The only one of those Award Winners I've actually heard was Gergiev's Prokofiev set which I liked very much. Any opinions on any of the others? It looks like a pretty stodgy list to me.
The Jonas Kaufmann Strauss Lieder had rave reviews, but I have to admit to not having heard it yet (not that I'd be the best candidate to judge its quality even if I did). I'd imagine the Janacek Quartets, the Testament Wagner, and Ivan Fischer's Mahler might be anything but stodgy, though again I can't claim to have heard them myself.
of the new CDs of contemporary composition (at least of the sort that would stand some chance of being recognised as such by the Gramophone) released in the last year which I've heard I think my favourits was the Xenakis percussion music set with Steven Schick on Mode.
I'd have been very happy to see that set win an award, although because of the way Gramophone set their release window for each year's awards (nominations for which start around April) I've a feeling it would actually be a 2008 contender, rather than 2007. As you probably know I work for the distributor both of that set and of the Ondine disc that did win (which is a very good and well-presented disc, though I much prefer Anderson's more recent music as represented on the NMC disc released around the same time). We also distribute various other forms of 'contemporary composition' (Emanem, Psi, and the other Martin Davidson imprints, besides a few independent-minded American labels: Pi, Aum Fidelity, etc), though as you say I don't think they'd get very far if we tried to put them in for a Gramophone Award.
I'm assuming that DG was "label of the year" because of, rather than despite, their crossover tactics.
I'd imagine it might be something to do with their advocacy of
Gramophone favourite Anna Netrebko, but I don't really know what else they get up to these days. They're a bit less crossover-inclined than Universal's other arm, Decca, aren't they?
