GRAMOPHONE - MAY 2004

Best discs of the month - reviewed in the Magazine

Hyperion CDA67456: Chopin - Four scherzos; Four ballades - Stephen Hough piano (GB pounds 13.99)

Harmonia Mundi HMC801818/19: Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro - Simon Keenlyside, Veronique Gens, Patrizia Ciofi, Lorenzo Regazzo, Angelika Kirchschlager, Marie McLaughlin, Collegium Vocale Gent, Concerto Koln, Rene Jacobs (hybrid/dual-layer SACD/CD - 3 discs - GB pounds 29.99)

Chandos CHAN10171: Karlowicz - Bianca da Molena: Symphonic Prologue from Music for the White Dove; Serenade for String Orchestra; Rebirth Symphony - BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda (GB pounds 14.99)

Channel Classics CCSSA20804: Death & Devotion - cantatas by Tunder, Weckmann, Buxtehude and Ritter - Johannette Zomer, Peter Harvey, Netherlands Bach Society, Jos van Veldhoven (hybrid/dual-layer SACD/CD - GB pounds 14.99)

Metronome METCD1056: The Secret Bach: Adagio,BWV968. Chorale Variations,BWV766-71 - Partite diverse sopra O Gott, du frommer Gott, BWV767 Chromatic Fantasia,BWV903a. Fugue,BWV1000. 3 Sonatas and 3 Partitas,BWV1001-06 - Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV1004 Klavierbüchlein für W. F. Bach - Menuet in G, BWV841;Menuet in G, BWV843;Allemande in G minor, BWV836 - Christopher Hogwood clavichord (GB pounds 14.99)

ECM 4724022: Machaut - Motets: De souspirant cuer M2. Fine Amour qui me vint navrer M3. Puis que la douce rousée M4. Qui plus aimme M5. Lasse! je sui en aventure M7. Ha! Fortune M8. O livoris feritas M9. Helas! ou sera pris confors M10. Fins cuers dous M11. Eins que ma dame d’onnour M13. Faus Samblant m’a deceu M15. Se j’aim mon loyal ami M16. Bone pastor M18. Diligenter inquiramus M19. Biaute parée de valour M20. Veni creator spiritus M21. Plange regni respublica M22. Inviolata genitrix M23 - David James, Rogers Covey Crump, Gordon Jones, Hilliard Ensemble (GB pounds 14.99)

DG 4715812: Ravel - 3 Chansons Madecasses; Shostakovich - Satiri; 5 Romances; Respighi - Il tramonto; Schulhoff - Drei Stimmungsbilder; Britten - A Charm of Lullabies - Magdalena Kozena mezzo, with Paul Edmund Davies, Jiri Barta and Malcolm Martineau (GB pounds 12.99)

Decca 4752502: Tenor Arias by Cilea, Donizetti, Puccini and Verdi - Joseph Calleja tenor, Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly (GB pounds 14.99)

Virgin Veritas 5456422: Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Ian Bostridge, Natalie Dessay, Veronique Gens, Paul Agnew, Le Concert d'Astree, Emmanuelle Haim (2 discs - GB pounds 22.99)

Naxos 8.557193: Hummel - Missa Solemnis in C major; Te Deum - Patricia Wright, Helen Medlyn, Patrick Power, David Griffiths, Tower Voices New Zealand, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Uwe Grodd (GB pounds 4.99)

Record of the Year:

ECM 4721692: Schumann - String Quartets Op.41/1 & Op.41/3 - Zehetmair Quartet (GB pounds 14.99)

The rest:

Virgin 5455212: Britten - The Turn of the Screw - Bostridge, Rodgers, Leang, Wise, Henschel, Tierney, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Harding (2 discs - GB pounds 22.99)

Sony SK61885: Chopin - Etudes Op.10 & Op.25 - Murray Perahia piano (GB pounds 14.99)

Chandos CHAN0681: Hummel - Masses Op.77 & Op.111 - Susan Gritton soprano, Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox (GB pounds 14.99)

Channel Classics CCASA19503: Vivaldi - 12 Violin Concertos Op.4 "La Stravaganza" - Rachel Podger violin, Arte dei Suonatori (2 discs - hybrid/dual-layer SACD/CD - GB pounds 14.99)

Debut Disc and Editor's Choice:

EMI 575202-2: Prokofiev; Scriabin; Stravinsky; Tchaikovksy - Piano Works - Simon Trpceski (GB pounds 4.99)

Artist of the Year:

Marin Alsop

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Leontyne Price

Special Achievement Award:

Vernon Handley (very well deserved - perhaps the powers that be will also recognise a worthy "knighthood")

Label of the Year:

Harmonia Mundi