Favorite Classical Recordings of 2021

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.

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Volume 1
The Opus 18 quartets, Nos. 1-6. Dover Quartet. Cedille.
To read the review, click here:

https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/02/beethoven-complete-string-quartets.html

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7
Carlos Kleiber, Vienna Philharmonic. K2HD Mastering.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/11/beethoven-symphonies-nos-5-7-k2hd-review.html

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
Also, Creatures of Prometheus, complete ballet. Gottfried von der Goltz, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Harmonia Mundi.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/05/beethoven-symphony-no-7-cd-review.html

Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major
Also, Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major. Gil Shaham, violin; Eric Jacobsen, The Knights. Canary Classics.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/04/beethoven-violin-concerto-in-d-major-cd.html

Brahms: Piano Concertos
Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2. Andras Schiff, piano; Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. ECM New Series.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/07/brahms-piano-concertos-cd-review.html

Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Jeffrey Biegel, piano; Bruce Anthony Kiesling, Adrian Symphony Orchestra. Naturally Sharp Records.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/10/gershwin-rhapsody-in-blue-cd-review.html

Juilliard String Quartet: Beethoven, Bartok, Dvorak
Juilliard String Quartet. Sony.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/05/juilliard-string-quartet-beethoven.html

Massenet: Ballet Music
Louis Fremaux, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Klavier/JVC.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/09/massenet-ballet-music-xrcd24k2-review.html

Sowerby: The Paul Whiteman Commissions
Andy Baker Orchestra; Avalon String Quartet. Cedille.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/09/leo-sowerby-paul-whiteman-commissions.html

Telemann: Polonoise
Aisslinn Nosky, violin; Holland Baroque. Pentatone.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/03/telemann-polonoise-sacd-review.html

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Also, La Folia. Francisco Fullana and Alan Choo, violins; Jeannette Sorrell, Apollo’s Fire. Avie.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/11/vivaldi-four-seasons-cd-review.html

JJP