Danielle de Niese, Sarah Chang, H_lne Grimaud, Chicago Symphony Make Billboard Classical Chart | Playbill

Related Articles
Classic Arts News Danielle de Niese, Sarah Chang, H_lne Grimaud, Chicago Symphony Make Billboard Classical Chart Perhaps it's the revenge of the classics. In the wake of a pops-heavy week, this week's Billboard classical chart sees the debut of four new titles that lie solidly within the core classical category.
The top new arrival this week, at no. 4, is soprano Danielle de Niese's debut disc for Decca Classics. She sings a selection of Handel opera arias, accompanied by William Christie and Les Arts Florissants.

Landing on the chart at no. 14 is a new recording of Vivaldi's evergreen Four Seasons played by violinist Sarah Chang with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. At no. 15 is another chart debutant, an all-Beethoven disc featuring H_lne Grimaud in the Piano Sonata No. 28 and the "Emperor" Piano Concerto (No. 5), in which she is joined by the Dresden Staatskapelle under conductor Vladimir Jurowski.

The classical chart's fourth new arrival, at no. 22, is the second release on the Chicago Symphony's new record label, CSO Resound. The disc, recorded live in concert, features Bernard Haitink conducting the orchestra in Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.

Re-entering the classical chart at no. 20 is crossover violinist Andr_ Rieu's The Homecoming!, which has cumulatively spent more than a year in the top 25. Rieu has two other titles on the chart as well: Radio City Music Hall: Live in New York at no. 2, up a notch from last week, and Masterpieces at no. 10.

Pops selections are still ruling the top of the classical chart, however: Browns in Blue by the Juilliard-trained pianist siblings The 5 Browns, which debuted last week at in second place, is now at no. 1. Following Rieu's Radio City recital, at no. 3 (and down from the top position last week), is "Duets," Deutsche Grammophon's new album featuring soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Rolando Villaz‹n. At no. 5, after the new CD by de Niese, is Joshua Bell's recording of John Corigliano's Red Violin Concerto, conducted by Marin Alsop.

The Cleveland Orchestra's new recording on DG of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has leapt from no. 19 to no. 8, while pianist Simone Dinnerstein's acclaimed recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations has tumbled from no. 5 to no. 19.

Making its debut on Billboard's classical crossover chart at no. 18 is Star Wars: The Corellian Edition, Sony Classical's latest packaging of John Williams's score to the ever-popular space epic.

We simply can't go too long without a Josh Groban album at the top of the crossover chart, and the balance has been restored this week by his holiday release, Noel (which debuted last week at no. 9). Displaced to no. 2 is One Chance by tenor Paul Potts, first prize winner on the U.K. television program Britain's Got Talent. Groban's Awake is back down a notch to no. 3; Wolfgang's Big Night Out, the classical pops collection by rock guitarist Brian Setzer and his orchestra, slipped to no. 4. Tenor Andrea Bocelli's three long-running discs are at no. 5, no. 7 and no. 10 this week; quasi-operatic boy band Il Divo still has titles at no. 6 and no. 9.

There are no string quartet tributes tributes to rock bands in the crossover top 25 this week, but the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Broadway tunes disc, Showtime!, keeps on keepin' on: at no. 12, it now marks its 36th consecutive week on the crossover chart.

 
RELATED:
Today’s Most Popular News:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!