The winners of the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2014 will be announced on 8 April at a ceremony at Kings Place, London. Voting has now closed for this year's Awards.
'From ravishing Wagner to captivating Britten, this year's nominations are as fascinating and enticing as ever,' says Oliver Condy, BBC Music Magazine's editor, 'and the artistry is as exceptional as it's ever been.'
Our expert jury of critics chose 21 CDs in seven categories, whittled down from over 1,300 recordings reviewed by the magazine over the past year. As well as the Orchestral, Opera, Choral, Vocal, Instrumental and Chamber categories, this year sees the introduction of a new Concerto category to the line-up – thanks to the volume of first-class performances. Here are the nominations:
Orchestral
R Strauss Eine Alpensinfonie
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra/Frank Shipway
BIS BIS-1950 (hybrid CD/SACD)
Szymanowski Concert Overture; Symphonies Nos 2 & 4
Louis Lortie (piano); BBC Symphony Orchestra/Edward Gardner
Chandos CHSA 5115 (hybrid CD/SACD)
Brahms Symphonies Nos 1-4
Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig/Riccardo Chailly
Decca 478 5344
Concerto
Elgar & Carter Cello Concertos
Alisa Weilerstein (cello); Staatskapelle Berlin/Daniel Barenboim
Decca 478 2735
Hindemith Viola Works, Vol. 1
Tabea Zimmermann (viola); Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Hans Graf
Myrios Classics MYR 010 (hybrid CD/SACD)
Bartók Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2
Isabelle Faust (violin); Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Harding
Harmonia Mundi HMC 902146
Opera
Britten Peter Grimes
Alan Oke, Giselle Allen et al; Chorus of Opera North; Chorus of Guildhall School of Music & Drama; Britten-Pears Orchestra/Steuart Bedford
Signum Classics SIGCD 348
Britten The Rape of Lucretia
Ian Bostridge, Susan Gritton, Christopher Purves; Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble/Oliver Knussen
Erato 602 6722
Romantische Arien
Arias by Wagner, Schubert, Schumann, Nicolai and Weber
Christian Gerhaher (baritone), Maximilian Schmitt (tenor); Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Harding
Sony Classical 88725422952
Vocal
Wagner Arias from Die Walküre, Siegfried, Tannhäuser, Meistersinger, Rienzi and more; Wesendonck Lieder
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor); Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin/Donald Runnicles
Decca 478 5189
Handel Finest Arias for Base Voice
Christopher Purves (bass); Arcangelo/Jonathan Cohen
Hyperion CDA 67842
Eisler Ernste Gesänge plus other Lieder
Matthias Goerne (baritone), Thomas Larcher (piano); Ensemble Resonanz
Harmonia Mundi HMC 902134
Choral
Pärt Adam's Lament; plus other choral works
Latvian Radio Choir; Sinfonietta Riga; Vox Clamantis; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Tallinn Chamber Orchestra/Tonu Kaljuste
ECM Records 476 4825
Petrassi Magnificat; Salmo IX
Sabina Cvilak (soprano); Coro Teatro Regio Torino/Claudio Feonglio; Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino/Ginanadrea Noseda
Chandos CHAN 10750
Britten War Requiem
Susan Gritton, John Mark Ainsley, Christopher Maltman, Wrocław Phil Choir; New College Choir trebles; Gabrieli Consort & Players/Paul McCreesh
Winged Lion/Signum SIGCD 340
Chamber
Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn Quartets
Quatuor Ebène
Erato 464 5462
Couperin Suites Nos 1 & 2 for viola de gamba and continuo; Concerts Nos 2 & 3 for two violas da gamba
Paolo Pandolfo, Amélie Chemin (viola da gamba), Thomas Boysen (theorbo), Markus Hünninger (harpsichord)
Glossa GCD 920414
Franck & Richard Strauss Violin Sonatas
Augustin Dumay (violin), Louis Lortie (piano)
Onyx ONYX 4096
Instrumental
JS Bach English Suites
Richard Egarr (harpsichord)
Harmonia Mundi HMU 907591.92
Mompou Piano Works
Arcadi Volodos (piano)
Sony Classical 88765433262
Guardian Angel
Works by JS Bach, Matteis, Tartini, Pisendel and Biber
Rachel Podger (violin)
Channel CCS SA 35513
