Alex Ross acaba de publicar en The New Yorker lo que considera las 10 mejores grabaciones de música clasica de 2008 y el día 8 de este mes publicó su selección de las mejores actuaciones de musica clasica en el año.

A continuación se relacionan las mejores grabaciones del año. Su candidata al CD del año 2008 es Lágrimas de Cristal (Crystal Tears) las canciones de John Dowland y sus contemporáneos, música jacobea e isabelina, Esta es la relación de las mejores grabaciones del año :

1.- “Crystal Tears”: songs of Dowland, Robert Johnson, Byrd, and others; Andreas Scholl, countertenor, Julian Behr, lute and Concerto di viole (Harmonia Mundi).
2.- Schumann, “Dichterliebe” and other Heine Lieder; Gerald Finley, baritone, and Julius Drake, piano (Hyperion).
3.- “Heavenly Harmonies”: music of Tallis and Byrd; Stile Antico (Harmonia Mundi).
4.- Morton Feldman, “The Viola in My Life” (I-IV); Marek Konstantynowicz, viola, with Christian Eggen conducting the Cikada Ensemble and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (ECM).
5.- “Gods, Kings, and Demons”; René Pape, bass, with Sebastian Weigle conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden (Deutsche Grammophon).
6.- Jonathan Harvey, “Body Mandala,” “Tranquil Abiding,” “Timepieces,” “White As Jasmine,” “…Towards a Pure Land”; Ilan Volkov and Stefan Solyom conducting the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (NMC).
7.- “Hommage à Messiaen”; Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano (Deutsche Grammophon).
8.- John Adams, “Doctor Atomic”; Gerald Finley, baritone, with Lawrence Renes conducting the Netherlands Opera (Opus Arte DVD).
9.- Chopin, Preludes, and pieces by Mompou; Alexandre Tharaud, piano (Harmonia Mundi).
10.- Brahms and Schumann Lieder; Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo-soprano, and Julius Drake, piano (Wigmore Hall Live).

Hace una mención honorífica a:

Violin Concertos by Schoenberg and Sibelius, with Hilary Hahn and Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Swedish Radio Symphony (Deutsche Grammophon).
Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 2 and 7, with Osmo Vänskä conducting the Minnesota Orchestra (BIS).
Piano works by Salonen, Stucky, and Lutosławski, with Gloria Cheng (Telarc).
The Stravinsky symphonies, with Simon Rattle conducting the Berlin Philharmonic (EMI).
Elliott Carter’s Quartets Nos. 1 and 5, with the Pacifica Quartet (Naxos),
Josquin’s “Missa Sine nomine” and “Missa Ad fugam,” with the Tallis Scholars (Gimell).
Volume 4 of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas, with Paul Lewis (Harmonia Mundi).
The NOW Ensemble anthology (New Amsterdam).
Nico Muhly, “Mothertongue” (Bedroom Community/Brassland).
“Scattered Rhymes” (works of O’Regan, Machaut, Bryars, and Dufay), with the Orlando Consort and Paul Hillier conducting the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (Harmonia Mundi).

En cuanto a las actuaciones realizadas en 2008 destaca las que se relacionan a continuación, indicando el lugar y la fecha (estan por orden cronológico):

Messiaen, “Turangalîla Symphony”; David Robertson conducting the St. Louis Symphony, Carnegie Hall, New York City (February 15th).
Zhang Shouwang, solo improvisation, D22, Beijing (March 27th).
John Luther Adams, “The Place Where You Go to Listen”; Museum of the North, Fairbanks, Alaska (April 2nd).
Schubert, Piano Sonata in C Minor; Mitsuko Uchida, piano, Carnegie Hall, New York City (May 9th).
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 12; Mitsuko Uchida playing and conducting musicians from Marlboro Music, Marlboro, Vermont (June 28th).
Bernd Alois Zimmermann, “Die Soldaten”; Claudia Barainsky, Claudio Otelli, Steven Sloane conducting the Bochum Symphony, Lincoln Center Festival at the Park Avenue Armory, New York City (July 5th).
Kaija Saariaho, “Notes on Light”; Anssi Karttunen, cello, and Susanna Mälkki conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival at Rose Hall, New York City (August 14th).
Mozart, Clarinet Concerto; Kari Kriikku, clarinet, and Osma Vänskä conducting the Mostly Mozart Orchestra, Lincoln Center, New York City (August 15th).
Stockhausen, “Gruppen”; Simon Rattle, Daniel Harding, and Michael Boder conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, at Tempelhof Hangar 2, Berlin (September 20th).
Leonard Bernstein, “Mass”; Marin Alsop conducting the Baltimore Symphony, United Palace Theatre, New York City (October 25th).