Robert Cassone - Ave Maria (from "Tears and Thunder")

GRAMMY WATCH – Classical Music Categories – My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions for then Classical Music Categories for the 58^th Annual Grammy Awards.  Usually, I look for likenesses and labels.  There are a lot of older voting members in this branch of the Academy and historically they seem to go with those who have been around a bit.

Best Orchestral Performance
• Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
      Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
      [Reference Recordings]

• Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double'
      Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)
      [Seattle Symphony Media]

• Shostakovich: Under Stalin's Shadow - Symphony No. 10
      Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
      [Deutsche Grammophon]

• Spirit Of The American Range
      Carlos Kalmar, conductor (The Oregon Symphony)
      [Pentatone]

• Zhou Long & Chen Yi: Symphony 'Humen 1839'
      Darrell Ang, conductor (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra)
      [Naxos]

My Pick and Prediction:

• Shostakovich: Under Stalin's Shadow - Symphony No. 10
      Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
      [Deutsche Grammophon]

~

Best Opera Recording
• Janáček: Jenůfa
      Donald Runnicles, conductor; Will Hartmann, Michaela Kaune and Jennifer Larmore; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)
      [Arthaus]

• Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D'Ulisse In Patria
      Martin Pearlman, conductor; Fernando Guimarães and Jennifer Rivera; Thomas C. Moore, producer (Boston Baroque)
      [Linn Records]

• Mozart: Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail
      Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Diana Damrau, Paul Schweinester and Rolando Villazón; Sid McLauchlan, producer (Chamber Orchestra Of Europe)
      [Deutsche Grammophon]

• Ravel: L'Enfant Et Les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade
      Seiji Ozawa, conductor; Isabel Leonard; Dominic Fyfe, producer (Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus and SKF Matsumoto Children's Chorus)
      [Decca]

• Steffani: Niobe, Regina Di Tebe
      Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Karina Gauvinand Philippe Jaroussky; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)
      [Erato]

My Pick and Prediction:

• Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D'Ulisse In Patria
      Martin Pearlman, conductor; Fernando Guimarães and Jennifer Rivera; Thomas C. Moore, producer (Boston Baroque)
      [Linn Records]

~

Best Choral Performance
• Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
      Bernard Haitink, conductor; Peter Dijkstra, chorus master (Anton Barachovsky, Genia Kühmeier, Elisabeth Kulman, Hanno Müller-Brachmann and Mark Padmore; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
      [BR Klassik]

• Monteverdi: Vespers Of 1610
      Harry Christophers, conductor (Jeremy Budd, Grace Davidson, Ben Davies, Mark Dobell, Eamonn Dougan and Charlotte Mobbs; The Sixteen)
      [Coro]

• Pablo Neruda - The Poet Sings
      Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (James K. Bass, Laura Mercado-Wright, Eric Neuville & Lauren Snouffer; Faith DeBow and Stephen Redfield; Conspirare)
      [Harmonia Mundi]

• Paulus: Far In The Heavens
      Eric Holtan, conductor (Sara Fraker, Matthew Goinz, Thea Lobo, Owen McIntosh, Kathryn Mueller and Christine Vivona; True Concord Orchestra; True Concord Voices)
      [Reference Recordings]

• Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
      Charles Bruffy, conductor (Paul Davidson, Frank Fleschner, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Julia Scozzafava, Bryan Taylor and Joseph Warner; Kansas City Chorale and Phoenix Chorale)
      [Chandos]

My Pick:

• Monteverdi: Vespers Of 1610
      Harry Christophers, conductor (Jeremy Budd, Grace Davidson, Ben Davies, Mark Dobell, Eamonn Dougan and Charlotte Mobbs; The Sixteen)
      [Coro]

My Prediction:

• Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
      Charles Bruffy, conductor (Paul Davidson, Frank Fleschner, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Julia Scozzafava, Bryan Taylor & Joseph Warner; Kansas City Chorale and Phoenix Chorale)
      [Chandos]

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
• Brahms: The Piano Trios
      Tanja Tetzlaff, Christian Tetzlaff and Lars Vogt
      [Ondine]

• Filament
      Eighth Blackbird
      [Cedille Records]

• Flaherty: Airdancing For Toy Piano, Piano and Electronics
      Nadia Shpachenko and Genevieve Feiwen Lee
      Track from: Woman At The New Piano
      [Reference Recordings]

• Render
      Brad Wells and Roomful Of Teeth
      [New Amsterdam Records]

• Shostakovich: Piano Quintet and String Quartet No. 2
      Takács Quartet and Marc-André Hamelin
      [Hyperion]

My Pick and Prediction:

• Shostakovich: Piano Quintet and String Quartet No. 2
      Takács Quartet and Marc André Hamelin
      [Hyperion]

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
• Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L'Arbre Des Songes
      Augustin Hadelich; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)
      Track from: Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double'
      [Seattle Symphony Media]

• Grieg & Moszkowski: Piano Concertos
      Joseph Moog; Nicholas Milton, conductor (Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern)
      [Onyx Classics]

• Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vol. 7
      Kristian Bezuidenhout
      [Harmonia Mnudi]

• Rachmaninov Variations
      Daniil Trifonov (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
      [Deutsche Grammophon]

• Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
      Ursula Oppens (Jerome Lowenthal)
      [Cedille Records]

My Pick and Prediction:

• Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L'Arbre Des Songes
      Augustin Hadelich; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)
      Track from: Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double'
      [Seattle Symphony Media]

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
• Beethoven: An Die Ferne Geliebte; Haydn: English Songs; Mozart: Masonic Cantata
      Mark Padmore; Kristian Bezuidenhout, accompanist
      [Harmonia Mundi]

• Joyce and Tony - Live From Wigmore Hall
      Joyce DiDonato; Antonio Pappano, accompanist
      [Erato]

• Nessun Dorma - The Puccini Album
      Jonas Kaufmann; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Kristīne Opolais, Antonio Pirozzi and Massimo Simeoli; Coro Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia)
      [Sony Classical]

• Rouse: Seeing; Kabir Padavali
      Talise Trevigne; David Alan Miller, conductor (Orion Weiss; Albany Symphony)
      [Naxos]

• St. Petersburg
      Cecilia Bartoli; Diego Fasolis, conductor (I Barocchisti)
      [Decca]

GREAT CATEGORY!

My Pick:

• Nessun Dorma - The Puccini Album
      Jonas Kaufmann; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Kristīne Opolais, Antonio Pirozzi and Massimo Simeoli; Coro Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia)
      [Sony Classical]

My Prediction:

• St. Petersburg
      Cecilia Bartoli; Diego Fasolis, conductor (I Barocchisti)
      [Decca]

Best Classical Compendium
• As Dreams Fall Apart - The Golden Age Of Jewish Stage And Film Music (1925-1955)
      New Budapest Orpheum Society; Jim Ginsburg, producer
      [Cedille Records]

• Ask Your Mama
      George Manahan, conductor; Judith Sherman, producer
      [Avie Records]

• Handel: L'Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato, 1740
      Paul McCreesh, conductor; Nicholas Parker, producer
      [Signum Classics]

• Paulus: Three Places Of Enlightenment; Veil Of Tears and Grand Concerto
      Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer
      [Naxos]

• Woman At The New Piano
      Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin, producers
      [Reference Recordings]

My Pick:

• Paulus: Three Places Of Enlightenment; Veil Of Tears and Grand Concerto
      Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer
      [Naxos]

My Prediction:

• Woman At The New Piano
      Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin, producers
      [Reference Recordings]

Either one could win and I would be satisfied.  SO glad I discovered these two albums.

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
• Barry: The Importance Of Being Earnest
      Gerald Barry, composer (Thomas Adès, Barbara Hannigan, Katalin Károlyi, Hilary Summers, Peter Tantsits and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group)
      [NMC Recordings]

• Norman: Play
      Andrew Norman, composer (Gil Rose and Boston Modern Orchestra Project)
      Track from: Norman: Play
      [BMOP/Sound]

• Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances
      Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Holtan, True Concord Voices and Orchestra)
      Track from: Paulus: Far In The Heavens
      [Reference Recordings]

• Tower: Stroke
      Joan Tower, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin and Nashville Symphony)
      Track from: Tower: Violin Concerto; Stroke; Chamber Dance
      [Naxos]

• Wolfe: Anthracite Fields
      Julia Wolfe, composer (Julian Wachner, The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street and Bang On A Can All-Stars)
      [Cantaloupe Music]

My Pick and Prediction:

• Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances
      Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Holtan, True Concord Voices and Orchestra)
      Track from: Paulus: Far In The Heavens
      [Reference Recordings]

Rest in Peace, Stephen Paulus – too bad you couldn’t live to get the Grammy Awards you are going to win this year! Bravo and Thank YOU for your beautiful and inspiring works.

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

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Thank YOU!

The Lord's Prayer (from "Tears and Thunder") - Ramona Miles

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

GRAMMY WATCH - Classical Music Categories - Picks & Predictions

The Classical categories are always a crap shoot for me. I do my best to research the nominees, but there are always so many. For this post, I am listing only my picks and predictions. For the complete list, as always, visit the Grammy website. Some years, I am on the money and others not so much. My picks are what I like from what I have heard. Predictions, on the other hand, are hard for me as a lot of times I have to base it on history and instinct. Although, that pretty much is what predicting the way an industry may go, as opposed to another, is all about. It depends on if this year will be one when a label or symphony orchestra votes in a bloc or not. Yes, this does happen with the Grammy Awards, in my opinion, and historically it shows it's face more so in these Classical categories more than anywhere else. We shall see. Wish me luck - I'm going in...

Best Classical Vocal Performance

My Pick & Prediction:

OMBRE DE MON AMANT - FRENCH BAROQUE ARIAS

Anne Sofie Von Otter (William Christie; Les Arts Florissants)

[Deutsche Grammophon] (pictured, CREDIT TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER)

Best Classical Contemporary Composition

My Pick & Prediction:

DAUGHERTY, MICHAEL: DEUS EX MACHINA

Michael Daugherty (Giancarlo Guerrero)

Track from: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony [Naxos]

Best Small Ensemble Performance

My Pick:

VICTORIA: LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH

Peter Phillips, conductor; The Tallis Scholars [Gimell]

My Prediction:

CEREMONY AND DEVOTION - MUSIC FOR THE

TUDORS - Harry Christophers, conductor; The Sixteen [CORO]

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)

It will be a battle between the Decca artists.

My pick:

CHOPIN: THE NOCTURNES - Nelson Freire [Decca]

My prediction:

PAGANINI: 24 CAPRICES - Julia Fischer [Decca]

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)

My pick:

MOZART: PIANO CONCERTOS NOS. 23 & 24

Mitsuko Uchida (The Cleveland Orchestra) [Decca]

My prediction:

DAUGHERTY: DEUS EX MACHINA

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Terrence Wilson (Nashville

Symphony) Track from: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony [Naxos]

Best Choral Performance

My pick & prediction:

VERDI: REQUIEM

Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master (Ildar

Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Barbara Frittoli & Mario

Zeffiri; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony

Chorus) [CSO Resound]

Best Opera Recording

My pick & prediction:

SULLIVAN: IVANHOE

David Lloyd-Jones, conductor; Neal Davies, Geraldine

McGreevy, James Rutherford, Toby Spence & Janice Watson;

Brian Pidgeon, producer (BBC National Orchestra Of Wales;

Adrian Partington Singers) [Chandos]

Best Orchestral Performance

My Pick:

STRAVINSKY: PULCINELLA; SYMPHONY IN THREE

MOVEMENTS; FOUR ÉTUDES

Pierre Boulez, conductor (Roxana Constantinescu, Kyle

Ketelsen & Nicholas Phan; Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

[CSO Resound]

My Prediction:

DAUGHERTY: METROPOLIS SYMPHONY; DEUS EX

MACHINA

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Terrence Wilson; Nashville

Symphony) [Naxos]

Best Classical Album

My Pick:

VERDI: REQUIEM

Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master;

Christopher Alder, producer; David Frost, Tom Lazarus &

Christopher Willis, engineers/mixers (Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga

Borodina, Barbara Frittoli & Mario Zeffiri; Chicago

Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus) [CSO Resound]

My prediction:

DAUGHERTY: METROPOLIS SYMPHONY; DEUS EX

MACHINA

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer;

Mark Donahue, John Hill & Dirk Sobotka, engineers/mixers

(Terrence Wilson; Nashville Symphony Orchestra) [Naxos]

Producer of the Year, Classical

My Pick: David Frost

My Prediction: Blanton Aspaugh

Best Engineered Album, Classical

My pick & prediction:

VOCABULARIES

Steve Miller, Allen Sides & Roger Treece, engineers (Bobby

McFerrin) [Emarcy]

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS - Sunday, February 13, 2011.

GRAMMY WATCH - Best Classical Crossover Album - Picks & Predictions

In a year where Sting overtook the Classical Albums charts on Billboard, he is noticeably absent from the Grammy's list for this category. That being said, it is still a dog fight in my eyes. All I can say is WOW! This is what it is all about. Some of the best really shine the brightest here and that is why I covered it alone, as opposed to with the other several Classical categories.

And the nominees are:

Best Classical Crossover Album

MEETING OF THE SPIRITS
Matt Haimovitz (Amaryllis Jarczyk, Jan Jarczyk, John
McLaughlin, Dominic Painchaud, Leanna Rutt & Matt
Wilson) [Oxingale Records]

OFF THE MAP
The Silk Road Ensemble [World Village]

ROOTS - MY LIFE, MY SONG
Jessye Norman (Ira Coleman, Steve Johns, Mike Lovatt,
Mark Markham & Martin Williams) [Sony Classical]

TIN, CHRISTOPHER: CALLING ALL DAWNS
Lucas Richman, conductor (Sussan Deyhim, Lia, Kaori
Omura, Dulce Pontes, Jia Ruhan, Aoi Tada & Frederica von
Stade; Anonymous 4 & Soweto Gospel Choir; Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra) [Tin Works Publishing]

VOCABULARIES
Bobby McFerrin
[Emarcy/Universal

Jessye Norman has had a long and storied career and her look back on not only that in Roots, but her life as well is a surefire tour de force. Silk Road Ensemble and Matt Haimovitz put forth solid efforts. Soweto Gospel Choir with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, just the culmination of that work coming together and the back story of it makes you want to cheer for them. Definitely a heart tugger. Bobby McFerrin will definitely get votes from his pop and jazz families, and deservedly so with him expanding his already broad range. His Vocabularies is definitely a feather in his cap.

My Pick: Jessye Norman

My Predicition: Bobby McFerrin

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on CBS - Sunday, February 13.

For more information on the nominees and for full coverage visit www.grammy.com.

Classical Music Categories - 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Predictions and Picks

Oh yes... sometimes one album dominates everything across the board in classical music, to where other years is a mixed bag... I see a lot of multiple wins for a multiple recordings this year. This entry will cover the Classical Music categories for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. See the Grammy Awards Live on CBS Sunday, January 31st at 8pm EST. For full interactive coverage visit www.grammy.com.

Best Classical Album

My Prediction & Pick:

Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Ragnar Bohlin, Kevin Fox & Susan McMane, choir directors; Andreas Neubronner, producer;
Peter Laenger, engineer/mixer; Andreas Neubronner, mastering engineer (Laura Claycomb, Anthony Dean Griffey, Katarina Karnéus, Quinn Kelsey, James Morris, Yvonne Naef, Elza van den Heever & Erin Wall; San Francisco Symphony; Pacific Boychoir, San Francisco Girls Chorus & San Francisco Symphony Chorus)
[SFS Media]

Tough category, but San Fransisco's Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas have swept in past years. That may hurt or help - either way - Dynamic and breathtaking music.

Best Orchestral Performance

My Prediction & Pick:

Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloé
James Levine, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra; Tanglewood Festival Chorus)
[BSO Classics]

Levine has been around forever, with another solid piece...the Classical music categories are harder to breakthrough than the others and Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony aren't in this category. It's Levine's best chance I think.

Best Opera Recording

My Prediction & Pick:

Shostakovich: The Nose
Valery Gergiev, conductor; Andrei Popov, Sergei Semishkur & Vladislav Sulimsky; James Mallinson, producer (Orchestra Of The Mariinsky Theatre; Chorus Of The Mariinsky Theatre)
[Mariinsky]

If I were a betting man...this is the only one of the bunch nominated in the Best Classical Album category and this recording has many mentions throughout the Grammy ballot this year. It may be it's chance to get the gold...and I think it will.

Best Choral Performance

My Prediction & Pick:

Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Ragnar Bohlin, Kevin Fox & Susan McMane, choir directors
(Laura Claycomb, Anthony Dean Griffey, Elza van den Heever, Katarina Karnéus, Quinn Kelsey, James Morris, Yvonne Naef & Erin Wall; San Francisco Symphony; Pacific Boychoir, San Francisco Symphony Chorus & San Francisco Girls Chorus)
[SFS Media]

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra)

Bartók: 3 Concertos
Pierre Boulez, conductor (Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Yuri Bashmet, Gidon Kremer, Neil Percy, Tamara Stefanovich & Nigel Thomas; Berliner Philharmoniker & London Symphony Orchestra)
[Deutsche Grammophon]

Boulez is another well-deserved Grammy favorite year after year...after year... after year.

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra)

My Prediction & Pick:

Journey To The New World
Sharon Isbin (Joan Baez & Mark O'Connor)
[Sony Classical]

Best Chamber Music Performance

My Prediction:

Intimate Letters
Emerson String Quartet
[Deutsche Grammophon]

Tighter category than when I first thought, but again Grammy is familiar with the artist...gives them a very good edge.

My Pick:

Schumann/Bartók: The Berlin Recital
Martha Argerich & Gidon Kremer
[EMI Classics]

I loved the dramatic feel of this work...

Best Small Ensemble Performance

My Prediction & Pick:

Vivaldi: Concertos
Daniel Hope & Anne Sofie von Otter; Chamber Orchestra Of Europe (Kristian Bezuidenhout)
[Deutsche Grammophon]

Best Classical Vocal Performance

My Prediction:

Bach
Anne Sofie von Otter (Lars Ulrik Mortensen; Anders J. Dahlin, Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Tomas Medici & Karin Roman; Concerto Copenhagen)
[Deutsche Grammophon]

My Pick:

Verismo Arias
Renée Fleming (Marco Armiliato; Jonas Kaufmann; Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano Giuseppi Verdi; Coro Sinfonica Di Milano Giuseppi Verdi)
[Decca]

Poor Juan Diego Flórez - this is a battle of the divas and this poor soul is the only guy in the field. He may come up the crowned prince and while I love Renee Fleming, Anne Sofie von Otter (pictured) appears on multiple Grammy nominated albums this year. I think that gives her a one-or-two upper on the others.

Best Classical Contemporary Composition

My Prediction & Pick:

Higdon, Jennifer: Percussion Concerto
Jennifer Higdon (Marin Alsop)
Track from: Alsop Conducts MacMillan, Ad
[London Philharmonic Orchestra]

Best Classical Crossover Album

My Prediction & Pick:

The Melody Of Rhythm
Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer (Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
[E1 Music]

&

Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs Of Joy And Peace
Yo-Yo Ma
(Odair Assad, Sergio Assad, Chris Botti, Dave Brubeck, Matt Brubeck, John Clayton, Paquito d'Rivera, Renée Fleming, Diana Krall, Alison Krauss, Natalie McMaster, Edgar Meyer, Cristina Pato, Joshua Redman, Jake Shimabukuro, Silk Road Ensemble, James Taylor, Chris Thile, Wu Tong, Alon Yavnai & Amelia Zirin-Brown)
[Sony Classical]

OK! OK! I picked two for both. Crap! I don't know...this is tough... It will be either, but would also be a damn good tie! :>))