Favorite Albums of 2023
A musical trip to hell and back, a 300-year-old opera, and “Schoenberg as lounge music” comprise some of my favorite albums of the year.
With 2023 coming to a fast close (heck, where did the year go?!), it’s time for a brief roundup of my favorite classical albums from this past year. As always, if something piques your interest, I encourage you to support the artist and purchase their music.
In no particular order…
Thomas Adès: Dante — Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale & Gustavo Dudamel (Nonesuch Records)
“Act II of The Nutcracker in hell” is the descriptor that comes to mind when listening to the opening section of Thomas Adès’s Dante. In this three-part ballet inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, Adès takes us on a rollicking journey to the underworld and back starting with the devilish “Inferno,” where the ghosts of Liszt, Berlioz, and Tchaikovsky playfully haunt Adès’s own sound world. The calmer and more reverent “Purgatorio” follows—featuring gorgeous pre-recorded chants from the Great Ades Synagogue in Jerusalem—before the skies open and we are led to “Paradiso,” a 26-minute spiral upward into the heavenly light of the Empyrean. Played with total commitment by the LA Phil and Gustavo Dudamel, this work is destined to become a modern classic.
Prism V — Danish String Quartet (ECM Records)
The Danish String Quartet is perhaps one of the only string quartets that could pass as an indie rock band. (Just look at these Nordic gents.) In all seriousness, this group is phenomenal in every type of music they play, whether classical or folk. Case in point: the concluding installment of their Prism series. Their performances here of wide-ranging works by Beethoven, Webern, and J.S. Bach (including his haunting, unfinished contrapunctus from The Art of Fuge) are breathtaking and create a fascinating musical dialogue between the centuries.
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: ARCHORA / AIŌN — Iceland Symphony Orchestra & Eva Ollikainen (Sono Luminus)
Huge ideas lie at the heart of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s output. This Icelandic composer frequently writes music inspired by the primordial forces of nature, whether the tectonic plates deep within the earth’s crust or the starry canvas of the universe. The two works captured on this recording—in fabulous performances by the Iceland Symphony and conductor Eva Ollikainen—provide an ideal introduction to Thorvaldsottir’s music and the dazzling, expansive worlds she can conjure with a traditional symphony orchestra at her disposal. (However, after hearing ARCHORA in concert earlier this year, I must say that this music is best experienced live if you get the opportunity!)
STILLPOINT — Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry & Roomful of Teeth (New Amsterdam Records)
The seeds for this compelling album are the Four Quartets of T.S. Eliot, a set of poems that freely ruminate on time and humanity’s relation to it. (Deep stuff.) Pianist Awadagin Pratt joins the self-directed orchestra A Far Cry and vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth for six new works that respond to Eliot’s extraordinary cycle. Created by a group of culturally and stylistically composers—ranging from Tyshawn Sorey to Pēteris Vasks—these pieces are an absolute marvel, regardless of whether or not one is aware of their poetic connections.
Purcell: Dido & Aeneas — La Nuova Musica, David Bates & Soloists (Pentatone)
If you ever took a music appreciation class, you probably know Henry Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas from its concluding aria, “When I am laid in earth.” (It’s built on a lament bass, remember?) Turns out, there’s a ton of fantastic music in the rest of the opera that often slips under the radar. A starry lineup of vocal soloists, alongside the UK-based early music ensemble La Nuova Musica, makes a robust case for this important work, captured in this taught, fiery recording. Just take one listen to the jaunty “Sailor’s Dance” from Act III and try to get it out of your head.
Penitence & Lamentation — Byrd Ensemble & Markdavin Obenza (Scribe Records)
2023 saw pockets of the music world honor the 400th anniversary of the death of English Renaissance composer William Byrd. Byrd’s large output of sacred music is still celebrated today for its economy, expression, and, in many cases, use of the Catholic liturgy at a time of widespread anti-Catholic sentiments in England. Here, the Seattle-based Byrd Ensemble pairs four of Byrd’s vocal works with others by his contemporaries (or near contemporaries), all centered around the theme of lamentation. The performances are stunning, and the vocalists skillfully capture the raw emotions and nuances of the texts. One particular highlight is the world premiere recording of Fallings, a new work by American composer Nico Muhly that fits in beautifully with the soaring, centuries-old sounds that comprise the rest of the album.
Schoenberg: Suite, Op. 25 — Aaron Wyanski (Speculative Records)
Arnold Schoenberg once said, “There is nothing I long for more intensely… that people should know my tunes and whistle them.” Well, Arnie might finally get his wish with this clever reimagining of his Suite for Piano (Op. 25). Composer, pianist, and educator Aaron Wyanski recasts the Austrian composer’s thorny 12-tone score as suave, 1950s-era lounge music. It’s humorous, yes, but also quite impressive, retaining the same spirit and invention of the original. The next time you host a dinner party, try putting this on instead of that Dave Brubeck album and see what your friends say.
Honorable Mentions:
Rouse: Symphony No. 6 — Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra & Louis Langrée (Fanfare Cincinnati)
David Lang: man made — Sō Percussion, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra & Louis Langrée (Fanfare Cincinnati)
Earthdrawn Skies — Aizuri Quartet (Azica Records)
Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin — Thomas Guthrie & Barokksolistene (Rubicon Classics)
Rautavaara & Martinů: Piano Concertos No. 3 — Olli Mustonen, Lahti Symphony Orchestra & Dalia Stasevska (BIS Records)