A futile effort, at best

There was one big hometown winner in the classical Grammy Awards this year. Pasadena-based Southwest Chamber Music took best small ensemble performance for the first in a projected four-disc edition of the complete and largely neglected chamber works of Mexican composer Carlos Chavez. Way to go.

But the whole debatable issue of giving “bests” to classical music performers was crystallized this year when the recording academy pitted one interpretation of Mahler’s Third Symphony against another. It was crazy, and the voters’ response reflected that: Split the difference. Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony’s version won top classical album, but Pierre Boulez and the Vienna Philharmonic’s took top orchestral performance. Could anything make less sense? Could the awards have been reversed? Last year, MTT and the San Franciscans won best orchestral performance for Mahler’s Sixth.

How could anyone sensibly decide what the best opera recording is when the choices spanned virtually the history of the genre: from Rameau’s “Zoroastre,” composed in 1749, to Edward Thomas’ “Desire Under the Elms,” from the 1970s? It’s impossible. At least conductor Bernard Haitink’s reading of Janacek’s “Jenufa” has the poignant Karita Mattila singing the title role.

As for picking the best classical contemporary composition, the whole notion is artistically offensive. Dominick Argento’s song cycle “Casa Guidi” won, but why must there be losers?

-- Chris Pasles