Isabelle Faust, Les Siècles & François‑Xavier Roth receive Gramophone Editors Choice Award for their Ligeti recording
The recent Harmonia Mundi release featuring György Ligeti’s Violin Concerto, Concert Românesc and Piano Concerto has been honored with the prestigious GRAMOPHONE EDITOR’S CHOICE award.
Critics praised Isabelle Faust’s exceptional performance in the Violin Concerto, highlighting her unique combination of clarity, expressive refinement and fearless virtuosity. Her interpretation is described as setting a new benchmark for this demanding score, revealing both its ethereal poise and its explosive, high‑tension energy. Reviewers noted that she stands as a “worthy successor” to earlier landmark recordings, bringing fresh insight and extraordinary control to Ligeti’s writing.
A central part of the acclaim was directed toward François‑Xavier Roth’s leadership. Under his direction, Les Siècles shape Ligeti’s sound world with remarkable precision and imagination. The ensemble’s historically informed approach, guided by Roth’s deep understanding of color, texture and musical architecture, was singled out for illuminating the transparency, volatility and structural brilliance of these works. Critics emphasized how Roth’s ability to balance freedom and discipline creates the charged, tightly focused atmosphere that defines the recording.
The early Concert Românesc was praised for its vivid rhythmic character and folk‑inspired spirit, while Jean‑Frédéric Neuburger’s performance in the Piano Concerto was celebrated for its blend of mechanical precision and playful freedom, bringing out the work’s virtuosic brilliance and modernist edge.
This distinction recognizes the collective artistry of Isabelle Faust, Jean‑Frédéric Neuburger, Les Siècles, the production team, and François‑Xavier Roth, whose vision and musical direction were essential in bringing Ligeti’s works to life with renewed vitality and depth.