Gramophone, 22nd August 2016

Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2016 – winners revealed!

It’s the biggest task our critics have to face. Confronted with hundreds of superb recordings reviewed over the past year, their job is to narrow them down to a single winner in each of 12 categories. But now their listening is complete, their votes have been cast – and the results are in! From Early Music to Contemporary, from Concerto to Opera, we can finally unveil the 12 best recordings of 2016..... opera: Verdi Aida Anja Harteros sop Aida Jonas Kaufmann ten Radamès Ekaterina Semenchuk mez Amneris Ludovic Tézier bar Amonasro Erwin Schrott bass-bar Ramfis Marco Spotti bass King of Egypt Eleonora Buratto sop Priestess Paolo Fanale ten Messenger Chorus and Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia / Sir Antonio Pappano (Warner Classics) 'The singing of the doomed lovers has tenderness and beauty, and the preternaturally quiet Santa Cecilia string-playing is exquisitely managed as the drama makes its longed-for tryst with silence...'