Deutsche Grammophon & Decca Classics Victorious in 2011 Diapason d’or awards

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France’s most prestigious recording prizes — the Diapason d’or de l’année — for 2011 were awarded on Thursday in Paris. The Diapason d’or de l’année, honoring the year’s finest CDs and DVDs, are voted by a jury composed of critics from Diapason magazine and broadcasters from France Musique.

Among the victors were Universal recording artists Jonas Kaufmann and Pierre Boulez as well as I Fagiolini’s recording of Alessandro Striggio’s Mass in 40 Parts.

This is just the latest in a list of outstanding critical and commercial plaudits for I Fagiolini’s Striggio release on Decca – the world premiere recording of the 40-part mass, which is said to have inspired Tallis’ Spem in alium, after the work was lost for almost 450 years. As well as winning Gramophone’s “Early Music Award” last month, The Observer described it as “a masterpiece”.

Jonas Kaufmann also recently received an award from Gramophone for his recital album, Verismo. For the Diapason d’or de l’année Kaufmann wins for his emotionally intense portrayal of Werther in Massenet’s eponymous opera which was released by Decca on DVD. The performance, recorded live at the Paris Opera, includes the singers Sophie Koch and Ludovic Tézier under the musical direction of Michel Plasson.

Pierre Boulez, whose career has lasted more than 60 years, has received an outstanding 26 Grammy awards to date (beginning in 1967 with a recording of Berg’s Wozzeck and most recently in 2005 with a recording of his own works) and adds this Diapason d’or de l’année for his latest recording of works by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski.

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