GRAMMY TIME : Grammy’s Class Contenders (and Those That Coulda Been)

The Classical Grammys have traditionally been a popularity contest, signifying approval by recording industry professionals--members of the National Academy of Recordings Arts and Sciences--less of the year’s artistic best than what sold the most and/or was most soothingly familiar.

Until last year’s 35th Grammy awards, this column tended to be a collection of gripes, doggedly piling irony upon irony over the presumedly conflicting interests of commerce and art that govern the Grammys.

In 1993, either because of my inability to invent new lyrics for the old, minor-key song or because real change had taken place, a kinder perspective emerged here.

This year Grammy, now 36, reflects a mild downturn again, with the omission from the list of a too-vast-to-enumerate number of artistically, sometimes even commercially viable productions in a year when the recording industry expended more than the usual effort on behalf of non-safe repertory and significantly boosted gifted, commercially untested performers.

Some of the industry’s relatively visionary activity--insufficiently reflected by the Grammy finalists--may have resulted from its realization that we don’t really need 67 CD versions of “Pictures at an Exhibition” (though that didn’t preclude the release of versions 68 through 74).

Enough. Onward, to a clear-eyed appraisal/summary of what was offered to the National Academy membership, with the occasional, teary-eyed lament for what was not.

Fighting it out in the apples-and-oranges best classical album category are Anne-Sophie Mutter’s darkly impassioned performance, with conducting and orchestral playing to match by James Levine and the Chicago Symphony, of the Berg Violin Concerto (Deutsche Grammophon); Michael Tilson Thomas’ insightful presentation of Debussy’s “Martyre de Saint-Sebastien” (Sony), and the Baroque grandeur of “Venetian Vespers” from British period forces under Paul McCreesh (Deutsche Grammophon), the last constituting heartening evidence of the antiquarians’ acceptance by the slow-moving Grammy machinery.

In addition, there’s a strong Bartok program, “Cantata Profana” and “The Wooden Prince,” alas, indifferently led by Pierre Boulez (Deutsche Grammophon), and a weak offering by the usually irresistible mezzo Cecilia Bartoli of 18th-Century Italian songs (London). The latter, in an act of illogic evocative of Grammy’s worst old days, fails to top its own category, best vocal performance.

Conclusion? For me, a Berg-Debussy toss-up, but with a gut feeling that in a year in which he has achieved such visibility and respect, Tilson Thomas will win, despite his obscure repertory and Mutter’s decolletage.

Best orchestral performance combatants include the above-mentioned “Wooden Prince,” some nice but unnecessary favorite Barber with David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony (Argo), and Debussy handsomely done by Boulez and the Cleveland Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon) in a virtual repeat of material that years back won them a Grammy on another label.

My prize-winner, but unlikely to be that of the National Academy masses, is “A Portrait of Charles Ives” (EMI), mixing some of his crankiest and loveliest pieces, done to a delectable turn by Ensemble Modern under Ingo Metzmacher. And there’s more tractable Ives from past Grammy favorites Leonard Slatkin and his Saint Louis Symphony (RCA).

The fainthearted oracle speaks: Barber could sneak in, to no one’s utter dismay or palpable excitement, as the Boulezes and Iveses cancel each other out.

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Best opera recordings offers challenging choices while omitting two personal favorites, Monteverdi’s “Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria” (Harmonia Mundi) and Rossini’s “Il Turco in Italia” (Philips), and ignoring the operatic kingpins, Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Wagner.

Instead, there’s the first recording of Britten’s 1953 “Gloriana,” with non-stellar performers under Charles Mackerras (Argo); a La Scala production of Gluck’s majestic “Iphigenie en Tauride,” Carol Vaness in the title role and Riccardo Muti conducting (Sony), and Valery Gergiev directing his Kirov Opera ensemble in another non-favorite, Prokofiev’s “War and Peace” (Philips). Oh yes, and John Adams’ “Death of Klinghoffer” (Elektra/Nonesuch) got enough negative publicity to be included.

Which leaves Handel’s “Semele” (Deutsche Grammophon) as potential favorite, starring beloved-by-Grammy Kathleen Battle, her stock among the membership undoubtedly boosted by her burgeoning Baddest Girl of Opera reputation. The recording’s winning potential is enhanced by the presences of Marilyn Horne and Samuel Ramey. A less obvious asset is John Nelson’s erudite and vital conducting of excellent British instrumental and choral forces, proving that stylish presentation of Baroque opera can be achieved on modern instruments.

Best choral performance includes the previously noted “Martyre de Saint-Sebastien” and “Venetian Vespers” as well as Roger Norrington and his Schutz Choir of London scraping the barnacles off Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” (EMI), while Leonard Slatkin, the Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra attack and partially subdue the bloat of Vaughan Williams’ “Sea Symphony.” “Cantata Profana,” still unsatisfactory, shows up again here.

The winner? (Wishful thinking?) Debussy again.

In the instrumental soloist with orchestra competition, my favorite, Mutter’s Berg (teamed with a glum work by one Wolfgang Rihm), is up against one of the few repertory works in contention anywhere, Brahms’ D-minor Piano Concerto zestfully played by Stephen Kovacevich (EMI). Then, too, Richard Stoltzman expertly serves up Copland’s over-recorded Clarinet Concerto (RCA), while the not-yet-starry-enough-for-Grammy violinist Gil Shaham offers the concertos of Tchaikovsky and Sibelius (Deutsche Grammophon).

There’s some irony in the sudden popularity of Leon Fleisher, snubbed by Grammy when he was one of the world’s top two-handed pianists. Now, bereft of the use of his right hand, he is nominated for Sony recordings here and in the soloist-without-orchestra category for his playing of works written specifically for lefties.

Also in the all-alone category, Bach’s French Suites are sent bye-bye by pianist Andras Schiff (London); Barber’s piano music is played by John Browning, a master of the idiom (MusicMasters), and the rare Concerto for Solo Piano by 19th-Century eccentric Charles-Henri Alkan is dazzlingly delivered by Marc-Andre Hamelin (Music & Arts).

The likely winner is none of the above, but pianist Richard Goode, long a favorite of East Coast cognoscenti and now attracting a much wider audience. Goode’s entry is the final installment of his splendid traversal of the 32 Beethoven sonatas (Elektra/Nonesuch).

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I was miffed by the exclusion from the chamber music finalists of the smashing set of Haydn’s Opus 64 Quartets by the Kodaly Quartet (Naxos) and the Tokyo Quartet’s sumptuous Britten and Barber (RCA). But the Emerson Quartet’s steelier Barber, with the two Ives Quartets, is in the running (Deutsche Grammophon), as is a sizzler on the same label, the two Prokofiev Sonatas from violinist Gidon Kremer and pianist Martha Argerich, while veterans Janos Starker and Rudolf Firkusny clock in with their Martinu cello-piano sonatas (RCA).

The real chamber head-to-header involves starry ad hoc groups: Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Lynn Harrell having their lusty ways with the Beethoven String Trios (EMI) and the quartet of Isaac Stern, Emanuel Ax, Jaime Laredo and Yo-Yo Ma expending too much obvious effort to suit the sexy elegance of Faure’s Piano Quartets (Sony).

The best classical vocal performance list includes Anne Sofie von Otter’s superbly poised Grieg recital (Deutsche Grammophon) and a treasurable collection of live performances by the late Arleen Auger (Koch). Sentimentalists are targeted by “Farewell to Salzburg,” a lieder set from 70-year-old Christa Ludwig (RCA), while Sylvia McNair chirps her way through some Mozart and Handel (Philips) and Gabriela Benackova (with Firkusny) essays songs by Czech masters (also RCA).

Conspicuous by their absence are two releases which seemed surefire finalists: the shattering performance by Jessye Norman of Schoenberg’s “Erwartung” (Philips) and Roberta Alexander’s heavenly Barber recital (Etcetera).

Allow me to lament as well the absence among the finalists in various categories of Sibelius’ grandiose “Kullervo,” with Esa-Pekka Salonen leading the Helsinki University Chorus and L.A. Philharmonic (Sony); the magical score for “The Tempest,” also by Sibelius, from the Lahti Symphony under Osmo Vanska (BIS); the Chopin Ballades stunningly played by an inspired original, pianist Nikolai Demidenko (Hyperion); and Kyoko Takezawa’s soaring, searing Bartok Second Violin Concerto, with Tilson Thomas and the London Symphony (RCA).*