‘Mahan Esfahani is unquestionably a latter-day philosopher of the harpsichord. And like any good philosopher, you may not always agree with him, but he is always interesting, never boring. So, he proves again here, with his epic new recording of a cornerstone of the keyboard repertoire, Book I of JS Bach’s The Well-tempered Clavier. It’s quite the ride … and the playing? Fabulous, of course—effortlessly virtuosic yet outstandingly musical—and definitely compelling enough for the recording to be devoured at one sitting, as Esfahani intends’ (Limelight, Australia)» More

‘Mesmerizing … don’t overlook this. Gugnin brings the magic to Pletnev’s Nutcracker transcription; his Stravinsky Petrushka pieces have thrilling exuberance and virtuosity—it’s a wonderful recital of Russian ballet suites by Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Absolutely fascinating … a window on to two different eras in musical history, really, because we’ve got the world of Robert and Clara Schumann in the 1840s, when he wrote his Piano Concerto for her and Clara premiered it, and the world of British pianist Fanny Davies who studied with Clara Schumann and then made that recording in 1928 … it’s spine-tingling listening to this and thinking of the connections … it’s just fantastic to have this re-release … a wonderful disc … a real discovery’ (BBC Record Review)

‘The latest volume in Mahan Esfahani’s voyage through Bach’s harpsichord music arrives at one of the key works of the whole keyboard repertoire … with an interpretation that emphasises [the music's] flexible, human features. He is open about feeling no need to follow such impractical ‘rules’ as articulating a fugue subject the same way at every statement, but in countless other places, too, makes decisions that seem based on the mood of the moment rather than the dictates of a pre-formed intellectual plan … the result of all this, and more, is that the music never sounds as if it is playing itself, but is always alive, always has a personality’ (Gramophone)

‘Such a satisfying harpsichord sound—Mahan Esfahani playing a modern copy of an early eighteenth-century German double-manual instrument and approaching the first book of Bach’s Well-tempered Clavier with a feeling of gentle exploration, stepping on to this well-travelled pathway as though he’s embarking on it for the first time. And that sense of discovery keeps the whole set alive with wonder and freshness and the dramatic qualities that Mahan prefers to the academic commentaries that he’s studied, as he tells us in his fascinating notes. He’s such an intriguing guide, never sacrificing meaning and interrogation for sheer speed or empty virtuosity. Excellent recording as well … a lovely idea to end with a reprise of Prelude 1 as well; it gives it that sort of Goldbergs circularity’ (BBC Record Review)

‘The De Profundis lower-voice choir are something of a sleeper hit—their recordings of Renaissance polyphony in ‘chiavette’ pitches (usually down a fourth from what's usually heard) bring to light neglected gems, especially of Iberian repertoire, and throw new light (and shadow) on established works. Morales’ Requiem is a texturally simple but deeply moving work that benefits from the rich tones that this lower pitch unlocks. His Parce mihi, Domine (that formed the opening track to the Hilliards’ iconic Officium with Jan Garbarek all those years ago) and other motets round out this wonderful recording, which I think could well be their best yet’ (Presto Classical)

‘The choir has a solid presence and a secure core, with a treble sound that is both clear and expressive (try Soriano’s Regina caeli). As in the Venetian disc, the recital’s middle section, compiled with care and discernment, transcends mere novelty value and earns the recording a solid recommendation … I look forward to hearing more from this choir and its enterprising director. After Venice and Rome, where next?’ (Gramophone)

‘Esfahani comes now to these pieces with his own very personal ideas on how they should be presented and performed … there is a real sense in his performances of each prelude and fugue defining its own dramatic space … his choice of tempi is uncontroversial, his shaping of each movement wonderfully lucid’ (The Guardian)» More

‘A wonderful addition to what is already one of the finest discographies of choral music to have appeared in the last ten years. Its theme is different shades of light in music, from the emergence pf the radiant dawn of the album’s title, to the ghostly terrors of a bitter and dark night on the battlements at Elsinore. Musically, there are two noticeable binding threads: plainchant, either as integral part of a composition or as an inspiration, and the superb trumpet playing of Matilda Lloyd, who joins the singers in many of the works. There are two new pieces especially written for the album and they sit extremely well with the other carefully chosen selections … [Burgon's Nunc dimittis] is the best way imaginable to bring this fantastic recital, excellently recorded in All Hallows Gospel Oak, to a close’ (MusicWeb International)

‘Hopefully, the 21-year-old Korean sky rocket Yunchan Lim will never outgrow the key attractions of his piano playing. Take his delicacy, audible in his phrasing and variety of touch and dynamics; qualities abundantly displayed in his second solo album, devoted to Tchaikovsky’s cycle The Seasons … whatever the attraction—March’s fragile hesitations, August’s hurtling momentum, October’s melancholy—the listener should be enthralled by the feelings and colours embedded in Tchaikovsky’s modest character pieces’ (The Times)

‘Now, it seems, Lim feels it is time to reveal a more expressive, intimate side to his playing, and indeed it’s hard to imagine anything more different from the Chopin and Rachmaninov than Tchaikovsky’s suite The Seasons … Lim’s playing is, as you would expect, exemplary’ (The Guardian)

‘The spacious recording acoustic of the London Notre Dame church lends numinosity to the singing and director Charles Cole’s note stresses that the choir’s purpose is primarily liturgical … the long lines of Peccantem me quotidie are impeccably tuned and sustained and the joyful Tu es Petrus makes a highly satisfying conclusion to a fine recital’ (MusicWeb International)» More