Recording of the Year: Terry Riley, Sun Rings, Kronos Quartet, Volti (Nonesuch)
Terry Riley’s 2002 work Sun Rings simultaneously celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Voyager exploration and soberly reflects on September 11, 2001. Kronos Quartet, longtime collaborators with Riley, the ethereal voices of Volti, and a collection of space sounds are combined to create a fascinating and engaging amalgam. An exhilarating ride through the various styles that Riley has at his disposal.
Best Recordings of 2019 (in no particular order)
- Terry Riley, Sun Rings, Kronos Quartet, Volti (Nonesuch)
- Matana Roberts, COIN COIN Chapter Four: Memphis (Constellation)
- Heinz Holliger and György Kurtág, Zwiegespräche (ECM)
- Andrew Norman, Sustain, Los Angeles Philharmonic – Gustavo Dudamel (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Bonnie Prince Billy, I Made a Place (Drag City)
- Igor Levit, Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Sony Classical)
- Thomas Zehetmair, Sei Solo – The Sonatas and Partitas (ECM)
- John Luther Adams, Become Desert, Seattle Symphony – Ludovic Morlot (Cantaloupe)
- Philip Glass, Symphony 5, Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Downtown Voices, Trinity Youth Chorus, Novus NY – Julian Wachner (Orange Mountain)
- Cipriano de Rore, I madrigali a cinque voci, Blue Heron – Scott Metcalfe (Blue Heron)
- Johannes Ockeghem, Complete Songs, Volume 1, Blue Heron – Scott Metcalfe (Blue Heron)
- Six Organs of Admittance, Companion Rises (Drag City)
- Dominique Schafer, Vers une présence réelle (Kairos)
- Leo Svirsky, River Without Banks (Unseen Worlds)
- Christian Wolff, Preludes, Studies, Variations, and Incidental Music, Philip Thomas (Sub Rosa)
- Caroline Shaw, Orange (New Amsterdam/Nonesuch)
- andPlay, Playlist (New Focus)
- Jan Garbarek and Hilliard Ensemble, Remember Me, My Dear (ECM)
- Lucas Debargue, Scarlatti: 52 Sonatas (Sony Classical)
- Cassandra Miller, Songs About Singing, Plus-Minus Ensemble (All That Dust)
- Sarah Hennies, Reservoir 1 (Black Truffle)
- Jenny Hval, The Practice of Love (Sacred Bones)
- Sergei Rachmaninov, Arrival, Daniil Trifonov, Philadelphia Orchestra – Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Kali Malone, The Sacrificial Code (iDeal)
- Stile Antico, A Spanish Nativity (Harmonia Mundi)
- David Torn, Tim Berne, Ches Smith, Sun of Goldfinger (ECM)
- Ka Baird, Respires (RVNG)
- David Byrne, American Utopia (Nonesuch)
- Þuríður Jónsdóttir, Halldór Smárason, Páll Ragnar Pálsson, and Hafliði Hallgrímsson, Vernacular, Sæun Thorsteinsdóttir (Sono Luminus)
- Matt Mitchell, Phalanx Ambassadors (Pi)
- Julian Anderson, Poetry Nearing Silence (NMC)
- Jaimie Branch, FLY or DIE II: Bird Dogs of Paradise (International Anthem)
- FKA Twigs, Magdalene (Young Turks)
- Kris Davis, Diatom Ribbons (Pyroclastic)
- Angel Olsen, All Mirrors (Jagjaguwar)
- Guided by Voices, Sweating the Plague (GBV)
- Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, Haukur Tómasson, Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, and Páll Ragnar Pálsson, Concurrence, Víkingur Ólafsson, Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, Iceland Symphony Orchestra – Daniel Bjarnason (Sono Luminus)
- Michael Finnissy, Vocal Works 1974-2015, EXAUDI Vocal Ensemble, James Weeks (Winter and Winter)
- Emmanuel Nunes, Eivend Buene, Andreas Dohmen, Márton Illés, Chaya Czernowin, Donaueschinger Musiktage 2017 (Neos)
- Minor Pieces, The Heavy Steps of Dreaming (Fat Cat)
- Zosha di Castri, Tachitipo (New Focus)
- Morton Feldman, Piano, Philip Thomas (Another Timbre)
- Aaron Copland, Billy the Kid and Grohg, Detroit Symphony – Leonard Slatkin (Naxos)
- Ivo Perelman, Matt Maneri, Nate Wooley, Matthew Shipp, Strings 4 (Leo)
- Liza Lim, Rebecca Saunders, Chaya Czernowin, Mirela Ivičević, and Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, Speak Be Silent, Riot Ensemble – Aaron Holloway-Nahum (Huddersfield-NMC)
- Saariaho, Schleirmacher, Werthmüller, Sturm, Ensemble Musikfabrik (Wergo)
- Josquin and Bauldeweyn, Missa Mater Patris, Missa Da Pacem, Tallis Scholars (Gimell)
- Antoine Beuger, Traces of Eternity: Of What is Yet to Be (Editions Wandelweiser)
- Richard Barrett, Timothy McCormack, Liza Lim, World-line, ELISION (Huddersfield NMC)
- George Perle, Serenades (BMOP)
- György Kurtág, The Edge of Silence, Susan Narucki (Avie)
- American Football, American Football LP3 (Polyvinyl)
- Julia Kent, Temporal (Leaf)
- The Comet is Coming, Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery (Impulse)
- Pan American, A Son (Kranky)
- William Basinski, On Time Out of Time (Temporary Residence)
- Shasta Cults, S/T (Important)
- Harry Partch, Sonata Dementia, PARTCH (Bridge)
- Robert Erickson, Duos, Fives, Quintet, Trio, Camera Lucida (New World)
- James Tenney, Changes 64 Studies for 6 Harps (New World)