After many hours of listening and discussion (chiefly conducted via Zoom this year), the Presto editorial team have finally decided on our top 100 Recordings of the Year: you can browse through the finalists below, and until 25th January 2021 we're offering special discounts on almost all of the featured titles. Our top 10 recordings will be announced on Thursday 10th December.
Yuja Wang (piano), Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Mark Stone (baritone), Kirill Gerstein (piano), Christianne Stotijn (mezzo)
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Voces8
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Anna Patalong (Miss Julie), Benedict Nelson (Jean), Rosie Aldridge (Kristin), Samuel Sakker (Ulrik)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo
Available Formats: 2 SACDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Ermonela Jaho (soprano), Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, Andrea Battistoni
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Kate Lindsey (mezzo), Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Natalya Romaniw (soprano), Lada Valešová (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Xenia Löffler (oboe), Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sean Shibe (guitar)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Jean Rondeau (harpsichord), Thomas Dunford (lute), Lea Desandre (mezzo), Marc Mauillon (baritone), Myriam Rignol (viola da gamba)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Grigory Sokolov (piano)
Available Format: 2 CDs + DVD Video
Paul Lewis (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Matthias Goerne (baritone), Jan Lisiecki (piano)
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Stephen Hough (piano), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu
Available Formats: 3 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Ensemble Diderot, Johannes Pramsohler
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Jörg Widmann (clarinet), András Schiff (piano)
Available Format: CD
Stephen Hough (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Stuart Skelton (Grimes), Erin Wall (Ellen), Roderick Williams (Balstrode), Susan Bickley (Auntie), Catherine Wyn-Rogers (Mrs Sedley), Robert Murray (Bob Boles), James Gilchrist (Horace Adams), Marcus Farnsworth (Ned Keene)
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner
Available Formats: 2 SACDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Rachel Mahon (organ of Coventry Cathedral)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Reinoud Van Mechelen (tenor), Vox Luminis, A Nocte Temporis, Lionel Meunier
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sabine Devieilhe (soprano), Alexandre Tharaud (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Irene Buckley (speaker), Jennifer Koh (violin)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, Sakari Oramo, Andrew Litton, André de Ridder
Available Formats: CD, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Carolyn Sampson (piano), Joseph Middleton (piano)
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas
Available Formats: Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Fagen
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Víkingur Ólafsson (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
London Symphony Orchestra, François-Xavier Roth
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Stefanie True (soprano), Helen Charlston (mezzo), Gwilym Bowen (tenor), Morgan Pearse (bass)
Academy of Ancient Music, Choir of the AAM, Richard Egarr
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Garrick Ohlsson (piano), Takács Quartet
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Nicola Benedetti (violin), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Christiane Karg (soprano), Malcolm Martineau (piano), Gustav Mahler (piano roll)
Available Formats: CD, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sinfonia of London, John Wilson
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
The Gesualdo Six, Owain Park
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Ironwood
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Bertrand Chamayou (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Joyce DiDonato (Agrippina), Elsa Benoit (Poppea), Luca Pisaroni (Claudio), Franco Fagioli (Nerone), Jakub Józef Orliński (Ottone), Andrea Mastroni (Pallante), Carlo Vistoli (Narciso), Biagio Pizzuti (Lesbo), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Giunone)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
Available Formats: 3 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Anna Lucia Richter (soprano), Maximilian Schmitt (tenor), Florian Boesch (baritone)
Il Giardino Armonico, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Giovanni Antonini
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Jamie Barton (mezzo), Jake Heggie (piano), Matt Haimovitz (cello)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Héloïse Werner (soprano), The Hermes Experiment
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Matthew Schellhorn (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Helena Dix (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo), Benjamin Hulett (tenor), Roderick Williams (baritone)
BBC Concert Orchestra, Bach Choir, David Hill
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Chen Reiss (soprano), Oliver Wass (harp)
Academy of Ancient Music, Richard Egarr
Available Formats: CD, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
In Chains of Gold: The English Pre-Restoration Verse Anthem Vol. 2
William Byrd to Edmund Hooper: Psalms and Royal Anthems
Magdalena Consort, Fretwork, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, with Silas Wollston (organ)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Gustavo Dudamel
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Lucy Crowe (Vixen), Gerald Finley (Forester), Sophia Burgos (Fox), Jan Martiník (Badger/Parson), Peter Hoare (Mosquito/Rooster/Schoolmaster), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (Harašta)
London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Sir Simon Rattle
Available Formats: 2 SACDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Vox Clamantis, Jaan-Eik Tulve
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Ludwig Orchestra, Barbara Hannigan
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Rachel Nicholls (soprano), BBC Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Norman Del Mar, Colman Pearce, Gavin Maloney, Ilan Volkov
Available Formats: CD, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Louise Alder (soprano), Joseph Middleton (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Staatskapelle Weimar, Knabenchor der Jenaer Philharmonie, Damen des Opernchores des Deutschen Nationaltheaters Weimar, Kirill Karabits
Available Formats: CD, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Leonore Piano Trio
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Cupertinos, Luís Toscano
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Gerhild Romberger (contralto), Robert Dean Smith (tenor)
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sarah Connolly (mezzo), Robert Dean Smith (tenor)
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Michael Slattery (Miles), Talise Trevigne (Ma Zegner), John Moore (Pa Zegner), Andrew Harris (The Sodbuster)
Opera Omaha, International Contemporary Ensemble, Christopher Rountree
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Francesco Piemontesi (piano), Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Andrew Manze
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sarah Willis (horn), Havana Lyceum Orchestra, Havana Horns, José Antonio Méndez Padrón
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Odense Symphony Orchestra, Andreas Delfs
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Véronique Gens (soprano), I Giardini
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sarah Fox (soprano), Kathryn Rudge (mezzo), Toby Spence (tenor), Henry Waddington (bass-baritone)
Crouch End Festival Chorus, London Mozart Players, William Vann
Available Formats: 2 SACDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Anna Dennis (soprano), Mhairi Lawson (soprano), Ashley Riches (bass-baritone), Roderick Williams (baritone), Gabrieli, Paul McCreesh
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sinfonia of London, John Wilson
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Stef Conner (voice/lyre), Hanna Marti (soprano), Everlasting Voices
Available Formats: CD, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Michael Spyres (tenor), Lawrence Brownlee (tenor), I Virtuosi Italiani, Corrado Rovaris
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi
Available Formats: 3 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Isabelle Faust (violin), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
The Nash Ensemble
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Elīna Garanča (mezzo), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, François-Xavier Roth
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Alina Ibragimova (violin), State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia 'Evgeny Svetlanov', Vladimir Jurowski
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Daniil Trifonov (piano)
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Mark Simpson, Fraser Langton (clarinet), Nicholas Daniel, Emma Fielding (oboe), Amy Harman, Dom Tyler (bassoon), Oliver Pashley, Ausias Garrigos Morant (basset horns), Ben Goldscheider, Angela Barnes, James Pillai, Fabian van de Geest (horn), David Stark (double bass)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Georgios Demertzis (violin), Vassilis Varvaresos (piano), Eleftherios Venizelos (speaker)
Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, Byron Fidetzis
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Xuefei Yang (guitar), Weiliang Zhang (wooden flute), Sha Yuan (guzheng)
Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Renchang Fu
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sarah Brailey, Dashon Burton, Experiential Orchestra and Chorus, James Blachly
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
ORA Singers, Suzi Digby
Available Format: CD + DVD Video
Le Banquet Céleste, Damien Guillon
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Louise Alder (soprano), Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Robin Ticciati
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Chiara Skerath (soprano), The Mozartists, Ian Page
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Virpi Räisänen (mezzo), Jukka Perko (soprano saxophone), Lapland Chamber Orchestra, John Storgårds
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Johan Dalene (violin), Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Blendulf
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Nathan Meltzer (violin), Rohan de Silva (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Louis Langrée
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Diana Damrau (soprano), Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano
Available Formats: Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Estonian Festival Orchestra, Paavo Järvi
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Mary Bevan (soprano), Nicky Spence (tenor), Roderick Williams (baritone), Jack Liebeck (violin), William Vann (piano)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Jonas Kaufmann (Otello), Federica Lombardi (Desdemona), Carlos Álvarez (Iago)
Orchestra e Coro dell'Academia Nationale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Piotr Beczala (tenor), Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, Marco Boemi
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin), Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
