Favorite Classical Recordings of 2020

By John J. Puccio

As you may remember, I don’t do “best-of” lists. “Best” suggests that I’ve sampled everything available, and even though I review a lot of music every year, I have not heard but a fraction of what’s out there. So I prefer to do a simple “favorites” list. Here are just a few of the discs (listed alphabetically, to be fair) I heard last year that I enjoyed for their performance and sound. I know I’ve forgotten some; forgive me.

Art of the Mandolin
Music of Vivaldi, Beethoven, Bruce, Sollima, Scarlatti, Ben-Haim, and Henze. Avi Avital et al; Venice Baroque Orchestra. DG.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/12/art-of-mandolin-cd-review.html

Bach: Harpsichord Concertos
Francesco Corti, harpsichord; Il Pomo d’Oro. Pentatone.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/04/bach-harpsichord-concertos-cd-review.html

Beethoven Odyssey, Volume 6
Piano Sonatas Nos. 4, 11, and 12. James Brawn, piano. MSR Classics.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-beethoven-odyssey-volume-6-cd-review.html

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4
Also Coriolan and The Creatures of Prometheus Overtures. Kristian Bezuidenhout, fortepiano; Pablo Heras-Casado, Freiburger Barockorchester. Harmonia Mundi.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/10/beethoven-piano-concerto-no-4-cd-review.html

Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano & Violin

Performed on historic instruments by Cullan Bryant, piano, and Jerilyn Jorgensen, violin. Albany Records.
Review not yet posted

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2

Also, C.P.E. Bach: Symphonies Wq 175 & 183/4. Bernhard Forck, Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin. Harmonia Mundi.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/09/beethoven-symphonies-nos-1-2-cd-review.html

Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 “Kreutzer”

Also, Franck: Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano; Kreisler: Schon Rosmarin. Lara St. John, violin; Matt Herskowitz, piano. Ancalagon Records.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/07/beethoven-violin-sonata-no-9-kreutzer.html

Haydn and Hummel: Concertos for Violin, Piano and Orchestra

Solomiya Ivakhiv, violin; Antonio Pompa-Baldi, piano; Theodore Kuchar, Slovak National Symphony Orchestra. Centaur Records.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/search?q=Haydn+and+Hummel

Incantation
Music of Bruch, Vitali, Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky, Bloch, Chausson, and Umebayashi. Virgil Boutellis-Taft, violin; Jac Van Steen, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Apartemusic AP234.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/04/incantation-cd-review.html

Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Osmo Vanska, Minnesota Orchestra. BIS.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/08/mahler-symphony-no-7-sacd-review.html

Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1-5
Baiba Skride, violin; Eivind Aadland, Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Orfeo.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/11/mozart-violin-concertos-nos-1-5-cd.html

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
Also, King Christian II (suite). Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Alpha-Classics.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/05/sibelius-symphony-no-2-cd-review.html

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, highlights
Anatole Fistoulari, Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. HDTT.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/05/tchaikovsky-swan-lake-highlights-24k.html

JJP