Fashion
Best Classical Music Albums of 2024
Listen to selections from recordings of a new John Adams opera, Chopin études by Yunchan Lim, Brahms works by Igor Levit and more.
John Adams: ‘Girls of the Golden West’
Los Angeles Philharmonic; John Adams, conductor (Nonesuch)
“My name is Joe”
Nonesuch
John Adams and Peter Sellars’s “Girls of the Golden West” has struggled to catch on since its premiere, but this recording makes the best case yet for its vitality. With nearly an hour of cuts and a treatment of Americana both vivid and terrifying, it’s essential listening for the opera’s doubters. JOSHUA BARONE
‘Aigul’
Aigul Akhmetshina, mezzo-soprano; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Daniele Rustioni, conductor (Decca)
Bizet’s Habanera
Decca
In a year that hasn’t offered up many opera-star recitals that are glossy and worthwhile, Aigul Akhmetshina’s self-titled debut is the exception. It shows off her luscious timbre, serpentine legato, and nuanced artistry in a wide range of repertoire that is both suitable and surprising. OUSSAMA ZAHR
‘American Counterpoints’
Curtis Stewart, violin; Experimental Orchestra; James Blachly, conductor (Bright Shiny Things)
Julia Perry’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, IV: Fast
Bright Shiny Things
