My Favorite Classical Music Releases of 2022

As promised, here are my Top 20 classical music releases of the year. Some are compositions from movie soundtracks, because I believe that some of the best musical creations are for the screen. I confess: one or two might have been released in previous years. If you catch me, you get a prize! (My gracious acknowledgement of your perspicacity.) And, yes, that’s Cate Blanchett conducting with FEELING in the movie “Tar” (which you should see if you haven’t already).

So here are my very subjective classical picks for 2022, in no special order. (Reminder: In the thread below are my pop music picks for 2022.)

1. Sir Edward Elgar: Cello Concerto in E Minor, London Symphony, from the “Tar” soundtrack

2. Alexandre Tharaud: La valse d’ Amelie, performed by Yann Tiersen, from the album “Cinema”

3. Mozart: Church Sonata No. 13 in C Major, performed by Louis-Noel de Bestion Camboulas, from the album “The Unexpected Mozart”

4. Arvo Part: Summa, performed by the Morphing Chamber Orchestra, from the album “Arvo Part, Stabat Master”

5. Ennio Morricone: Gabriel’s Oboe, from “The Mission” soundtrack

6. Giuseppe Agus: Sonata No. 1 in A Major, performed by the Quartetto Vanvitelli, from the album “Agus”

7. Johann Christian Bach: Bassoon Concerto in B-Flat Major, performed by Sophie Dervaux and the Munich Chamber Orchestra

8. Handel: Theodora, HWV 68, Courante, performed by Maxim Emelyanychev etc., from the album “Handel: Theodora”

9. Olafur Arnalds: Loom – Piano Reworks, performed by Arnalds and Eydis Evensen, from the album “Some Kind of Peace”

10. Benjamin Britten: God Save the Queen, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, from the album “HM Queen: The Commemorative Album”

11. John Blow: The Glorious Day Is Come, performed by Ceruleo, from the album “Purcell: Love Restor’d”

12. Petr Aleksander: The Whole World Laid Out Before Me, performed by Aleksander, from the album of the same title

13. Traditional: Gaudette, performed by John Metcalfe & Thomas Gould, from the album “Carols Without Words”

14. J.S. Bach: Partita No. 3 in E Major, performed by Mats Bergstrom, from the album “Portfolio”

15. Mozart: Gloria, performed by the Bavarian Radio Chorus, from the album “Mozart: Coronation Mass, K. 317”

16. Mozart: Die Zauberflote, performed by Simon Lopez, from the album “Prodigies”

17. Jean-Baptiste Lully: Alceste ou le Triomphe d’Alcide, performed by Lucile Tessier and Ensemble Leviathan, from the album “Music for Lady Louise”

18. Claudio Monteverdi: Settimo libro de’ madrgali, performed by Rinaldo Alessandrini & Concerto Italiano, from the album “Monteverdi Concerto”

19. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: The Sea and Sinbad, performed by the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, from the album “Scherezade”

20. Beethoven: Andante cantabile con variazioni, performed by Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and Leonidas Kavakos, from the album “Beethoven For Three”

BONUS TRACK: Inbal Segev: Room to Move for Cello Octet, performed by Segev, from the album “Inbal Segev: 20 for 2020”