‘2018 will go down as the year when not only did cricketer Alastair Cook finish his Test career with a century, but Leslie Howard made his 100th disc of Liszt piano music … Howard's mix of sensitivity and virtuosity is matched by the beautiful tone of the Potton Hall Steinway’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘A commendable venture, thoughtfully programmed and featuring strong performances throughout’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘There are some fine Gottschalk albums out there, but Martin’s is the only complete survey of the composer’s works for solo piano. Not only that, he has a unique affinity for this music that shines through in every bar. Rhythm, touch, dynamics and phrasing are exemplary, and he gauges the eclectic mood and manner of each piece to perfection. And while one might expect inspiration to wax and wane, Martin reminds us just how consistently assured and interesting Gottschalk’s keyboard writing really is. Indeed, that’s why I found it so easy to listen to all 109 tracks in a single day. Sensitively planned and lovingly played, this set contains some of the most varied and enchanting piano sounds imaginable. And even though the individual albums were recorded at different times and in several venues, they sound remarkably consistent in terms of balance and character. The tracks that have me reaching for the repeat button include: Le banjo (tr. 1), Le bananier (tr. 13), Pasquinade (tr. 31), the Andante from La nuit des tropiques (tr. 40) and the miraculous Tremolo (tr. 65). Sure to keep my spirits up on that lonely strand; a must-buy for pianophiles and LMG fans alike’ (MusicWeb International)

‘I expected this to be a very special release, and so it is … I certainly recommend this recording of two very different works from opposite ends of Josquin’s career, and shall be returning to it frequently’ (MusicWeb International)

'I due rondeaux e le quattro ballades presenti in questo disco sono piccoli trattati poetici sulle virtù e sulle pene dell’amor cortese, di cui Machaut è stato uno dei più raffinati cantori, e con il quale l’Orlando Consort è entrato oramai in profonda e perfetta sintonia' (Giornale della Musica, Italy)

‘This recording provides further confirmation of Mahan Esfahani’s status among the finest keyboard players of his generation. For listeners who relish challenging material and interpretations on the harpsichord, he is perhaps the most exciting exponent in the present day … I found that Esfahani’s interpretations on his chosen instruments gave me fresh insights into pieces by composers with whom I am very familiar. I hope other readers will investigate this thoughtful, stimulating and quite outstanding record’ (Early Music Review)» More

‘As exhilarating a musical experience as I know … even Liszt would doff the cap at Esfahani’s furious arpeggios and decorative flourishes, fingers flying at the speed of light … definitely one of my albums of the year’ (The Times)» More

‘Leslie Howard's Liszt edition—a monumental feat of perseverance, of which the present release, Rêves et fantaisies, is the hundredth initiative—began to hit our shelves in the late-eighties. Like Naxos's (multi-artist) Liszt project, it's never going to be the last word on the subject (how could it be) but as an édition intégrale, responsibly documented and bibliographically astute, it sets the bar high, a treasure-trove for dipping into and referencing forgotten byways … the gem of the [present] collection, beautifully sensitive, is the first version of the pedal-pointed Danse des sylphes from Berlioz's Faust, from a copyist's manuscript in Weimar prepared for publication, and with Liszt's autograph markings, but then dropped (it misses the introduction and coda of the definitive 1863 text). The ambience of the room and Ben Connellan's sympathetic engineering delicately suspend tone-painting and hour’ (Classical Source)

‘Osborne is completely unfazed by any of the formidable technical demands he is confronted with, so he can play very quickly without any sense of strain or loss of rhythmic and textural clarity … this is as good as it gets and should be heard’ (Audiophile)» More

‘Both concertos fit well the romantic idiom and take their deserved place in Hyperion’s ever growing and enjoyable Romantic Piano Concerto series. Emmanuel Despax proves an excellent interpreter of both these works. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Eugene Tzigane prove to be more than an able support. All the musicians seem to get to the heart of this music, especially in the slow movements of both these works. This is an excellent performance, one which is backed with the usual high standard of Hyperion’s production values, excellent recorded sound and scholarly booklet notes, a welcome addition to the catalogues’ (MusicWeb International)

'Perfecte muziek kortom voor een meesterpianist als Howard Shelley die zich gespecialiseerd heeft zowel in de klassieke periode als de romantiek. Het Ulster Orchestra doet ook een flinke duit in het zakje met zijn alerte begeleiding en stralende orkestklank' (de Gelderlander, Netherlands)

‘The performance itself is to be rated among the very best. Martyn Brabbins is a superb conductor in British music, and his performance—though a little slower than some—has superb forward impetus. His attention to orchestral detail is crucial, but, even more importantly, he has an architectural grasp of the shape of the whole. In a lesser performance things can become episodic, but Brabbins maintains not merely the internal coherence of the individual movements but also the relationship of each movement to the other’ (MusicWeb International)» More