Planet Hugill list for 2013

It is the time of year when people produce lists of the best and worst of the preceding year, so that we though we at Planet Hugill would do something similar, here are our selections from 2013.

Robert's list:

• Recording artist of the year: treble Inigo Jones who appeared as soloist on New College Oxford's recordings of sacred music Mozart, Marc-Antoine Charpentier and Britten.
• Opera of the year: Francis Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites in two very different but striking productions at the Chatelet Theatre, Paris and Grange Park Opera. 
• Special mention: ETO's children's opera Laika the Space Dog, with music by Russell Hepplewhite
• Best frock: Joyce DiDonato's amazing Vivienne Westwood number at her Drama Queens recital (and the music wasn't bad either)
• A pair of inspiring evenings: Two memorable farewells, Sarah Walker's 70th birthday and Felicity Lott's final solo recital, both at Wigmore Hall
• Best contemporary opera: George Benjamin's Written on Skin at Covent Garden, showing what contemporary opera can be

• Most disappointing premiere: Michel van der Aa's Sunken Garden
• Best rediscovery: Opera Holland Park's amazing new production of Wolf-Ferrari's I Gioielli della Madonna, an opera and a production worth encountering 
• Best revival: Britten's Billy Budd at Glyndebourne, a fitting centenary tribute
• Most striking production: WNO's Tudors trilogy - Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda and Roberto Devereux, stunning productions and strong performances
• Most enterprising recital: Ned Rorem's Evidence of Things Unseen at London Song Festival, a work most worthy of discovery
• Most amazing drama: Finbar Lynch in Clare Norburn's Breaking the Rules at BREMF, strong drama and superb singing
• A sound nothing like you've heard: Les Chevaliers de Saint Hubert in Gallay, four natural horns in virtuoso French music from the early 19th century

Hilary's list:

• Best experiment - The Clerks Tales from Babel
• Best experimental performance - Uniko, electric dreaming at the Barbican
• Best new opera - Tete a tete The Garden music by John Harris words by Zinne Harris, and La Plus Forte at Peckham
• Best old opera - The Magic Flute
• Best community event - Woodwose

2013 CD selection:

• Choral recordings of the year: - choir of St. John's College Cambridge, Andrew Nethsingha in music by John Sheppard and the King's Consort in music by Parry and Stanford
• Recital record of the year: Anne Sofie von Otter in Douce France
• Large scale choral recording of the year: Britten's War Requiem
• Most amazing: Peter Grimes on the Aldeburg Beach
• Best opera recording: George Benjamin's Written on Skin
• Best contemporary CD: Dai Fujikura's Flare
• Best instrumental CD: Giles Swayne's Stations of the Cross
• Best revival CD: Maurice Greene's Amoretti

Elsewhere on this blog:

• WIN an evening with Divas and Scholars: History of Opera
• Historically informed performance - historic voices
• Poised and inspiring: Mozart's sacred music from Salzburg, choir of New College, Oxford - CD review
• Smart and a little bit rude: Fascinating Aida in Charm Offensive
• Bach: Christmas Oratorio - Trinity College, Cambridge Choir and the OAE, Stephen Layton
• David Bednall: Welcome all Wonders
• Bach: Mass in B Minor - Clare College Choir and the Aurora Orchestra, Nicholas Collon
• Veni Emmanuel Music for Advent from Clare College Choir, Graham Ross
• Goodnight, Mr Tom, Tower Theatre Company at the Bridewell Theatre - Theatre review
• Dramatically vivid Messiah from Temple Church with David Hill and BBC Singers - Concert review
• Handel Belshazzar William Christie and Les Arts Florissants - CD review
• Fantastic Fantasio Opera Rara and the OAE at the Festival Hall - Opera review
• Tallis Scholars at Temple Winter Festival - Concert review
• Intensely moving: Poulenc's Carmelites at Theatre des Champs Elysees, Paris
• Magical: My Fair Lady at the Chatelet Theatre, Paris
• Home