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By Ben Mattison
01 Oct 2004
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| René Jacobs and his winning recording of Le nozze di Figaro |
A recording of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro conducted by René Jacobs was named Record of the Year at the annual Gramophone Awards today. Mezzo-soprano Magdelena Kozená won artist of the year.
The annual awards, among the most prestigious in classical music, were presented at a ceremony in London.
Jacobs' recording of Figaro, on the Harmonia Mundi label, featured the Ghent Collegium Vocale and Concerto Köln. Simon Keenlyside, Véronique Gens, Patrizia Ciofi, Angelika Kirschlager, and Lorenzo Regazzo are among the soloists.
"This is a recording that has been receiving incredible reviews across the entire media," Gramophone Magazine editor James Jolly said in a statement, "and we’re delighted to add our weight to such an outstanding performance."
Kozená, Jolly said, "has a wonderfully inquisitive approach to music and her programming demonstrates that she won't compromise or accept the everyday -- and her public follow her loyally. Her disc of 20th-century songs from earlier this year, on which she performs in five different languages, is a perfect example of her imagination and courage."
The London Symphony Orchestra, which is celebrating its centennial, received a lifetime achievement award -- the first orchestra to receive the award. "Traditionally we present this award to an artist at the end or very near the end of an illustrious career," Jolly noted. "This year we are celebrating an ensemble which has been providing music lovers with immense pleasure for the past century."
Other winners included Telarc, which was honored as label of the year, and baritone Bryn Terfel, who was voted an audience award by Classic FM listeners. Peter Alward, who is stepping down as president of EMI after 34 years at the label, was cited for special achievement.
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