The Winners: 2022 Albums of the Year

All votes have been counted, and we reveal the 2022 Albums of the Year, as well as the 2022 Audience Award Winner at the very top of the page!

Thank you to all 1,371 NativeDSD Music listeners who casted their votes in the various categories!!! ❤️

The NativeDSD Music Team

Category Winner: Orchestral & Audience Award Winner!

AND THE WINNER IS…. Bruckner Symphony No. 9 by Iván Fischer & Budapest Festival Orchestra (Channel Classics, 42822)

This is a towering Bruckner Nine from Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Bruckner’s “unfinished” symphony lacks nothing, which is not a surprise since their Bruckner Seven was a multiple-award winner. The recording is excellent.

– Bill Dodd

Category Winner: Vocals (non-classical)

AND THE WINNER IS…. Ray! by Carmen Gomes Inc. (SL1052A, Sound Liaison)

One of the year’s best-selling albums at NativeDSD this year, Ray! rocketed up our Top Selling DSD Best Sellers chart in days and dominated the best sellers list for weeks and weeks. The album stars the popular and talented Carmen Gomes and her ensemble. Gomes uses the album to put her distinctive vocals and style on favorites including The Sun Is Gonna Shine Again, Georgia On My Mind, Willow Weep For Me and Makin’ Whoopee. Recorded in Stereo DXD and mastered to Analog Tape, this album is one you will savor again and again.

– Brian Moura

Category Winner: Soloist with Orchestra

AND THE WINNER IS…. Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos 2 & 4 by Anna Fedorova, Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen, Modestas Pitrenas (Channel Classics, 42522)

A recent review of this album by Adrian Quanjer (here) sums it up with “It’s all about passion and poetry”, and I agree. Anna Fedarova plays with surgical accuracy, but with great passion. No, there are no special effects or moments of forced showmanship. She captures Rachmaninoff’s moody presence, but also his magic. Anna Fedorova writes in the liner notes, “For me, it represents the change of the era, a farewell to the past and a dive into a quite terrifying future”. And the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen conducted by Modestas Pitrenas provides perfect backing.  

– Bill Dodd

Category Winner: Jazz Ensemble

AND THE WINNER IS…. When Night Falls by Angelo Verploegen (JL026, Just Listen Records)

It’s always a highly anticipated event when Just Listen releases an album with Angelo Verploegen. When Night Falls is his fourth album on Just Listen. Here he is joined by Ed Verhoeff on Guitar and Eric van der Westen on Bass as they play 11 standards all of which offer the trio’s “Ode to the Night.” The album makes for a warm and enveloping evening of DSD listening. Very nice. 

– Brian Moura

Category Winner: Electronic Music

AND THE WINNER IS…. The New Poetry Of The FallenTestament (Pure DSD) by The LawnDogs (HRES2126, Hunnia Records)

The New Poetry Of The Fallen Testament is Live to Pure DSD 256 Stereo recording made at SuperSize Recording in Hungary. The Lawn Dogs is a European rock and electronic music band that offers special thanks to Bolcso Bar & Restaurant for providing great food and beer during the recording session. This album offers a lively mix of both rock and electronic music with Hunnia’s fine Pure DSD 256 recording. Definitely an album for fans of this genre to consider.

– Brian Moura

Category Winner: Solo Instrumental

AND THE WINNER IS…. The Complete Beethoven Sonatas (DSDBundle) by Peter Takács (Peter Takács Music)

While all 11 of Peter Takács’ albums of the complete set of Piano Sonatas are available individually, the complete (money saving) bundle is a wonderful way to go. Takács is not an overly flamboyant pianist. He lets Beethoven speak for himself, yet I found absolutely nothing missing in these performances. The usual “greatest hits” sonatas are as fine as one could wish, but what really impressed me is how much I thoroughly enjoyed all of the lesser known ones. I kept thinking that each was like a totally new discovery, and each was something I would never want to be without. The DSD Soundmirror recording is top-notch.

– Bill Dodd

Category Winner: Jazz Fusion

AND THE WINNER IS… Signs Of The Coast by Eugenijus Jonavicius (AF202201DSD, AnalogFather)

An album that was several years in the making, Signs Of The Coast features composer and guitarist Eugenijus Jonavicius leading a Jazz quartet. Jonavicius is in demand as a session musician as well as a teacher of guitar masterclasses. His session chops are very apparent on the album, which led it to be the best selling title from Analog Planet this year.

– Brian Moura

Category Winner: Vocals (Lied / Opera)

AND THE WINNER IS…. Verdi: La Traviata by Lisette Oropesa (PTC5186956, Pentatone)

Verdi’s 1853 Opera was quite different for its time. No towering characters from the past, but almost a precursor to Opera Verismo still decades ahead in time. Like most of the great operas there are recorded versions that will top peoples’ lists for a long time. But this superb recording and performance stands with the best, and offers modern sound. Again we have Lisette Oropesa along with a really solid cast, accompanied by The Dresdner Philharmonie and The Staatsopernchor Dresden. The conductor is Daniel Oren. This could easily be my only La Traviata.

– Bill Dodd

Category Winner: Jazz Piano

AND THE WINNER IS…. Chasing A Dream (Pure DSD) by Gábor Csordás (HRES2122, Hunnia Records)

Pianist Gabor Csordas brought us 4 Pure DSD 256 Stereo albums this year. When it comes to our Album of the Year nominations, the one I selected was Chasing A Dream. It features quite a range of styles from the mellow Jazz of the title song to the lovely Tokyo Ballad to a Jazzy disco themed song titled Fresh. The range and variety of styles and musical influences here are quite a treat. Csordas is a Jazz player with style and one to watch.

– Brian Moura

Category Winner: Chamber Music

AND THE WINNER IS…. Reggio: 24 Sonatas for Bass Lute, Vol. 1 (World Premiere Recording) Kit Samara, Konstantin Shenikov (E157HR, HR Recordings)

I love this album! Antonino Reggio is a bit of a mystery. He was a priest, a monsignor, a musician, and a composer. He was born in Sicily in 1725, but no one seems to be absolutely sure about the year of his death. And no one seems to be sure about when these Sonatas were written, but they are delightful as played by Konstantin Shenikov, lute; and Kit Samara, baroque harp. The combination of harp and lute really works for this music! HR Recordings says this is Volume 1 with 12 of the 24, and that Volume 2 will be coming in a few months. I can hardly wait!

– Bill Dodd

Category Winner: World Music

AND THE WINNER IS… A Wind Invisible Sweeps Us Through The World by Rembrandt Trio (JL024, Just Listen Records)

The Rembrandt Trio returns to NativeDSD with their latest Just Listen album A Wind Invisible. The trio, which includes pianist and composer Rembrandt Frerichs, bass player Tony Overwater and Vinsent Planjer on percussion is known for their selection of unique musical themes and styles. Here we have an album of complex melodies that brings the listener World Music with influences from Jazz, Classical and Oriental Music. The album features the fine recording skills of Jared Sacks and is beautifully presented. It’s a musical journey you will enjoy and look forward to embarking on.

– Brian Moura