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Notable classical releases from early...

Classical Top 10, February 2012

by Nate Cavalieri

Maybe it's all about starting at the beginning. The new year offers several exciting views of the Baroque period, during which the foundations of Western orchestral music were first built. For this edition of the Classical Roundup, there are dedicated Baroque collections from some of music's brightest young female stars -- Met soprano Danielle de Niese and violinist Nicola Benedetti, along with Lara St. John and Xuefei Yang -- and from Italian violin master [Giuliano Carmignola], whose Haydn violin concertos are exhilarating and absolutely definitive (if you have time for only one, start there). The set is rounded out by a New Year's Day concert and a few excellent selections of contemporary chamber music.

Bach: Sonatas

Lara St. John

Bach Concertos

Various Artists

Bejing-born classical guitarist Xuefei Yang's was a trailblazing prodigy: She began winning guitar competitions in China while still a pre-teen, was the first guitarist to attend China's Central Conservatory, and is the first Chinese guitarist to win international acclaim. Now at the peak of her career, Yang has embarked on an all-Bach recording with an ambitious aim: to expand the concert repertoire of the instrument. Given her performance of the three concertos newly arranged for guitar and string quartet (played here by the Elias Quartet), it may just be possible.

Beauty Of The Baroque

Danielle de Niese

Even though Danielle de Niese brings ample technical gifts and a shining tone to this collection of baroque arias from the likes of Dowland and Haydn, her poise sometimes feels a bit too proper, particularly compared to the hot-blooded presence she brings to roles at the Met. But is Beauty of the Baroque still beautiful? Absolutely. The duets are particularly gorgeous -- especially the dissonant tensions of the Monteverdi.

Haydn: Violin Concertos

Giuliano Carmignola

Carmignola's authority on the works of Haydn hits every mark at the center. The recording is lush and lively, and the Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées -- playing period instruments -- is brilliantly balanced with Carmignola's vivid, passionate and artistically phrased playing. Simply put, this is how these works are supposed to sound.

New Year's Concert 2012

Mariss Jansons

The annual New Year's concert in Vienna is an evening of Strauss dynasty waltzes, polkas and marches, and the concert is a tradition that has been in place since before the Second World War. With a bombastic opening in "Vaterländischer Marsch," Mariss Jansons leads a performance that captures the flair and festivity of the event. This is light and effervescent party music of two centuries past, and the ensemble takes on showpieces like the "Thunder and Lightning" polka and Johann Strauss' "Freuet euch des Lebens (Enjoy Life)" waltz with flourish.

Italia

Nicola Benedetti

Judging a record by its cover might suggest that Benedetti -- with a flirty look and a vintage Vespa -- might have her eye on a crossover audience, but a few minutes into the violinist's energetic, confident reading of Vivaldi's "Grosso Mogul" concerto and there's little doubt of Benedetti's artistic clout. The collection of Italian baroque violin is backed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and is immaculately played -- even the compulsory inclusion of the Four Seasons sparkles with energy. But it's a pair of Vivaldi vocal works, arranged here for violin, that are a captivating, rare treat.

French Impressions

Joshua Bell

Something almost being said: Music of Bach and Schubert

Simone Dinnerstein

Even among marginally popular pianists, Simone Dinnerstein is an outlier. After a late start and a lackluster early career, she saw her first breakthrough after an Internet leak of a self-funded Bach recording. This release combines Partitas Nos. 1 and 2 with four impromptus from Schubert. While Dinnerstein's capability with Bach can't be questioned, her work sometimes lacks the insulation of the album's title (taken from a Philip Larkin poem); the Schubert pieces have much more life to them. Still, her crystalline clarity and Grammy-award-winning producer Adam Abeshouse make it a joy.