norman lebrecht
October 08, 2026
The last stragglers of the classic record industry gathered last night to acclaim their house magazine’s annual awards.
Esoteric doesn’t begin to describe the selection.
The record of the year is the complete works of Louis Couperin on 10 CDs. That’s a lot of listening to an obscure composer.
Artist of the year is Isabelle Faust (pic), a fine German violinist of no recognition outside the classical coterie, with a performance of the stubbornly marginal Ligeti concerto.
Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra won the Opera Award for Kaija Saariaho’s ‘Adriana Mater.’ That’s before Salonen walked out on the orchestra for failing to support his artistic vision.
Orchestra of the year was Bamberg. Concerto of the year was Ligeti.
Mezzo-soprano Adèle Charvet and pianist Florian Caroubi won the Song Award for ‘Belle époque!’, released by Alpha.
Hardly any of these winners will get an airing on Classic FM.
And you wonder why classical recording has dug its own grave.