‘Cortot’s depth of expression, tonal beauty and unique musical imagination put him in a school of his own … I’d rather hear Cortot and his finger-slips than many another pianist offering soulless, highly edited perfection. There are too many highlights to list … the cherry on the top here is the inclusion of the first (and lesser known) of Cortot’s two recordings of Chopin’s Sonata No 3, this from a London session in May 1931. I’ve run out of space so I’ll merely say I sat transfixed. I’d buy this twofer just to have the second subject of the slow movement in my collection. Oh—and the Scherzo. And the Lento movement’ (Gramophone)

‘This new album, ‘River of Music’, with its various opportunities for solo display as well as collaboration, shows how much these musicians have grown in the interim … Sheku and Isata’s version of Dvořák’s ‘Song to the Moon’ is, to my ears, the most astonishing performance here—so direct yet deeply communicative. It leaves a lump in my throat every time I hear it … an utterly charming performance [of the Trout Quintet] that balances youthful vigour with thoughtful lyricism’ (Gramophone)

‘The title of [Reflections], which lies somewhere between a traditional romantic concerto and a more amplified suite (not unlike Vaughan Williams’s neoclassical concerto), was intended to ‘reflect’ something of Rutter’s past enthralment with the music of his formative years. A Hollywood-style 'prelude' for the orchestra alone, ‘to bring the soloist on stage’, builds to the entry of the pianist (whose role here is taken authoritatively by Steven Osborne) in a compelling 'toccata' written in homage to Ravel, replete with Gershwin‑ite blue notes and a good deal of euphonious melody. The second movement, dubbed by the composer a dreamy ‘interlude’, provides an extended conduit to the lively 'finale alla burlesca' (Gramophone)

‘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)

‘Under Owain Park’s leadership and sonorous solitary bass voice (with the bonus of a stunning low A in Eleanor Daley’s Grandmother moon), the blend of voices is perfectly balanced and captured. His own Sommernacht proves a perfect match for Rheinberger’s soothing Abendlied, albeit with a much richer harmonic palette … [a] highly enterprising and satisfying album’ (Gramophone)

‘There’s no Roasted Swan on this bill of fare from cellist Mats Lidström and his son, pianist Leif Kaner-Lidström, but there are swans a-swimming, silver and black, alone and in a pair (Hahn) in these transcriptions by Mats, drawn in the main from the song repertoire … Leif lends impeccable filial support, his accompaniments always at one with his father’s cello … I was very taken with Leif’s new composition, which Lidström Snr describes as the swan with the sweetest personality of the album. He’s right!’ (Gramophone)

‘As he wows one concert hall after another with his prowess in blockbuster concertos, it’s good to see Yunchan Lim devoting himself to one of the most intimate of piano solo favourites. His booklet essay consists of candid responses to each musical vignette, and his playing is as heart-on-sleeve as those reflections: no inhibitions over left-before-right desynchronisation, added bass octaves, arpeggiations and other trappings of the grand style of pianism … Lim’s technical aplomb is consummate, with tremendous articulation and a superb ear for harmony and voice-leading. The piano sound is bright and clear’ (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 Kanneh-Mason name will forever tie these still-young musicians together, wherever their individual aspirations take them, and this album is an enjoyable selection of accessible music which has been nicely programmed to accompany the family history of Konya’s story and to present the siblings playing together in different combinations … River of Music captures a moment in the course of the Kanneh-Mason river very successfully’ (Presto Classical)

‘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