Internationally renowned Japanese pianist Mitsuko Uchida has today picked up Disc of the Year for her recording of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata at the prestigious Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine Awards 2008 for classical recording excellence.
Helen Wallace, Chair of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine Awards 2008, commented: "It gives me enormous pleasure that Mitsuko Uchida has won Disc of the Year: she is one in a million, and has conducted her journey through music with extraordinary purity and tenacity.
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"Her Hammerklavier really is a new benchmark of one of the most challenging and monumental works of all time."
This year's winners also include world-class stars Natalie Dessay (Opera), Ton Koopman (Choral) and Martha Argerich (Orchestral), alongside the brilliant young Jerusalem Quartet (Chamber), exciting Baroque director Emmanuelle Haim (Opera Award), and one of Britain's best-loved tenors, Mark Padmore (Vocal).
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Jury Awards go to a stunning recreation of the late Karlheinz Stockhausen's 1960s classic Stimmung by the Theatre of Voices (Technical Excellence), new music by the wildly exuberant Argentinian composer Mauricio Kagel (Premiere Recording) and the exciting young French pianist David Fray (Newcomer of the Year).
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In the DVD categories, the winners are Robert Carsen's moving production of Les Dialogues des CarmΓ©lites from La Scala (DVD Performance), and Ken Howard's documentary of Maxim Vengerov's sabbatical year, Living the Dream (DVD Documentary).
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine Awards 2008 received over 89,000 public votes for the 18 short-listed discs, up 123% on last year, and a staggering 394% since the inaugural awards in 2006.
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The nominations saw significant online promotion through targeted marketing activity and the official website where visitors were able to stream extracts of the short-listed recordings, listen to a series of Awards podcasts hosted by Radio 3's Petroc Trelawny, and vote for their favourite recordings of 2007.
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Voters were able to purchase the nominated discs through new retail partners Crotchet, Europadisc, MDT and Presto Classical alongside seasoned supporters iTunes and HMV, who also promoted the retail campaign in-store.
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Joined by Amazon.co.uk, all retail partners will be continuing their support with a winners’ retail campaign throughout April.
Oliver Condy, Editor of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine, said: "Since its launch in 2006, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine Awards has grown at an incredible rate.
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"From the start, we intended the Awards to help lift sales of classical recordings at a typically slow time of the year, but with more reader votes and online retail partners than ever before, we've been able to give a far bigger boost to the record industry than we ever anticipated.
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"2007 was a bumper year for truly outstanding recordings, and the landmark discs that make up this year's winners are essential additions to every classical collection."
Winners of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine Awards 2008 were announced today, 9 April, at an exclusive Awards ceremony held on board the MV Silver Sturgeon.
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Artists and representatives from across the classical music industry attended the awards lunch and ceremony, hosted by Radio 4's James Naughtie and Oliver Condy, Editor of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine.
A free digital magazine featuring Mitsuko Uchida's acceptance speech, as well as extracts of the winning discs and links through to retailers to purchase the recordings is available to read at www.bbcmusicmagazine.com.
The May issue of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine, on sale 10 April 2008 priced Β£4.25, features full interviews with the winners of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine Awards 2008.
Tabitha Morton
www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/awards/winners2008.asp
Notes to editors:
The winners
Full details including jury comments, artist notes, and extracts from the magazine's interviews are available on request.
DISC of the YEAR & INSTRUMENTAL AWARD
Mitsuko Uchida (piano)
Beethoven | Piano Sonatas: No. 28 in A, Op. 101; No. 29 in B flat, Op. 106 (Hammerklavier) | Philips 475 8662
ORCHESTRAL AWARD
Martha Argerich, Lilya Zilberstein (piano), Sergei Nakariakov (trumpet), Renaud CapuΓ§on, Alissa Margulis (violin), Lyda Chen (viola), Mischa Maisky (cello); Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana/Alexander Verdernikov ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ
Shostakovich | Piano Concerto No.1; Concertino for 2 Pianos; Piano Quintet | EMI 504 5042
OPERA AWARD
Natalie Dessay, Ann Hallenberg, Sonia Prina, Pavol Breslik; Concert D'Astree/ Emmanuelle Haim
Handel | Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno | Virgin 363 4282
CHAMBER AWARD
Jerusalem Quartet
Shostakovich | Quartets 6, 8, 11 | HMC 901953
CHORAL AWARD
Sandrine Piau, Johannette Zomer, Bogna Bartosz, Nathalie Stutzmann; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir/Ton Koopman
JS Bach | Cantatas Vol. 22: ΜύBWV 80, BWV 236, BWV 30, BWV 233, BWV 234, BWV 30a, BWV 235 | Challenge CC72222
VOCAL AWARD
Mark Padmore (tenor), Lucy Crowe (soprano); The English Concert/Andrew Manze
Handel | As Steals the Morn. Arias and scenes from Alceste, Semele, Samson, Rodelinda, Esther, Jeptha, L’Allegro and Il Trionfo del tempo | HMU 907422
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BEST NEWCOMER – Jury Award
David Fray (piano)
JS Bach | Partita 4 in D; French Suite no.1 in B minor; Boulez | Douze notations pour piano; Incises | Virgin 385 7872
PREMIERE RECORDING – Jury Award
Mauricio Kagel | Netherlands Chamber Choir; SchΓ¶nberg Ensemble/Reinbert de Leeuw Kagel | All things change | Quirinus’ Liebeskuss; Serenade; Doppelsextett | Winter & Winter 910 126-2 ΜύΜύ
TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE IN RECORDING – Jury Award
Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier; Ian Dearder (sound diffusion)
Stockhausen | Stimmung | Harmonia Mundi HMU 807408 (hybrid CD/SACD)
DVD [DOCUMENTARY] – Jury Award
Maxim Vengerov, Living the dream | A film by Ken Howard
Living the dream | EMI 503 4029
DVD [PERFORMANCE] – Jury Award
Dagmar Schellenberger, Anja Silja, Barbara Dever, Laura Aikin; Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala/Riccardo Muti; dir. Robert Carsen (Milan, 2004)
Poulenc | Dialogues des CarmΓ©lites | TDK DVWW-OPDDC
The jury
Helen Wallace (Chair) - Consultant Editor, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine
Oliver Condy - Editor, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine
Daniel JaffΓ© - Reviews Editor, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine
Andrew McGregor - Presenter, CD Review – Radio 3
Berta Joncus - Writer, Music Lecturer – University of Oxford
David Nice - Writer, Biographer
George Pratt - Emeritus Professor of Music – University of Huddersfield
Christopher Dingle - Lecturer and Writer – Birmingham Conservatoire
Jan Smaczny - Professor of Music – Queen's University, Belfast
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine is the world's best-selling classical music monthly. Covering all aspects of live events, broadcast and recordings, each issue carries a complete Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ work and provides a comprehensive and expert guide to classical music.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music Magazine has a monthly circulation of 47,104 (ABC Jan-Dec 2007) and is published by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines Bristol, a trading name of Bristol Magazines Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide Ltd.
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