuarda), Elza van den Heever (Elisabetta), Matthew Rose (Talbot), Joshua Hopkins (Cecil), Matthew Polenzani (Leicester), Maria Zifchak (Anna Kennedy), The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Maurizio Benini

Available Format: 2 DVD Videos

Jakob Lindberg (lute)

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Howard Shelley (piano & conductor), Ulster Orchestra

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alisa Weilerstein (cello), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Jiří Bělohlávek

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Stuart Skelton (tenor), Sarah Connolly (mezzo) & David Soar (bass), BBC Symphony Chorus & BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis

Available Formats: 2 SACDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Rachel Podger (violin), Marcin Świątkiewicz (harpsichord & organ) & Daniele Caminiti (theorbo)

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Bejun Mehta (Orfeo), Eva Liebau (Euridice) & Regula Mühlemann (Amore), Collegium 1704, Collegium Vocale 1704, Václav Luks

Available Format: Blu-ray

James Gilchrist (Jephtha), Susan Bickley (Storge), Sophie Bevan (Iphis), Robin Blaze (Hamor), Matthew Brook (Zebul) & Grace Davidson (Angel), The Sixteen, Harry Christophers

Available Formats: 3 CDs, MP3, FLAC

Xavier Sabata (Tamerlano), Max Emanuel Cencic (Andronico), John Mark Ainsley (Bajazet), Karina Gauvin (Asteria), Ruxandra Donose (Irene), Pavel Kudinov (Leone), Il Pomo d'Oro, Riccardo Minasi

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC

Alice Coote (mezzo-soprano), The English Concert, Harry Bicket

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Sophie Bevan, Mary Bevan (sopranos), Tim Mead (countertenor), Ed Lyon (tenor), William Berger (bass), Ludus Baroque, Richard Neville-Towle

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Max Emanuel Cencic (Siroe), Franco Fagioli (Medarse), Julia Lezhneva (Laodice), Juan Sancho (Cosroe), Mary-Ellen Nesi (Emira), Laureen Snouffer (Arasse), Armonia Atenea, George Petrou

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Christina Landshamer, Maximilian Schmitt & Florian Boesch, Collegium Vocale Gent & Orchestre des Champs-Elysees, Philippe Herreweghe

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Benjamin Hulett (tenor), Alison Hill (soprano), The Bach Choir & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, David Hill

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Les Vents Français (Emmanuel Pahud (flute), Paul Meyer (clarinet), Francois Leleux (oboe), Gilbert Audin (bassoon), Radovan Vlatkovic (horn)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC

Marc-André Hamelin (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Jerusalem Quartet

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano), Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Ex Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Nightingale String Quartet

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Llyr Williams (piano)

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Steven Osborne (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Christiane Karg, Christina Landshamer (sopranos) & Michael Schade (tenor), Chorus & Orchestra of Bavarian Radio, Pablo Heras-Casado

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Maria João Pires (piano), London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Eliot Gardiner

Available Formats: SACD + Blu-ray Audio, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Monica Piccinini, Anna Simboli (sopranos), Andrea Arrivabene, Gianluca Ferrarini (altos), Luca Dordolo, Raffaele Giordani (tenors) & Matteo Bellotto, Salvo Vitale (bass), Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Stile Antico

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Sébastien Daucé (harpsichord, organ, direction), Ensemble Correspondances

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alamire & English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, David Skinner

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Martha Argerich (piano), Orchestra Mozart, Claudio Abbado

Available Format: CD

Barry Banks (Mitridate), Miah Persson (Aspasia), Sophie Bevan (Sifare), Lawrence Zazzo (Farnace), Klara Ek (Ismene), Robert Murray (Marzio), Anna Devin (Arbate), The Orchestra of Classical Opera, Ian Page

Available Formats: 4 CDs, MP3, FLAC

Vienna Philharmonic, Sakari Oramo

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Joyce DiDonato (mezzo), Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Lyon, Riccardo Minasi

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Anna-Jane Casey, Kim Criswell, Matthew Ford, Sarah Fox, Richard Morrison, John Wilson Orchestra, John Wilson

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano), BBC Philharmonic, Gianandrea Noseda

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alina Ibragimova (violin), Steven Osborne (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Karabits

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Tenebrae, Nigel Short

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Evelina Dobraceva, Ekaterina Siurina (sopranos), Justina Gringyte (mezzo-soprano), Daniil Shtoda (tenor), Andrei Bondarenko, Rodion Pogossov (baritones), Alexander Vinogradov (bass) & Iain Burnside (piano)

Available Formats: 3 CDs, MP3, FLAC

Yuja Wang (piano), Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano), I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Anima Eterna Brugge, Jos Van Immerseel

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Miloš Karadaglić (guitar), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alison Balsom (trumpet), The Guy Barker Orchestra, Guy Barker

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Helmut Deutsch (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Gerald Finley (baritone) & Julius Drake (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Paul Lewis (piano)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle

Available Format: 2 CDs + Blu-ray

Truls Mørk (cello), Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alexander Vinogradov (bass), Huddersfield Choral Society & Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Vasily Petrenko

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Christiane Karg (soprano), Felix Klieser (horn) & Malcolm Martineau (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Kazuki Yamada

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Anna Netrebko (soprano), Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Denis Matsuev (piano), Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Mariusz Kwiecien (Onegin), Anna Netrebko (Tatyana), Piotr Beczala (Lensky), Oksana Volkova (Olga), Alexei Tanovitski (Gremin), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet, Valery Gergiev (conductor), Deborah Warner (director)

Available Format: Blu-ray

Mariusz Kwiecien (Onegin), Anna Netrebko (Tatyana), Piotr Beczala (Lensky), Oksana Volkova (Olga), Alexei Tanovitski (Gremin), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet, Valery Gergiev (conductor), Deborah Warner (director)

Available Format: 2 DVD Videos

Julian Lloyd Webber (cello), Jiaxin Lloyd Webber (cello), European Union Chamber Orchestra, Hans-Peter Hofmann

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Gidon Kremer (violin & director), Daniil Grishin (viola), Giedre Dirvanauskaite (cello), Daniil Trifonov (piano), Kremerata Baltica

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Ailish Tynan (soprano), Anna Stéphany (mezzo), Andrew Tortise (tenor), Owen Gilhooly (baritone) & Jonathan Lemalu (bass baritone), BBC Singers & BBC Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC

Heike Wessels (mezzo soprano), Sergey Skorokhodov (tenor) & Albert Dohmen (baritone), Petra Lang (mezzo soprano), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Awards, 2014 Presto Discs of the Year

Winners

Finalists

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