‘A series we've enjoyed here on Record Review is coming to an end—the Saint-Saëns symphonies from the Utah Symphony conducted by Thierry Fischer … a reading [of Le carnaval des animaux] that goes for character and colour rather than slapstick comedy, trusting the brilliance of Saint-Saëns's writing to do the trick. A lovely thing to find tucked away between Saint-Saëns's two early symphonies’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Spence is unquestionably one of our finest singing actors, and his palpable enthusiasm for Janáček is most convenient, given that he is first among the performers here who provide this infrequently performed masterpiece with its most convincing modern recording to date. While much of this is down to Spence’s judiciously deployed dramatic instincts (and his seemingly excellent Czech) the common denominator in all 22 numbers of the Diary here is in fact the pianist Julius Drake. In this sequence he is especially outstanding—I baulk at using the conventional term ‘accompanist’. It strikes me that Drake may actually be the one pulling the strings; his flexibility and ear for detail are exceptional … this interpretation of the Diary surely stands among the best of all, and in terms of modern recordings I feel it trumps the Bostridge/Adès version ultimately by dint of its searing theatricality and the consistently focused performances of these performers. Hyperion’s sound is superfine and wonderfully natural … I suspect [Janáček] himself would have been most moved by this exceptional performance’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘There’s a truth and honesty about this interpretation that you simply can’t argue with … beyond all the perfect balancings and the ear-pricking little details being drawn out of the score, it’s played with bucketloads of heart. A true stand‑out’ (Gramophone)

‘There’s a truth and honesty about this interpretation that you simply can’t argue with … beyond all the perfect balancings and the ear-pricking little details being drawn out of the score, it’s played with bucketloads of heart. A true stand‑out’ (Gramophone)

‘Cinquecento’s well engineered disc is recommended with no reservations. Palestrina’s sheer genius is better expressed in this intense music, audibly influenced by his Franco-Flemish predecessors back to Josquin, than in his more public mainstream music in the—sometimes blander—High Renaissance style. For all that there are seventy brief tracks, interest never palls. As a commercial recording, this is perfection’ (Early Music Review)

„Ganz egal was man zum Vergleich heranzieht, ob Perlman, Zukerman oder Heifetz—alles wirkt merkwürdig pauschal gegenüber dem bis ins letzte Detail ausformulierten Spiel des russisch-französischen Duos“ (Südkurier, Germany)» More

‘This is, at any time of the year and in any place, a really lovely recording of some exquisite singing … as seasonal music goes, this new release from Hyperion is almost 70 minutes of pure magic’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘While Brahms’s Lieder discography is far from as comprehensive as Schubert’s it is still large enough to be a challenge for any newcomer, and a soprano has to compete with great names from the past—and not so distant past. Browsing my own not too extensive collection I found names like Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Irmgard Seefried, Elly Ameling, Edith Mathis and Jessye Norman, who have all made indelible impressions through their recordings. What then has a young soprano, who here makes her CD debut, to offer against such competition? Quite a lot, actually … a fresh, unscathed voice of considerable beauty and a willingness to find adequate nuances. Her piano and pianissimo singing is lovely throughout … I look forward to hearing more from Harriet Burns’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘A highly enjoyable mix of eighteenth-century concertos from around Europe reminding us how interrelated many of these composers' lives—and their music—actually were’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Some series there are which get things so consistently right that … it’s very difficult to say anything new about them … La Serenissima’s undoubted expertise in Vivaldi is now equalled by their Telemann … [there] are fine all-Telemann special collections, but I’d find it hard to prefer any one of them to La Serenissima on the new album’ (MusicWeb International)

‘It’s a beautiful sound … they just blend perfectly together … the timbre’s interesting as well. You’ve got countertenor Terry Wey on the top of the texture, and he’s a little bit of a magician with this kind of consort singing … the vocal control is quite remarkable’ (BBC Record Review)» More

‘It seems almost superfluous to say so by now but the singing of The Tallis Scholars is on the usual exalted level throughout this disc. Blend, tuning and ensemble are absolutely impeccable. The music for both masses has been edited by Timothy Symons. Of course, Josquin left no expression marks or dynamics in his scores; all that and much more is left to the interpretative skills of Peter Phillips and the execution of his expert singers. Suffice to say that they bring this music vividly to life: these performances are characterised by musical flair and imagination as much as by scholarship. The engineering was in the safe hands of Philip Hobbs. He’s well used to recording this ensemble in the lovely acoustic of Merton College Chapel and the results of his work delight the ear: the recording is truthful and expertly balanced. As ever with Gimell, the documentation is first class. This, I believe is the penultimate release in this Josquin series. I look forward very much to the completion of this important series in due course. This latest disc, though, is a mandatory and self-recommending purchase for everyone who has been following the series’ (MusicWeb International)» More