Soundgarden Nomination: The Growth Of Local Rock

A record day, you might say, for Seattle artists who captured nine nominations yesterday in the annual Grammy awards competition. Who are these people, and what does the honor mean to their futures? We have two reports today, from Times critics Melinda Bargreen and Patrick MacDonald.

The nine Grammy nominations announced yesterday for Seattle musicians underscore the growth of the local music scene. While four nominations for local jazz and rock musicians was not that unusual, the citing of Soundgarden boosts the local rock scene considerably, because it's a young band at the forefront of our internationally recognized progressive-rock explosion.

The Seattle Symphony was named in several prestigious categories, showing its expanded national reputation (see accompanying story).

Two Seattle bands are battling for the top place in the metal category. In addition to Soundgarden, nominated for the album ``Ultramega O.K.,'' on the independent SST label, Queensryche's song ``I Don't Believe in Love,'' from its ``Operation: Mindcrime'' album (in pop categories, nominations can be either albums or individual songs), was among the nominations announced yesterday by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for the 32nd annual Grammy awards. The awards will be presented Feb. 21 in Los Angeles.

Other pop nominations went to jazz vocalist Diane Schuur, a two-time Grammy winner, nominated in the female jazz vocal category for ``The Christmas Song,'' and Kenny G, named in the pop instrumental category for ``Breadline Blues.'' Local author Robert Fulghum was nominated in the spoken-word category for the recorded version of his best-selling book, ``All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.''

``Jethro Tull isn't nominated this year, are they?'' Queensryche lead singer Geoff Tate quipped when asked to comment. Tull won the metal category last year, which produced howls of protest because the '60s group is hardly heavy metal.

Tull isn't nominated this year. The other nominees are ``Beast from the East'' by Dokken, ``One'' by Metallica and ``The Real Thing'' by Faith No More.

Tate and the rest of Queensryche were rehearsing songs yesterday for a new album, which they start recording in March in Vancouver, B.C. Tate said the group was honored by the nomination, but was not planning any celebration.

``We've learned from experience not to get real excited about things until they happen,'' he said. ``We'll just kind of watch and see. If it's looking good we'll send somebody down to accept. But it's right at the time when we're going to be working in the studio on new songs.''

Soundgarden heard the news yesterday just after its tour bus pulled into Ottawa.

``It was an independent project, which makes it that much sweeter,'' said vocalist Chris Cornell, reached by phone at Porter Hall, where the band was doing a sound check. ``We spent only about $4,000 to make the record. I can't say enough about how pleased I am that the SST record got nominated. It's really positive that an independent record with that kind of budget can get recognition. Our current record (on A&M) will be eligible next year, so we'll see what happens with that.''

He noted that another nominated band, Faith No More, is touring with Soundgarden.

``It's really good that there's two Seattle bands, and two San Francisco bands, Faith No More and Metallica, both of which we know,'' he said. The band's tour is set to end the night before the Grammys, but it may be extended, he said. Nevertheless, the band hopes to attend the ceremony.

Schuur was at her home here yesterday when she heard about the nomination.

``Yahoo! It's a really welcome piece of news,'' she said, noting that she is in the middle of protracted contract negotiations with her record label, GRP. ``I needed this so bad.''

The nomination came as a surprise because Schuur did not release an album last year. ``The Christmas Song,'' which she recorded on a 100-degree day in New York in July 1988, was on ``The GRP Christmas Album.''

Her competition includes Ruth Brown, Anita O'Day, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Janis Siegel.

Schuur said will not be able to attend the awards ceremony because she will be on a cruise in the Caribbean.

Kenny G's record label, Arista, said he would not have a statement on his nomination. ``Breadline Blues'' is a cut from the saxophonist's album ``Duotones.'' He faces competition in the category from ``Dancing With the Lion'' by Andreas Vollenweider; ``Healing Chant'' by the Neville Brothers; ``Late Night'' by Paul Shaffer; and ``Whispers and Promises'' by Earl Klugh.

Here is a selected list of nominees for the 32nd annual Grammy awards announced yesterday.

Record of the year: ``The End of the Innocence,'' Don Henley; ``The Living Years,'' Mike + the Mechanics; ``She Drives Me Crazy,'' Fine Young Cannibals; ``We Didn't Start the Fire,'' Billy Joel; ``Wind Beneath My Wings,'' Bette Midler.

Album of the year: ``The End of the Innocence,'' Don Henley; ``Full Moon Fever,'' Tom Petty; ``Nick of Time,'' Bonnie Raitt; ``The Raw & The Cooked,'' Fine Young Cannibals; ``Traveling Wilburys Volume One,'' Traveling Wilburys.

Song of the year: ``Don't Know Much,'' Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville; ``The End of the Innocence,'' Don Henley; ``The Living Years,'' Mike + the Mechanics; ``We Didn't Start the Fire,'' Billy Joel; ``Wind Beneath My Wings,'' Bette Midler.

New artist: Neneh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Milli Vanilli, Soul II Soul, Tone Loc.

Pop vocal, female: ``Cry Like a Rainstorm - Howl Like the Wind,'' Linda Ronstadt; ``Don't Wanna Lose You,'' Gloria Estefan; ``Nick of Time,'' Bonnie Raitt; ``Straight Up,'' Paula Abdul; ``Wind Beneath My Wings,'' Bette Midler.

Pop vocal, male: ``Batman - Motion Picture Soundtrack,'' Prince; ``How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,'' Michael Bolton; ``Right Here Waiting,'' Richard Marx; ``We Didn't Start the Fire,'' Billy Joel; ``You Got It,'' Roy Orbison.

Pop vocal, duo or group: ``Don't Know Much,'' Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville; ``If You Don't Know Me by Now,'' Simply Red; ``Love Shack,'' The B-52s; ``She Drives Me Crazy,'' Fine Young Cannibals; ``The Living Years,'' Mike + the Mechanics.

Pop instrumental: ``Breadline Blues,'' Kenny G; ``Dancing with the Lion,'' Andreas Vollenweider; ``Healing Chant,'' Neville Brothers; ``Late Night,'' Paul Shaffer; ``Whispers and Promises,'' Earl Klugh.

Rock vocal, female: ``Brave and Crazy,'' Melissa Etheridge; ``Foreign Affair,'' Tina Turner; ``I Drove All Night,'' Cyndi Lauper; ``Let's Stay Together,'' Pat Benatar; ``Nick of Time,'' Bonnie Raitt.

Rock vocal, male: ``The End of the Innocence,'' Don Henley; ``Free Fallin','' Tom Petty; ``Freedom,'' Neil Young; ``New York,'' Lou Reed; ``When the Night Comes,'' Joe Cocker.

Rock vocal, duo or group: ``Glamour Boys,'' Living Colour; ``Mixed Emotions,'' Rolling Stones; ``Rattle and Hum,'' U2; ``Traveling Wilburys Volume One,'' Traveling Wilburys; ``When Love Comes To Town,'' U2 with B.B. King.

Rock instrumental: ``The Crush of Love,'' Joe Satriani; ``High Tension Wires,'' Steve Morse; ``Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas,'' Jeff Beck with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas; ``A Piece of Time,'' Andy Summers; ``Travis Walk,'' Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.

Hard rock vocal or instrumental: ``Cult of Personality,'' Living Colour; ``Dr. Feelgood,'' Motley Crue; ``G N' R Lies,'' Guns N' Roses; ``Love in an Elevator,'' Aerosmith; ``Once Bitten, Twice Shy,'' Great White.

Metal vocal or instrumental: ``Beast from the East,'' Dokken; ``I Don't Believe in Love,'' Queensryche; ``One,'' Metallica; ``The Real Thing,'' Faith No More; ``Ultramega O.K.,'' Soundgarden.

Rhythm & blues vocal, female: ``Dreamin','' Vanessa Williams; ``Giving You the Best That I Got,'' Anita Baker; ``Good to be Back,'' Natalie Cole; ``Miss You Much,'' Janet Jackson; ``Through the Storm,'' Aretha Franklin.

Rhythm & blues vocal, male: ``Batdance,'' Prince; ``Every Little Step,'' Bobby Brown; ``Heart's Horizon,'' Al Jarreau; ``She Won't Talk to Me,'' Luther Vandross; ``We've Saved the Best for Last,'' Smokey Robinson.

Rhythm & blues, duo or group: ``Back to Life,'' Soul II Soul; ``Celebrate New Life,'' Bebe & Cece Winans; ``Gimme Your Love,'' Aretha Franklin and James Brown; ``It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be,'' Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston; ``We Sing Praises,'' Deniece Williams and Natalie Cole.

Rhythm & blues instrumental: ``African Dance,'' Soul II Soul; ``Bermuda Nights,'' Gerald Albright; ``Constructive Criticism,'' Omar Hakim; ``I Can't Get Enough of Your Love,'' Stix Hooper; ``It's No Crime,'' Babyface.

Rhythm & blues song: ``Every Little Step,'' Bobby Brown; ``If You Don't Know Me by Now,'' Simply Red; ``Miss You Much,'' Janet Jackson; ``Superwoman,'' Karyn White; ``When a Man Loves a Woman,'' Joe Cocker.

Rap: ``Bust A Move,'' Young MC; ``Fight the Power,'' Public Enemy; ``Funky Cold Medina,'' Tone Loc; ``I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson,'' D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince; ``Me Myself and I,'' De La Soul.

New age: ``Dancing with the Lion,'' Andreas Vollenweider; ``Icarus'' (Track from Wolf Eyes), Paul Winter; ``Orinoco Flow'' (Sail Away), Enya; ``Passion - Music for the Last Temptation of Christ,'' Peter Gabriel; ``Tibet,'' Mark Isham.

Jazz fusion: ``Amandla,'' Miles Davis; ``Letter From Home,'' Pat Metheny Group; ``On Solid Ground,'' Larry Carlton; ``On the Corner,'' John Patitucci; ``Real Life Story,'' Terri Lyne Carrington; ``Spellbound,'' Joe Sample.

Jazz vocal, female: ``Blues on Broadway,'' Ruth Brown; ``The Christmas Song,'' Diane Schuur; ``In a Mellow Tone,'' Anita O'Day; ``Live in Paris,'' Dee Dee Bridgewater; ``Short Stories,'' Janis Siegel.

Jazz vocal, male: ``At Last,'' Lou Rawls; ``In a Sentimental Mood,'' Dr. John; ``In Good Company,'' Joe Williams; ``Tenderly,'' George Benson; ``When Harry Met Sally,'' Harry Connick Jr.

Jazz vocal performance, duo or group: ``Get the Booty,'' James Moody and Dizzy Gillespie; ``Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby,'' Joe Williams and Marlena Shaw; ``Like the Whole World's Watching,'' Take 6; ``Makin' Whoopee,'' Dr. John and Rickie Lee Jones; ``Save the Bones for Henry Jones,'' Ray Charles and Lou Rawls.

Jazz instrumental, soloist: ``After Hours,'' Andre Previn; ``Aura,'' Miles Davis; ``Bessie's Blues,'' John Patitucci; ``The Majesty of the Blues,'' Wynton Marsalis; ``Sophisticated Lady,'' Chick Corea.

Jazz instrumental, group: ``After Hours,'' Andre Previn, Joe Pass and Ray Brown; ``Chick Corea Akoustic Band,'' Chick Corea Akoustic Band; ``The Majesty of the Blues,'' Wynton Marsalis; ``The Spin,'' Yellowjackets; ``Trio Jeepy,'' Branford Marsalis.

Jazz instrumental, big band: ``Aura,'' Miles Davis; ``The Definitive Thad Jones,'' Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra; ``The Legend, The Legacy,'' The Count Basie Orchestra conducted by Frank Foster; ``Music is My Mistress,'' The Duke Ellington Orchestra conducted by Mercer Ellington; ``Uptown-Downtown,'' McCoy Tyner Big Band.

Country vocal, female: ``Absolute Torch and Twang,'' k.d. lang; ``Bluebird,'' Emmylou Harris; ``I Don't Want to Spoil the Party,'' Rosanne Cash; ``Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That,'' Dolly Parton; ``Willow in the Wind,'' Kathy Mattea.

Country vocal, male: ``After All This Time,'' Rodney Crowell; ``I'm No Stranger to the Rain,'' Keith Whitley; ``It's Just a Matter of Time,'' Randy Travis; ``Killin' Time,'' Clint Black; ``Lyle Lovett and His Large Band,'' Lyle Lovett.

Country vocal, duo or group: ``Big Dreams in a Small Town,'' Restless Heart; ``Honky Tonk Heart,'' Highway 101; She Don't Love Nobody,'' Desert Rose Band; ``Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Volume Two'' (Album), The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; ``Young Love,'' The Judds.

Country vocal, collaboration: ``Act Naturally,'' Buck Owens and Ringo Starr; ``Sin City,'' Dwight Yoakam and k.d. lang; ``There's a Tear in My Beer,'' Hank Williams Jr. and Hank Williams Sr.; ``Will The Circle Be Unbroken'' (Album Track), the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, Ricky Skaggs, Levon Helm and Emmylou Harris; ``You Ain't Going Nowhere,'' Chris Hillman and Roger McGuinn.

Country instrumental: ``All I Got is Gone Away,'' John Hartford; ``Amazing Grace,'' Randy Scruggs; ``Big Foot,'' New Grass Revival; ``Black and White Rag,'' Asleep At the Wheel; ``If You've Got the Money (Honey I've Got the Time),'' Jerry Douglas.

Bluegrass recording: ``At the Old Schoolhouse,'' the Johnson Mountain Boys; ``Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys Live at the Opry,'' Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys; ``Heartbreak Hotel,'' The Doug Dillard Band; ``Two Highways,'' Alison Krauss and Union Station; ``The Valley Road,'' Bruce Hornsby and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Country song: ``After All This Time,'' Rodney Crowell; ``A Better Man,'' Clint Black and Hayden Nicholas; ``Luck In My Eyes,'' k.d. lang and Ben Mink; ``She Don't Love Nobody,'' John Hiatt; ``There's a Tear in My Beer,'' Hank Williams Sr.

Gospel, female: ``Be Thou My Vision,'' Debby Boone; ``Don't Cry,'' CeCe Winans; ``Forever Friends,'' Sandi Patti; ``Healing,'' Deniece Williams; ``Immigrants Daughter,'' Margaret Becker; ``'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,'' Amy Grant.

Gospel, male: ``Farther On,'' Russ Taff; ``Feels Good to be Forgiven,'' Eddie DeGarmo; ``Holy, Holy, Holy,'' Michael W. Smith; ``I Can Begin Again,'' Larnelle Harris; ``A Love Like This,'' Wintley Phipps; ``Meantime,'' BeBe Winans.

Gospel, duo, group, choir or chorus: ``Big World,'' Mylon & Broken Heart; ``Heaven,'' BeBe and CeCe Winans; ``O Sacred Head Now Wounded,'' First Call; ``On Fire!,'' Petra; ``The Savior is Waiting,'' Take 6.

Soul gospel, female or male: ``As Long As We're Together,'' Al Green; ``My Time Is Not Over,'' Albertina Walker; ``Total Victory,'' Vickie Winans; ``Wonderful,'' Beau Williams; ``You Got a Choice to Make,'' Daniel Winans.

Soul gospel vocal, duo, group, choir or chorus: ``And They Sang A Hymn,'' Minister Thomas Whitfield and the Thomas Whitfield Company; ``Available to You,'' Rev. Milton Burnson and the Thompson Community Singers; ``Can't Hold Back,'' L.A. Mass Choir; ``Let Brotherly Love Continue,'' Daniel Winans & Choir; ``Will You be Ready?'' Commissioned.

Latin pop: ``America,'' Miguel Gallardo; ``Baila Mi Rumba,'' Jose Luis Rodriguez; ``Chayanne,'' Chayanne; ``Cielito Lindo,'' Jose Feliciano; ``Suspiros,'' Dyango.

Traditional blues: ``Ginger Ale Afternoon,'' Willie Dixon; ``The Healer,'' John Lee Hooker; ``If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It,'' Ruth Brown; ``I'm in the Mood,'' John Lee Hooker and Bonnie Raitt; ``Memphis Blues: The Paris Sessions,'' Memphis Slim.

Contemporary blues: ``In Step,'' Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble; ``King of the Blues: 1989,'' B.B. King; ``Live from Austin,'' Delbert McClinton; ``Midnight Run,'' Bobby Blue Bland; ``Wang Dang Doodle,'' Koko Taylor.

Traditional folk: ``A La Veille Facon,'' the Cajun Tradition; ``American Indian Dance Theatre,'' various American Indian Tribes; ``Blind Dog,'' Norman and Nancy Blake; ``Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, Volume II,'' Bulgarian State Female Vocal Choir; ``Now That's A Good Tune,'' Masters of Traditional Missouri Fiddling.

Contemporary folk: ``Bamboleo,'' Gipsy Kings; ``Bayou Cadillac,'' Beausoleil; ``Crossroads,'' Tracy Chapman; ``Indigo Girls,'' Indigo Girls; ``Old Friends,'' Guy Clark.

Reggae: ``I.D.'' the Wailers Band; ``Liberation,'' Bunny Wailer; ``Live in Paris,'' Burning Spear; ``One Bright Day,'' Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers; ``Serious Business,'' Third World.

Recording for children: ``Bullfrogs & Butterflies - I've Been Born Again,'' various artists; ``A Disney Spectacular,'' Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel; ``Oliver & Company/Story & Songs from the Motion Picture,'' various Artists; ``Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band,'' Raffi; ``The Rock-A-Bye Collection Volume I,'' Tanya Goodman; ``Thumbelina,'' read by Kelly McGillis, music by Mark Isham.

Comedy: ``Dice,'' Andrew Dice Clay; ``Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession,'' Erma Bombeck; ``P.D.Q. Bach: 1712 Overture & Other Musical Assaults,'' Professor Peter Schickele - The Greater Hoople Area Off-Season Philharmonic; ``Wild Thing,'' Sam Kinison; ``Without You I'm Nothing,'' Sandra Bernhard.

Spoken word or nonmusical: ``All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,'' Robert Fulghum; ``I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise,'' Erma Bombeck; ``It's Always Something,'' Gilda Radner; ``Sir John Gielgud Reads Alice in Wonderland,'' Sir John Gielgud; ``The War of the Worlds 50th Anniversary Production,'' Jason Robards, Steve Allen, Douglas Edwards & cast.

Musical cast show album: ``Aspects of Love,'' ``Broadway The Hard Way,'' ``Jerome Robbins' Broadway,'' ``Sarafina! The Music of Liberation,'' ``Sondheim: Pacific Overtures.''

Instrumental composition: ``The Batman Theme,'' ``Field of Dreams,'' ``Letter from Home,'' ``Morning Sprite,'' ``Suite from `The Milagro Beanfield War,' '' ``Who Framed Roger Rabbit Suite.''

Original instrumental background score written for a motion picture or TV: ``Batman,'' ``The Fabulous Baker Boys,'' ``Field of Dreams,'' ``Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,'' ``Passion - Music for The Last Temptation of Christ.''

Song written specifically for a motion picture or TV: ``Angel of Harlem,'' ``Rattle and Hum''; ``The Girl Who Used to Be Me,'' ``Shirley Valentine''; ``I Love to See You Smile,'' ``Parenthood''; ``Let the River Run,'' ``Working Girl''; ``Partyman,'' ``Batman.''

Music video, short form: ``Leave Me Alone,'' Michael Jackson; ``The Living Years,'' Mike + the Mechanics; ``Orinoco Flow (Sail Away),'' Enya; ``Something to Hold Onto,'' Trevor Rabin; ``There's a Tear in My Beer,'' Hank Williams, Jr. and Hank Williams Sr.

Music video, long form: ``Hangin' Tough,'' New Kids on the Block; ``In Concert - Delicate Sound of Thunder,'' Pink Floyd; ``Moonwalker,'' Michael Jackson; ``Rhythm Nation,'' Janet Jackson; ``Savage,'' The Eurythmics.

Engineered recording (nonclassical): ``Cry Like a Rainstorm - Howl Like the Wind,'' Linda Ronstadt; ``Flowers in the Dirt,'' Paul McCartney; ``Full Moon Fever,'' Tom Petty; ``Happy Anniversary Charlie Brown!,'' Patti Austin, Dave Brubeck, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour and others; ``Like a Prayer,'' Madonna; ``Migration,'' Dave Grusin.

Producer(s) of the year (nonclassical): Peter Asher; Emilio Estefan, Jr., Jorge Casas and Clay Ostwald; Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Janet Jackson; L.A. & Babyface; Prince; Tears for Fears and David Bascombe.

Classical album: ``Bartok: 6 String Quartets,'' Emerson String Quartet; ``Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor,'' Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic; ``Busoni: Piano Concerto in C (With Male Chorus),'' Christoph von Dohnanyi conducting the Cleveland Orchestra; ``Hanson: Symphony Nos. 1 in E Minor `Nordic' and 2 `Romantic,' Elegy in Memory of Serge Koussevitsky,'' Gerard Schwarz conducting the Seattle Symphony; ``Wagner: Die Walkuere,'' James Levine conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Orchestral recording: ``Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta,'' Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; ``Copeland: Appalachian Spring; Short Symphony; 3 Latin American Sketches; Quiet City,'' Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; ``Hanson: Symphony Nos. 1 in E Minor `Nordic' and 2 `Romantic,' Elegy in Memory of Serge Koussevitsky,'' Gerard Schwarz conducting the Seattle Symphony; ``Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor,'' Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic.

Opera recording: ``Berg Wozzeck,'' Claudio Abbado conducting the Vienna Philharmonic; ``Gershwin: Porgy and Bess,'' Simon Rattle conducting the London Philharmonic & the Glyndebourne Chorus; ``R. Strauss: Elektra,'' Seiji Ozawa conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra; ``Tchaikovsky: Eugen Onegin,'' James Levine conducting the Dresden State Orchestra; ``Wagner: Die Walkuere,'' James Levine conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Classical, instrumental, soloist or soloists (with orchestra): ``Barber: Cello Concerto, Opus 22, Britten: Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Opus 68,'' David Zinman conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; ``Copeland: Clarinet Concerto,'' Gerard Schwarz conducting the New York Chamber Symphony; ``Gubaidulina: Offertorium,'' Charles Dutoit conducting the Boston Symphony; ``Schuman: Violin Concerto, Bernstein: Serenade for Violin, Strings and Percussion,'' Leonard Slatkin conducting the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; ``Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1, Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2,'' Andre Previn conducting Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Classical, instrumental, soloist (without orchestra): ``Bach: English Suites, BWV 806-11,'' Andras Schiff; ``Beethoven: The Late Piano Sonatas (Opp. 101, 106, 109, 110 and 111),'' Richard Goode; ``Chopin: Four Ballades (Opp. 23, 38, 47, 52), Bacarolle Opus 60, Fantasie Opus 49,'' Krystian Zimerman; ``Martinu: Piano Sonatas No. 1, Les Ritournelles; Fantasie Et Toccata,'' Rudolf Firkusny; ``Popper: Romantic Cello Favorites,'' Janos Starker.

Chamber music: ``Bartok: 6 String Quartets,'' Emerson String Quartet; ``Beethoven: String Quartets No. 13 in B Flat, Grosse Fuge in B Flat,'' the Guarneri Quartet; ``Beethoven: String Trios (E Flat, Opus 3, Serenade in D, Opus 8, G, Opus 9 No. 1, D, Opus 9 No. 2, C Opus 9 No. 3),'' Anne-Sophie Mutter, Mstislav Rostropovich and Bruno Guiranna; ``Prokofiev Violin Sonatas Nos. 1 in F Minor and 2 in D,'' Shlomo Mintz and Yefim Bronfman; ``Shostakovich; Trio No. 2 for Violin, Cello and Piano in E Minor, Opus 67 and Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Minor,'' Emanuel Ax, Isaac Stern and Yo-Yo Ma.

Classical vocal soloist: ``Knoxville - Summer of 1915 (Music of Barber, Menotti, Harbison, Stravinsky),'' Dawn Upshaw; ``Live in Tokyo 1988,'' Placido Domingo and Kathleen Battle; ``Puccini: The Unknown Puccini,'' Placido Domingo; ``Schubert: Lieder,'' Kathleen Battle; ``William Sharp, Bariton (Works by Thomson, Bowles, Hoiby, Musto, etc.),'' William Sharp.

Contemporary composition: ``Gubaidulina: Offertorium,'' Charles Dutoit conducting the Boston Symphony; ``Lutoslawski: Chain 2,'' Witold Lutoslawski conducting BBC Symphony; ``Lutoslawski: Partita,'' Witold Lutoslawski conducting BBC Symphony Orchestra; ``Part: Passio,'' Paul Hillier conducting the Hilliard Ensemble & Western Wind Choir; ``Reich: Different Trains,'' Kronos Quartet.

Engineered recording, classical: ``Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta,'' Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal Symphony; ``Britten: War Requiem,'' Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony; ``Hanson: Symphonies Nos. 1 in E Minor `Nordic' and 2 ``Romantic,' Elegy in Memory of Serge Koussevitsky,'' Gerard Schwarz conducting the Seattle Symphony; ``Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor,'' Leonard Bernstein conducting New York Philharmonic; ``Wagner: Die Walkuere,'' James Levine conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Solos.

Classical producer of the year: Wolf Erichson, Michael Haas, Patti Laursen, Elizabeth Ostrow, Robert Woods.