2013 Grammy Classical Nominees on Spotify

2013 Grammy Classical Nominees:

Best Orchestral Performance

• Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine - Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
• Mahler: Symphony No. 1 - Iván Fischer, Conductor (Budapest Festival Orchestra)
• Music For A Time Of War - Carlos Kalmar, Conductor (Oregon Symphony)
• Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances - Valery Gergiev, Conductor (London Symphony Orchestra) 
• Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5 - Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra)

Best Opera Recording

• Berg: Lulu - Michael Boder, Conductor; Paul Groves, Ashley Holland, Julia Juon & Patricia Petibon; Johannes Müller, Producer (Symphony Orchestra Of The Gran Teatre Del Liceu)
• Handel: Agrippina - René Jacobs, Conductor; Marcos Fink, Sunhae Im, Bejun Mehta, Alexandrina Pendatchanska & Jennifer Rivera (Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin)
• Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress - Vladimir Jurowski, Conductor; Topi Lehtipuu, Miah Persson & Matthew Rose; Johannes Müller, Producer (London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus)
• Vivaldi: Teuzzone - Jordi Savall, Conductor; Delphine Galou, Paolo Lopez, Roberta Mameli, Raffaella Milanesi & Furio Zanasi (Le Concert Des Nations)
• Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen - James Levine & Fabio Luisi, Conductors; Hans-peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel & Deborah Voigt; Jay David Saks, Producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Best Choral Performance

• Handel: Israel In Egypt - Julian Wachner, Conductor (Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Trinity Choir Wall Street)
• Life & Breath - Choral Works By René Clausen - Charles Bruffy, Conductor (Matthew Gladden, Lindsey Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sarah Tannehill & Pamela Williamson; Kansas City Chorale)
• Ligeti: Requiem; Apparitions; San Francisco Polyphony - Peter Eötvös, Conductor (Barbara Hannigan & Susan Parry; Wdr Sinfonieorchester Köln; Swr Vokalensemble Stuttgart & Wdr Rundfunkchor Köln)
• The Nightingale - Stephen Layton, Conductor (Michala Petri; Danish National Vocal Ensemble)
• Striggio: Mass For 40 & 60 Voices - Hervé Niquet, Conductor (Le Concert Spirituel)

Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

• Americana - Modern Mandolin Quartet
• Meanwhile - Eighth Blackbird
• Mind Meld - Zofo Duet
• Profanes Et Sacrées - Boston Symphony Chamber Players
• Rupa-khandha - Los Angeles Percussion Quartet

Classical Instrumental Solo

• Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Clavier - András Schiff
• The Complete Harpsichord Works Of Rameau - Jory Vinikour
• Gál & Elgar: Cello Concertos - Claudio Cruz, Conductor; Antonio Meneses (Northern Sinfonia)
• Holst: The Planets - Hansjörg Albrecht
• Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola - Kim Kashkashian

Classical Vocal Solo

• Debussy: Clair De Lune - Natalie Dessay (Henri Chalet; Philippe Cassard, Karine Deshayes & Catherine Michel; Le Jeune Coeur De Paris)
• Homecoming: Kansas City Symphony Presents Joyce Didonato - Joyce Didonato (Michael Stern; Kansas City Symphony)
  Paris Days, Berlin Nights - Ute Lemper (Stefan Malzew & Vogler Quartet)
  Poémes - Renée Fleming (Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France)
  Sogno Barocco - Anne Sofie Von Otter (Leonardo García Alarcón; Sandrine Piau & Susanna Sundberg; Ensemble Cappella Mediterranea)

Classical Compendium

• Partch: Bitter Music - Partch, Ensemble; John Schneider, Producer
• Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis - Antoni Wit, Conductor; Aleksandra Nagórko & Andrzej Sasin, Producers
• Une Fête Baroque - Emmanuelle Haïm, Conductor; Daniel Zalay, Producer

Contemporary Classical Composition

• Hartke, Stephen: Meanwhile - Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays Stephen Hartke, Composer (eighth blackbird)
• León, Tania: Inura For Voices, Strings & Percussion - Tania León, Composer (Tania León, Son Sonora Voices, Dancebrazil Percussion & Son Sonora Ensemble)
• Praulins, Ugis: The Nightingale - Ugis Praulins, Composer (Stephen Layton, Michala Petri & Danish National Vocal Ensemble)
• Rautavaara, Einojuhani: Cello Concerto No. 2 'towards The Horizon' - Einojuhani Rautavaara, Composer (Truls ørk, John Storgárds & Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Stucky, Steven: August 4, 1964 - Steven Stucky, Composer; Gene Scheer, Librettist (Jaap Van Zweden, Dallas Symphony Chorus & Orchestra) 

Best Engineered Album, Classical

• Americana - Daniel Shores, Engineer; Daniel Shores, Mastering Engineer (Modern Mandolin Quartet)
• Beethoven: The Late String Quartets, Op. 127 & 131 - Bruce Egre, Engineer (Brentano String Quartet)
• Life & Breath - Choral Works By René Clausen - Tom Caulfield & John Newton, Engineers; Mark Donahue, Mastering Engineer (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale)
• Music For A Time Of War - Jesse Lewis & John Newton, Engineers; Jesse Brayman, Mastering Engineer (Carlos Kalmar & The Oregon Symphony)
• Souvenir - Morten Lindberg, Engineer; Morten Lindberg, Mastering Engineer (trondheimsolistene)

Producer Of The Year, Classical

• Blanton Alspaugh
• Tim Handley
• Marina Ledin, Victor Ledin
• James Mallinson
• Dan Merceruio 

Get all available recordings on Spotify in one Spotify playlist: 2013 Grammy Classical Nominees (491 tracks, total time: 37 hours). Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view.

2012 Grammy Classical Nominees on Spotify

Check out the official site for the full list of nominees in the classical category, and NPR for a detailed report on Grammy's classical cutback.

Among the 35 classical-category nominees, 26 are available on Spotify. I also included 16 albums whose producers or engineers are nominated for Classical Engineering and Producer of the Year.

Here's the Spotify playlist: 2012 Grammy Classical Nominees (837 tracks, total time 64 hours) Press Ctrl (CMD)+G to browse in album view. See full nominees list below, with links to Spotify (if available).

Best Orchestral Performance

• Bowen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2, Andrew Davis, conductor (BBC Philharmonic)[Chandos]
• Brahms: Symphony No. 4, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic) [Deutsche Grammophon]
• Haydn: Symphonies 104, 88 & 101, Nicholas McGegan, conductor (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra) [Philharmonia Baroque Productions]
• Henze: Symphonies Nos. 3-5, Marek Janowski, conductor (Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin) [Wergo]
• Martinu: The 6 Symphonies, Jirí Belohlávek, conductor (BBC Symphony Orchestra) [Onyx Classics]

Best Opera Recording

• Adams: Doctor Atomic, Alan Gilbert, conductor; Meredith Arwady, Sasha Cooke, Richard Paul Fink, Gerald Finley, Thomas Glenn & Eric Owens; Jay David Saks, producer (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus) [Sony Classical]
• Britten: Billy Budd, Mark Elder, conductor; John Mark Ainsley, Phillip Ens, Jacques Imbrailo, Darren Jeffery, Iain Paterson & Matthew Rose; James Whitbourn, producer (London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus) [Opus Arte]
• Rautavaara: Kaivos, Hannu Lintu, conductor; Jaakko Kortekangas, Hannu Niemelä, Johanna Rusanen-Kartano & Mati Turi; Seppo Siirala, producer (Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra; Kaivos Chorus) [Ondine]
• Verdi: La Traviata, Antonio Pappano, conductor; Joseph Calleja, Renée Fleming & Thomas Hampson; James Whitbourn, producer (Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus) [Opus Arte]
• Vivaldi: Ercole Sul Termodonte, Fabio Biondi, conductor; Romina Basso, Patrizia Ciofi, Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Vivica Genaux, Philippe Jaroussky, Topi Lehtipuu & Rolando Villazón; Daniel Zalay, producer (Europa Galante; Coro Da Camera Santa Cecilia Di Borgo San Lorenzo) [Virgin Classics]

Best Choral Performance

• Beyond All Mortal Dreams - American A Cappella, Stephen Layton, conductor (Choir Of Trinity College Cambridge) [Hyperion Records]
• Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45, Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; James K. Bass, chorus master (Justin Blackwell, Scott Allen Jarrett, Paul Max Tipton & Teresa Wakim; Professional Choral Institute & Seraphic Fire) [Seraphic Fire Media]
• Kind, Kjetil Almenning, conductor (Nidaros String Quartet; Ensemble 96) [2L (Lindberg Lyd)]
• Light & Gold, Eric Whitacre, conductor (Christopher Glynn & Hila Plitmann; The King's Singers, Laudibus, Pavão Quartet & The Eric Whitacre Singers) [Decca]
• The Natural World Of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Paul Hillier, conductor (Ars Nova Copenhagen) [Dacapo Records]

Best Small Ensemble Performance

• Frank: Hilos, Gabriela Lena Frank; ALIAS Chamber Ensemble [Naxos]
• The Kingdoms Of Castille, Richard Savino, conductor; El Mundo [Sono Luminus]
• Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide, Rinde Eckert & Steven Mackey; Eighth Blackbird [Cedille Records]
• A Seraphic Fire Christmas, Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; Seraphic Fire [Seraphic Fire Media]
• Sound The Bells!, The Bay Brass [Harmonia Mundi]

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

• Chinese Recorder Concertos - East Meets West, Lan Shui, conductor; Michala Petri (Copenhagen Philharmonic) [OUR Recordings]
• Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18; Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Yuja Wang (Claudio Abbado; Mahler Chamber Orchestra) [Deutsche Grammaphon]
• Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4, Leif Ove Andsnes (Antonio Pappano; London Symphony Orchestra) [EMI Classics]
• Schwantner: Concerto For Percussion & Orchestra, Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Christopher Lamb (Nashville Symphony)[Naxos]
• Winging It - Piano Music Of John Corigliano, Ursula Oppens [Cedille Records]

Best Classical Vocal Solo

• Diva Divo, Joyce DiDonato (Kazushi Ono; Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Lyon; Choeur De L'Opéra National De Lyon) [Virgin Classics]
• Grieg/Thommessen: Veslemøy Synsk, Marianne Beate Kielland (Nils Anders Mortensen) [2L (Lindberg Lyd)]
• Handel: Cleopatra, Natalie Dessay (Emmanuelle Haïm; Le Concert D'Astrée) [Virgin Classics]
• Purcell: O Solitude, Andreas Scholl (Stefano Montanari; Christophe Dumaux; Accademia Bizantina) [Decca]
• Three Baroque Tenors, Ian Bostridge (Bernard Labadie; Mark Bennett, Andrew Clarke, Sophie Daneman, Alberto Grazzi, Jonathan Gunthorpe, Benjamin Hulett & Madeline Shaw; The English Concert) [EMI Classics]

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

• Aldridge, Robert: Elmer Gantry, Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein [Naxos]
• Crumb, George: The Ghosts Of Alhambra, George Crumb [Bridge Records, Inc.]
• Friedman, Jefferson: String Quartet No. 3, Jefferson Friedman [New Amsterdam Records]
• Mackey, Steven: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide, Steven Mackey [Cedille Records]
• Ruders, Poul: Piano Concerto No. 2, Poul Ruders [Bridge Records, Inc.]

Best Engineered Album, Classical

• Aldridge: Elmer Gantry, Byeong-Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra) [Naxos]
• Glazunov: Complete Concertos, Richard King, engineer (José Serebrier, Alexey Serov, Wen-Sinn Yang, Alexander Romanovsky, Rachel Barton Pine, Marc Chisson & Russian National Orchestra) [Warner Classics]
• Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide, Tom Lazarus & Bill Maylone, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Rinde Eckert, Steven Mackey & Eighth Blackbird) [Cedille Records]
• Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4, Arne Akselberg, engineer (Leif Ove Andsnes, Antonio Pappano & London Symphony Orchestra) [EMI Classics]
• Weinberg: Symphony No. 3 & Suite No. 4 From 'The Golden Key', Torbjörn Samuelsson, engineer (Thord Svedlund & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra) [Chandos]

Producer Of The Year, Classical

Blanton Alspaugh

• Aldridge: Elmer Gantry (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
• Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas (Peter Takács)
• Osterfield: Rocky Streams (Paul Osterfield, Todd Waldecker & Various Artists)

Manfred Eicher

• Bach: Concertos & Sinfonias For Oboe; Ich Hatte Viel Bekümmernis (Heinz Holliger, Eric Höbarth & Camerata Bern)
• Hymns & Prayers (Gidon Kremer & Kremerata Baltica) Manto & Madrigals (Thomas Zehetmair & Ruth Killius)
• Songs Of Ascension (Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, Todd Reynolds Quartet, The M6 & Montclair State University Singers)
• Tchaikovsky/Kissine: Piano Trios (Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite & Khatia Buniatishvili)
• A Worcester Ladymass (Trio Mediaeval)

David Frost

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Live (Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass)
• Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide (Rinde Eckert, Steven Mackey & Eighth Blackbird)
• Prayers & Alleluias (Kenneth Dake)
• Sharon Isbin & Friends - Guitar Passions (Sharon Isbin & Various Artists)

Peter Rutenberg

• Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (Patrick Dupré Quigley, James K. Bass, Seraphic Fire & Professional Choral Institute)
• The Vanishing Nordic Chorale (Philip Spray & Musik Ekklesia)

Judith Sherman

• Adams: Son Of Chamber Symphony; String Quartet (John Adams, St. Lawrence String Quartet & International Contemporary Ensemble)
• Capricho Latino (Rachel Barton Pine)
•  85th Birthday Celebration (Claude Frank)
• Insects and Paper Airplanes - Chamber Music Of Lawrence Dillon (Daedalus Quartet & Benjamin Hochman)
• Midnight Frolic - The Broadway Theater Music Of Louis A. Hirsch (Rick Benjamin & Paragon Ragtime Orchestra)
• Notable Women - Trios By Today's Female Composers (Lincoln Trio)
• The Soviet Experience, Vol. 1 - String Quartets By Dmitri Shostakovich & His Contemporaries (Pacifica Quartet)
• Speak! (Anthony De Mare)
• State Of The Art - The American Brass Quintet At 50 (The American Brass Quintet)
• Steve Reich: WTC 9/11; Mallet Quartet; Dance Patterns (Kronos Quartet, Steve Reich Musicians & So Percussion)
• Winging It - Piano Music Of John Corigliano (Ursula Oppens)

2011 Grammy Classical Nominations on Spotify

Check out the official site for a complete list of the nominated recordings.

I guess the Salieri: Overtures & Stage Music disk nominated for best orchestral performance is actually Vol.2 which was release in 2010, though it's not noted on the Grammy page. I put in Vol.1 as Vol.2 is not available. Plenty of new discoveries for me here, 20th century harp sonatas? Brazilian chamber works with guitar? One has to wonder why the Grammy pop juries seem can only appreciate teen pop and stadium rock. The new Ligeti quartets recording from Naxos is so fantastic that makes me want to dance to it. No I haven't, the wicked beat would sprain my ankle. And the 65-year-old Jessye Norman's splendid live recording Roots: My Life, My Song makes most other crossover albums sound like a crying shame, especially that Michael Bolton in disguise of a violinist;)  

Here's the Spotify playlist: 2011 Grammy Classical Nominees (319 tracks, total time: 1 day) Press Ctrl (CMD on Macs) + G to browse in album view. More Christmas Special playlists coming soon.

2010 Grammy Winners for Classical Music on Spotify

Let's do a quick one, here's the full list of winners for classical music.

And here's the Spotify playlist: 2010 Grammy Winners for Classical

MTT's Mahler is not on Spotify yet, neither does Levine's Ravel nor David Lang's The Little Match Girl Passion which won him a Pulitzer in 2008. I collected all the available winner albums, plus three albums under the Classical Producer Of The Year catalog. The new recording of Bernstein's Mass from Naxos is such a treat, just listen to the Lord's Prayer you will know why Steven Epstein won the producer award.

I wasn't going to do this playlist, as I have posted about one of the favourite of my then nominees, and now winner, Higdon's Percussion Concerto, untill I saw this retweet:

#classsicalmusic Refresh your palates from the drivel of the #Grammys with a Britten fugue. Stunning from @BerlinPhil http://bit.ly/cIHIFF

So now enjoy these wonderful albums on Spotify, and this great fugue:)