Grammy Awards 2010: personal favourites Bartoli, Genaux, Frittoli et al, but most satisfying is the inclusion of the wonderful Jessye Norman

The nominees are out for the 2010 Grammy Awards. But under the heading “Best Classical Crossover Album” – not usually my favourite category – is the nomination which makes me the happiest: with a voice full of imperfections and oddities here is a glorious Jessye Norman with her double live CD “Roots – My Life, My Song” full of joy, soul and love. Magnificent!

Best Classical Vocal Performance

Ombre De Mon Amant – French Baroque Arias
Anne Sofie Von Otter (William Christie; Les Arts Florissants)

Sacrificium
Cecilia Bartoli (Giovanni Antonini; Il Giardino Armonico)

Turina: Canto A Sevilla
Lucia Duchonová (Celso Antunes; NDR Radiophilharmonie)

Vivaldi: Opera Arias – Pyrotechnics
Vivica Genaux (Fabio Biondi; Europa Galante)

Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder
Measha Brueggergosman (Franz Welser-Möst; The Cleveland Orchestra)
Track from: Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder; Preludes & Overtures

Best Classical Album

Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4
Mariss Jansons, conductor (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)

Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Terrence Wilson; Nashville Symphony Orchestra)

Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse
Gil Rose, conductor; Rinde Eckert; Catch Electric Guitar Quartet (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Synergy Vocals)

Sacrificium
Giovanni Antonini, conductor; Cecilia Bartoli (Il Giardino Armonico)

Verdi: Requiem
Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master; Christopher Alder (Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Barbara Frittoli & Mario Zeffiri; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus)

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.