‘Ibragimova reveals herself to be an exquisite interpreter of solo Bach … her Bach comes as something of a revelation. The finesse we've previously admired in her playing is here combined with thoughtful stylistic awareness and a distinctive, individual approach … all her stylishness and technical refinement is at the service of an ingrained understanding of the music’ (Gramophone)
‘She's supremely alert to the idiomatic nuances of each dance … her technical accomplishment is awesome. The D minor Giga scampers along as if mindful of the transcendent monumentality of the Ciaccona lurking around the corner—and when it arrives, Ibragimova tip-toes and soars with aplomb’ (BBC Music Magazine)
‘Ibragimova comes of age with this superb set … this is a violinist of interpretative maturity and thrilling spark’ (The Daily Telegraph)
‘Alina Ibragimova is a player of great musical imagination and intelligence and this—combined with superb technique—produces some exceptional results in her new recording of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin … this set reveals a Bach player of real stature … warmly recommended’ (International Record Review)
‘Alina Ibragimova's previous discs for Hyperion have all been of 20th-century repertoire … all in their different ways were first rate, but none of them gave any inkling of just how startlingly good Ibragimova's solo Bach recordings might be. This is an absolutely compelling set of performances, the kind that have you on the edge of your seat wondering at the freshness of it all and what she might do next. Every phrase in these familiar works seems newly minted, every bar totally alive’ (The Guardian)
‘Young, excellent and serious, this 24-year old violinist plays with a maturity far beyond her years. In this two-CD set she's right inside the music, whether Bach calls for roaring fire or the tenderest melancholy’ (The Times)
‘One baulks at reducing this sublime discourse to adjectives … these solo structures are thin yet monumental, linear yet multilayered, technically specialised yet altogether soul-rending, and she capitalises on every paradox. More simply, her sound is seductive, her virtuosity bracing and every movement a victory … a true enshrining of the violin's soul’ (The Sunday Times)
‘Admirable agility, clean articulation and perfectly true intonation, and everywhere her technique is impressive … she continually looks to the beauty of the music … the sound quality is fabulous’ (The Strad)
‘Ibragimova's combination of intelligence and intuition, vulnerability and steel on display in this new set will surely prove revelatory … she makes familiar works sound both spontaneously conceived and inevitable’ (The New York Times)