The nominees for the Grammy awards have been announced, and AMG’s classical editors will be taking a look at the contenders in various categories. The five nominees for Best Classical Vocal Performance represent an interesting mix of vocal styles and musical genres. The music itself is strongly weighted to the modern or the obscure. One of the pieces was written in the 21st century (John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man, from 2003 with soprano Hila Plitmann), and two of the albums feature 20th century works (Charles Fussell’s Wilde, from 1993, with baritone Sanford Sylvan, and Terezín: Music from Theresienstadt, with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter). One album includes folksongs collected or composed around the turn of the 20th century (Gomidas Songs, with soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian). Only one is made up of 19th century works, most of which are pretty esoteric (Maria, with mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli).

Check out the samples and reviews. Which recording do you think deserves the Grammy?


Best Classical Vocal Performance
 
Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan
Hila Plitmann (JoAnn Falletta; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
[Naxos]

 
2. Clothes Line
 
3. Blowin’ in the Wind
 
7. Postlude: Forever Young
 
 
 
Fussell -Wilde
Sanford Sylvan (Gil Rose; Boston Modern Orchestra Project)
[BMOP/sound]

 
Part I. London (1895)
 
Part III. Paris (1900)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gomidas Songs
Isabel Bayrakdarian (Eduard Topchjan; Serouj Kradjian; Chamber Players of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra)
[Nonesuch Records]

Gomidas Vartabed: Oror (Lullaby), song
 
Gomidas Vartabed: Manoogneroo Hayr mer (Children’s Prayer), song
 
Gomidas Vartabed: Voh inch kaghtsr pan (Oh, What a Delight!), song
 
 
 
Maria
Cecilia Bartoli (Adam Fischer; Orchestra La Scintilla)
[Decca Records]

Maria Malibran: Rataplan
 
Manuel Garcia: El poeta calculista, opera: Yo que soy contrabandista
 
Gioachino Rossini: Tancredi, opera - Dopo tante e tante pene
 
 
Terezín: Theresienstadt
Anne Sofie Von Otter (Christian Gerhaher & Daniel Hope; Bengt Forsberg & Gerold Huber)
[Deutsche Grammophon]

Ilse Weber - Ich wandre durch Theresienstadt
 
Anne Sofie Von Otter: Ilse Weber: Wiegala
 
Karel Svenk: Vsechno jde! (Anything Goes!) “Terezin March”