GRAMMY Watch - Classical Music Categories - Picks & Predictions for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards

Year by year, not much really, truly stands up to the classical music recordings. It is almost as though these artists are truly in a league all their own. Always very highly competitive and usually my picks are also my predictions. I allow myself this easy way out (lol) because a lot of these categories are too close to call. Some years are easy, as a lot of bloc voting seems to be the norm here. Sometimes it is obvious, like the one year the San Francisco Symphony won five awards. This is nearly impossible this year though, as there was really no one album with that many multiple nominations - and I haven't figured out if it is due to the scaling down of categories and rule changes or if it is the fact that the field truly is wide open.

BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE

My Pick & Prediction:

BRAHMS: SYMPHONY No. 4

Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

[Deutsche Grammaphon)

With two nods of the 5 from the BBC Philharmonic & Orchestra, I figure these two will cancel each other out beaming the trophy to LA.

BEST OPERA RECORDING

My Pick & Prediction:

VERDI: LA TRAVIATA

Antonio Pappano, conductor; Joseph Calleja, Renee Fleming & Thomas Hampson, principal cast; James Whitbourn, album producer; Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus.

[Opus Arte]

I have two words for you: Renee Flemming. I think it is no contest, but I could be wrong - and I don't care. That, plus Verdi, plus La Traviata, plus the Royal Opera Orchestra AND chorus... plus, plus, plus!

BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE

My Pick:

BRAHMS: EIN DEUTCHES, REQUIEM, Op. 45

Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor; James K. Bass, chorus master; Justin Blackwell, Scott Allen Jerrett, Paul Max Tipton & Teresa Wakim, principal soloists; Professional Choral Institute & Seraphic Fire, chorus.

[Seraphic Fire Media]

My Prediction:

BEYOND ALL MORTAL DREAMS - AMERICAN A CAPPELLA

Stephen Layton, conductor Choir of Trinity College Cambridge

[Hyperion Records]

This was very tough for me. Something about American A Cappella, for me, will give it an edge over the competition with Grammy voters. However, Brahms' Requiem is so classically classical - it just feels worthy and right.

BEST SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

My Pick & Prediction:

A SERAPHIC FIRE CHRISTMAS

Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor Seraphic Fire.

[Seraphic Fire Media]

What can you say? Seraphic Fire had a banner year and it just seems like they may be a lock here.

BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO

My Pick:

RACHMANINOV: PIANO CONCEROS Nos. 3 & 4

Leif Ove Andsnes; Antonio Pappano (London Symphony Orchestra)

[EMI Classics]

My Prediction:

SCHWANTNER: CONCERTO FOR PERCUSSION & ORCHESTRA

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Christopher Lamb (Nashville Symphony)

[Naxos]

THIS is a very, very, very competitive category. The solo classical ones always are. For my pick, I was torn between the two Rachmaninov pieces, which I think may cancel each other out (for my prediction), but that leaves three very rich performances and all sort of themed in a way with Nashville Symphony's Christopher Lamb tackling percussion for orchestra (and Nashville Symphony has been a Grammy darling in recent years), Copenhagen Philharmonic's Michala Petri's take on Chinese Recorder Concertos - East Meets West and Ursula Oppens sublime piano adaptations on Winging It - Piano Music of John Corigliano. Like I said, a very tough choice indeed.

BEST CLASSICAL VOCAL SOLO

My Pick & Prediction:

HANDEL: CLEOPATRA

Natalie Dessay (Emmanuelle Haim; Le Concert D'Astree)

[Virgin Classical]

Hands down: One of the best OVERALL performances of the year. I know there is competiton here somewhere, I just didn't want to see it after witnessing what I did of Dessay's nothing short of a tour de force. Brava Diva!

BEST CLASSICAL CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION

My Pick & Prediction:

ALDRIDGE, ROBERT: ELMER GANTRY

Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein, composers

[Naxos]

The Nashville Symphony Orchestra... need I say more. I think they will have another stellar Grammy showing - and with this American classic being adapted for the Opera. Bravo!

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on CBS on Sunday, February 12, 2012 on CBS at 8pm/EST. For full coverage and complete list of nominees visit www.grammy.com.

Pictured: Natalie Dessay in the Le' Concert D'Astree production of Handel's Cleopatra; credit to the photographer