‘I’d like to head straight for the Rachmaninov, the Variations on a theme of Chopin—the famous C minor prelude No 20—I think that this CD is worth it just for this opening theme; it is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful performances that I’ve ever heard of it … Piers is at his best … apart from just getting his digits around the technical demands, Piers has a real feel for the Romantic ebb and flow, the elasticity of the phrases … it doesn’t surprise me that the disc is as wonderful as it is … there’s a largesse to all of this that I absolutely love, and it suits this kind of repertoire so well’ (BBC Record Review)

‘The overall effect is sublime. Moving seamlessly into the 'Kyrie', the various ‘gear changes’ are impeccably negotiated, building to a luminous, rounded climax. Dramatic and dynamic contrasts and perfectly judged tempos make the 'Domine Jesu Christe' a highly satisfying movement, abetted by scrupulous attention to organ registration instructions and the honeyed intensity of baritone soloist Florian Störtz. The 'Sanctus' maintains this high-octane approach, with a particularly thunderous central ‘Hosanna’ … Poulenc’s Lenten motets are some of the most difficult and exacting a cappella works in the repertory. This recording dates from 2021 and was made in the choir’s ‘home acoustic’ in Cambridge. Clarity is the keyword here—that and impeccable tuning … a Gallic choral feast and strongly recommended’ (Gramophone)

‘The boldness, ferocity and raw red-blooded vigour of this pairing of Tchaikovsky and Korngold string sextets comes as a bracing surprise … Tchaikovsky’s chamber works aren’t exactly restrained: the dynamic range in Souvenir de Florence stretches from triple piano to quadruple forte and the Nash Ensemble make a pretty good job of hitting both. The propulsive energy of this performance hits you between the eyes right from the earthy, smudged opening chord. It’s all about rhythms—bouncing, kicking, hammered home by huge percussive spread chords. If the more lyrical melodies are never exactly lush, they’re always stylishly shaped, and the crispness and clarity with which the lower players articulate their accompaniments means that even in the grander climaxes (and it gets very boisterous indeed) there’s a sense of purpose and precision’ (Gramophone)

‘There are lovely moments in Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen’s two piano concertos … these concertos have been recorded before … but Howard Shelley’s finesse and steadfast grace (in music that isn’t always that graceful) coupled with Hyperion’s superb engineering make this new version the clear front-runner … Jeremy Nicholas writes that [the Kalkbrenner] demands ‘the most delicate bravura to negotiate’, and Shelley somehow manages this while simultaneously keeping the Nuremberg orchestra on its toes—an impressive achievement’ (Gramophone)

‘The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, dials up the plushness with the 1948 version [of the Duruflé] for organ, and the instrument at Saint-Eustache in Paris is so sonorous and pillowy as to render an orchestra wholly unnecessary. The organist Harrison Cole swathes the sumptuous choruses in downy comfort. Chords and busy 16th-note runs drift by like clouds. Even harmonic abrasions have a smooth-edged refinement. Stephen Layton’s baton keeps the music flowing, all lush and heady, and the Trinity singers, treating consonants as mere suggestions, string together syllables into a liquid legato. Vaporous strands float from the soprano section, and the altos and basses are warmly anchoring yet improbably diaphanous. The tenors’ bright cast occasionally pierces the mood, and the vocal soloists inject welcome verve and personality amid the ensemble’s anonymous gorgeousness’ (The New York Times)

‘The Nash Ensemble play each work—both written for the standard sextet combination of two violins, two violas and two cellos—with restless verve and panache … the Nash make a compelling case for both. To call this ensemble venerable is to reflect on the group’s standing over 60 years, since its foundation in 1964 (by Amelia Freedman). The reason to listen to these players now is not for old time’s sake but for the vigour and precision they show in the wide repertoire they tackle, including this’ (The Observer)» More

‘The Nash Ensemble launches into Tchaikovsky’s string sextet Souvenir de Florence with drive and energy, rich sound and opulent vibrato … [in the Korngold] the Nash’s clarity of vision is first-rate, as is its instinct for drama … the recorded sound is clear and full’ (The Strad)» More

‘This new Nash performance is genuinely fine … the sheer quality of this Hyperion release continues the fine tradition of this label’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘The balance [in the Duruflé] puts you in the building in the most extraordinary way … that wonderful envelope of sound that just surrounds you as you listen to it. A shout-out for Harrison Cole—he’s done an extremely good job as a young organ scholar, aided and abetted by that wonderful French-style organ from van den Heuvel … so many sounds to enjoy … we really must mention David Hinitt and Adrian Peacock who have created a sound which I didn’t believe was possible, because it’s actually as if you are there … it is totally immersive, I don’t know how it’s done … wonderful’ (BBC Record Review)

„Marc-André Hamelin zählt zur aussterbenden Spezies des intellektuellen Virtuosen und seit 30 Jahren zu den weltweit führenden Tastenmagiern. Jetzt also gibt es ein komplettes Album mit eigenen Arbeiten aus den Jahren 2011 bis 2020, und es gelingt ihm hier wieder mit fulminanter Souveränität, das geistige Erbe der von ihm so geschätzten „Composer-Pianists“ weiterzuführen und ins 21. Jahrhundert zu übersetzen … den größten intellektuellen Spaß bereiten Hamelins eigene, exzessiv virtuose Variationen über Paganinis 24. Caprice, die zuvor schon von einigen bedeutenden Köpfen bearbeitet wurde, und in denen er wie ein mit Zauberkräften ausgestatteter Akrobat alle Facetten des clownesken Themas munter durcheinanderwirbelt: So klingt Paganini heute und Hamelin reiht sich ein in eine bedeutende Liste komponierender Pianisten“ (Rondo, Germany)

‘And still it goes on. Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series reaches its 86th instalment with this coupling of composers who came into contact in the Paris of the early 1840s … all three works are tailor-made for the pianism of Howard Shelley, his all-round alertness abetted by responsive playing from the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. If not an essential acquisition, this is a most pleasurable listen: Jeremy Nicholas, who pens informative notes, clearly enjoyed it hugely and listeners with a taste for the byways of musical Romanticism should do likewise’ (International Piano)

‘It’s so vibrant and so clear; you hear every line coming in, weaving with each other, soaring above, being part of the support: obviously that’s also Korngold’s writing, but I like how The Nash Ensemble just keeps everything spinning and fizzing all the way through. This is such an exciting movement—it’s really thrilling—and you can hear discovery, curiosity, just as if he’s looking round every corner, and everything is a delight so he’s putting it back in and trying it out, and that’s what carries us through from the beginning of the first movement all the way to the end … it’s so well balanced, isn’t it—Stephanie Gonley, her violin lines soar so beautifully over the top; it’s not dominated by her, they all weave in and out … this is chamber music, this is conversation … it’s so satisfying’ (BBC Record Review)