The prestigious International Classical Music Awards, or ICMA, have been awarded for 2019 and Polish artists were honored in four of the categories. See below for details on the winning recordings and videos, which featured Polish early music specialist (now living in Switzerland) Agnieszka Budzińska-Bennett, renowned Polish theater director Krzysztof Warlikowski, and two ensembles associated with the National Forum of Music: the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra and the NFM Philharmonic Orchestra of Wrocław.
Audio Category: Baroque Vocal
17th Century Sacred Music in Wroclaw
Concerto Palatino, Gli Angeli Genève
Wrocław Baroque Orchestra
Stephan MacLeod
Claves 501805
This is an exciting musical voyage led by three remarkable ensembles into unknown but fascinating landscape of baroque music with pieces from the 17th century coming from archives in Wrocław. Gli Angeli Genève, Concerto Palatino, and the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra under Stephan MacLeod deliver lively and subtle performances.
More information about the album: nfm.wroclaw.pl
Audio Category: Early Music
Music In Medieval Denmark: 13th – 15th Century
Ensemble Peregrina
Agnieszka Budzinska-Bennett
Benjamin Bagby
Tacet 243
The Basel-based singer, harpist and musicologist Agnieszka Budzińska-Bennett and her specialized Ensemble Peregrina have explored medieval music on the highest musical and scientific levels for more than twenty years. With Benjamin Bagby (Sequentia) as a special guest, Volume I of their journey through the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea presents the earliest music preserved in Denmark.
More information about the album: www.peregrina.ch
Audio Category: Contemporary Music
Arvo Pärt: Symphonies Nos. 1- 4
NFM Wrocław Philharmonic
Tönu Kaljuste
ECM New Series 2600
For many years the Estonian conductor Tönu Kaljuste has been one of the most prolific and substantial interpreters of Arvo Pärt’s musical cosmos. His sublime and differentiated reading of the four Symphonies not only presents a journey through different compositional styles, such as neo-classical, serialist, gregorian-chant or church-slavonic-influenced and traditional, but also a deep understanding of the composer’s spiritual quest.
More information about the album: nfm.wroclaw.pl
Video Category: Video Performance
Bartok: Bluebeard’s Castle – Poulenc: La Voix Humaine
Barbara Hannigan, John Relyea, Ekaterina Gubanova
Paris Opera Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Krzysztof Warlikowski
Arthaus Musik 109364
At first glance, the two one-act-operas La Voix Humaine and Blubeard’s Castle have no mutual musical relation. And yet, in this outstanding live recording with an extraordinary successful cast – Barbara Hannigan, John Relyea, Ekaterina Gubanova, and the Paris Opera Orchestra under the refined direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen – Krzysztof Warlikowski’s inspired staging reunites both works in one absolutely fascinating production.
More information about the production: www.operadeparis.fr
[Source: icma-info.com]