Music And Mayhem: A Diary Of Classical Albums For A Troubled 2020
NPR Music's classical editor traces the high points of a year spent listening to new albums that offered comfort and confrontation in counterpoint with the relentless world outside the headphones.
The year 2020 was, in so many ways, divided. In terms of live performances, musicians were forced to reinvent, reflect and respond from a distance and in turn I watched their concerts from the remove of my laptop screen. Some artists offered professionally produced live shows, like stunning recitals from Jonas Kaufmann and Lise Davidsen, while others handcrafted their own videos shot in the safety and solitude of home, like Julia Bullock and Víkingur Ólafsson. And a few institutions, such as the New York Philharmonic, ventured outdoors, where artists played for tiny audiences.
Still, while streams dominated this chaotic, sorrowful year, musicians continued to lay down official statements in the form of albums. And as the
