AllMusic 2014 Year in Review
Favorite Classical Instrumental Albums
Give the singers a rest with our classical editors' selections for their favorite classical instrumental albums of 2014, featuring interpretations of the works of Haydn, Mahler and Mozart, as well as many new compositions.
Pianist Alexandre Tharaud's recordings of Debussy, Ravel, Satie, and Poulenc are presented on this six-CD box set from Harmonia Mundi.
With Paris, Alison Balsom reaches a transcendent new level, with music ranging from elegant to moody to profound.
Schumann: Variationen & Fantasiestücke
Staier is superb in the later set of Fantasiestücke, Op. 111. This is a fabulous release that may singlehandedly rewrite the Schumann canon.
Angela Hewitt's exceptional series of Bach recordings on Hyperion culminates in The Art of Fugue, a high point in her catalog.
Anja Lechner / François Couturier
A superb release, even for those who think they don't like mystical composition.
Brentano String Quartet / Sarah Rothenberg
Tobias Picker: Invisible Lilacs
Tobias Picker's music isn't easy to pin down to a method or style, though it's usually accessible to attentive listeners.
John Harbison: String Trio; Four Songs of Solitude; Songs America Loves to Sing
Three of John Harbison's most accessible chamber works are performed with clarity and candor by Camerata Pacifica.
Virtuoso organist Cameron Carpenter presents a stunning program of classical pieces and popular song arrangements in his flamboyantly athletic style.
Genesis 1757: F.X. Richter - Seven String Quartets, Op. 5
The string quartets of Franz Xaver Richter have been unjustly neglected, but the Casal Quartet makes a case for their revival.
Mendelssohn, Adams: Violin Concertos
Chad Hoopes plays violin concertos by Mendelssohn and Adams, which have striking similarities, despite their obvious stylistic differences.
This is fascinating, rewards repeated hearings, and it is consistently lively and fun in a relaxed way.
Ensemble Resonanz / Jean-Guihen Queyras
Berg: Lyrische Suite; Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht
Alban Berg's Lyrische Suite and Arnold Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht are performed by Ensemble Resonanz in arrangements for string orchestra.
Frans Brüggen / Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6
Frans Brüggen and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century give fresh and vigorous performances of Beethoven's Fifth and Sixth symphonies.
François-Xavier Roth / Les Siècles
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps; Petrouchka
François-Xavier Roth and his extraordinary period instrument ensemble Les Siècles re-create the original 1913 version of Le Sacre du printemps.
Gustavo Dudamel / Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela
Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela present a compelling performance of Gustav Mahler's oddest symphony.
Hannu Lintu / Valerie Hartmann-Claverie / Angela Hewitt
Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
Olivier Messiaen's Turangalîla-symphonie has become his best-known orchestral work, and this SACD from Ondine is one of the finest recordings.
Iván Fischer / Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra present Bruckner's Seventh Symphony in a remarkably clear and balanced audiophile recording.
Jack Liebeck / Katya Apekisheva
Kreisler's popular pieces, arrangements, and pastiches are given fresh expression by violinist Jack Liebeck and pianist Katya Apekisheva.
James O'Donnell / Yannick Nézet-Séguin / London Philharmonic Orchestra
Poulenc: Organ Concerto; Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 ("Organ")
Poulenc's Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3, "Organ," are paired to great effect on this live concert recording.
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet / Gabor Takács-Nagy
The answer is that Bavouzet is as brilliant as ever, and he has essentially rewritten the book on these pieces.
Jean-François Heisser / Tai Murray / Orchestre Poitou-Charentes
Five American works that aren't usually programmed together are performed by Jean-François Heisser and the Orchestre Poitou-Charentes.
Jiří Bělohlávek / Czech Philharmonic / Garrick Ohlsson / Alisa Weilerstein / Frank Peter Zimmermann
Dvorák: Complete Symphonies & Concertos
This Decca set of Antonín Dvorák's complete symphonies and concertos is a triumph for Jirí Belohlávek and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier
Noted Bach authority John Butt presents the complete Well-Tempered Clavier in an exciting performance on harpsichord.
Jos van Immerseel / Anima Eterna Orchestra
Ravel: Ma mère l'oye; Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Ravel's Ma mère l'oye and his orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition are performed on early 20th century instruments.
Julia Fischer / Milana Chernyavska
Violinist Julia Fischer and pianist Milana Chernyavska present a delightful recital of works by Spanish virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate.
Kazuki Yamada / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
R. Strauss, Liszt, Korngold, Busoni, Schreker
Kazuki Yamada and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande present a sonic extravaganza of post-Romantic dance music.
Kirill Karabits / Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Prokofiev: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 7
Kirill Karabits and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra open their Prokofiev cycle with exciting performances of the Third and Seventh symphonies.
Lawrence Power / Takács Quartet
With the participation of Power, these are performances of great clarity and great warmth, all rendered in sterling detail by Hyperion's team of engineers.
Lisa Friend / Anna Stokes / Mark Kinkaid
Luminance: Solo and Duo Works for Flute & Piano
This album is a delightful exercise in melody harnessed to technique, and it will be a hardhearted listener indeed who can resist it.
Ludovic Morlot / Seattle Symphony Orchestra
John Luther Adams: Become Ocean
John Luther Adams' Become Ocean was premiered by Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony and won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Mahan Esfahani offers exquisite interpretations of Rameau's complete keyboard works on this double-disc from Hyperion.
This fine Debussy recital, with nary a conventionally virtuosic work in sight is a recording that everyone ought to hear.
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 15
Mark Wigglesworth and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra present Shostakovich's first and last symphonies as bookends to their BIS cycle.
Maurizio Pollini / Christian Thielemann / Staatskapelle Dresden
Pollini gives a thoughtful and controlled reading of Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 with Thielemann and the Dresden Staatskapelle.
Michael Tilson Thomas / San Francisco Symphony / Yuja Wang
Michael Tilson Thomas' Masterpieces in Miniature is an unusual offering from a conductor better known for recordings of large-scale symphonies.
Milos Karadaglic's 2014 Decca release features the guitar music of Spanish composers Joaquín Rodrigo and Manuel de Falla.
Nicola Benedetti / Rory Macdonald
Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy
In celebration of Scotland's Year of Homecoming, Nicola Benedetti has recorded Bruch's Scottish Fantasy and several songs from her native land.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt / Concentus Musicus Wien
The Last Symphonies: Mozart's Instrumental Oratorium
Harnoncourt and Concentus Musicus Wien explore the idea that Mozart's last three symphonies were composed as a single work.
Paul O'Dette has selected his favorite lute pieces by John Dowland, sampling both the melancholy and brighter sides of his music.
Peter Oundjian / Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonic suite Shéhérazade receives a compelling performance from Peter Oundjian and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Riccardo Muti / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Prokofiev: Suite from Romeo and Juliet
Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra give a live performance of the suite from Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet.
G.F. Handel: 8 'Great' Suites for Keyboard, HWV 426-433
Egarr offers sweeping drama in the opening preludes and crisp, deep harmonic motion in the Allegros and faster dances.
Sakari Oramo / Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Carl Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 4 "The Inextinguishable" & 5
Sakari Oramo's recordings of Nielsen's Fourth and Fifth symphonies are a sonic showcase of works that ordinarily aren't treated as display pieces.
Sakari Oramo / Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Elgar: Symphony No. 1; Cockaigne (In London Town)
Sakari Oramo presents Elgar's First Symphony in an audiophile recording that compares favorably with two landmark recordings.
Maurice Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor; Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2
This is an extraordinary performance that both contributes original interpretations and draws illuminating connections.
This thoughtful recital is highly recommended and the presentation and engineering live up to the high standards set by the Steinway & Sons label.
This superb release by Britain's Brodsky Quartet makes a fine place to start with performances of American music by British and continental European groups.
Purcell: Ten Sonatas in Four Parts
The Vivat label gets the edge here with its near-ideal small-auditorium sound. A very strong choice for Purcell fans.
Thomas Dausgaard / Swedish Chamber Orchestra
Thomas Dausgaard's recordings of three of Franz Schubert's middle symphonies offer authentic period practice in state-of-the-art reproduction.
Beethoven: Diabelli Variations
This is a real keeper, with things to come back to and reconsider later. Nimbus does typically excellent engineering work.