‘Steven Osborne gives vibrant, dynamic and searching readings of Debussy’s Études in technically immaculate performances that also yield maximum musical potential … beautifully recorded’ (colinscolumn.com)» More

‘Fauré’s 13 nocturnes and 13 barcarolles—two and a half hours in all—are not the kind of dizzyingly virtuosic works that are the fire-fingered Marc-André Hamelin’s stock in trade. But his clarity and sensitivity confirm that this is music of tender poignancy and subtle experimentation’ (The New York Times)

‘A conductor who never received the honours he merited was Vernon Handley, who was responsible for three of the finest recordings of British music ever made. One is his 1992 account of Herbert Howells’s masterpiece Hymnus Paradisi (Hyperion). Not only does he take the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic at an ideal pace, but his two soloists elevate something in any case overwhelming to perfection: the tenor John Mark Ainsley is immaculate, but the soprano soloist, Julie Kennard, is better still—exactly what Howells must have envisaged when he wrote the piece’ (The Telegraph)

‘With the centenary of Gabriel Fauré’s death approaching (in 2024), this quietly radical French genius is gaining some much-deserved attention beyond his few best-known works. Hamelin’s traversal of his nocturnes and barcarolles, 13 of each, delves deep into their extraordinary mix of sensual beauty and sophisticated reinvention of harmonic language’ (The Sunday Times)

‘In his new recording of the so-called French Suites (there is nothing particularly French about these lovely, compact essays) [Esfahani] again uses the clavichord for the first three suites and then a harpsichord for the remainder … listen to the Sarabande of the D minor First Suite, in which he deploys small decrescendos as the top line rises, suggesting not just the human voice, but the human voice doing one of its most miraculous feats: scaling down as it rises up, registering frailty, uncertainty or pleading. The more pliant ornamentation style achieved on the clavichord is sometimes carried over to works on the plucked instrument, as in the curiously forward and expanded ornamentation of the Sarabande of the E major Sixth Suite. Rhythmic articulation is often very sharp and taut in many of the livelier dances. The Gigue from the C minor Second Suite, played on the clavichord, is particularly taut and clipped, which, combined with the drier acoustic of the instrument, creates a sense of high tension. But the same nervous tension comes back in the Gavotte of the E major Suite, to similar effect’ (Gramophone)

‘I heard Steven Osborne performing Debussy’s Études live at a Wigmore Hall lunchtime concert last year, so my expectations for the recording made within days of it were high—expectations that have been wonderfully exceeded. What a magnificent way to conclude this extraordinary reappraisal of Debussy’s solo piano music … at first, I was content merely to marvel in his pianistic sorcery, but comparing them with long-held benchmarks is even more revealing … there’s great humanity to be found in this new set, too: ‘Pour les notes répétées’ (No 9) finds Aimard a little straitlaced, Pollini po-faced and Uchida deliciously anarchic; into this mix, Osborne finds an increasing sense of pathos, referencing perhaps Stravinsky’s benighted puppet Petrushka. The final étude, ‘Pour les accords’, can, with its awkwardly placed chords, become a mere shout-fest in the hands of lesser musicians. The smart move is not to take it too fast but Osborne is having none of that, displaying a thrilling muscularity that contrasts piquantly with the hues of the Lento molto rubato. Uchida has reigned supreme in this repertoire for more than three decades; now, though, I think Osborne can take the crown’ (Gramophone)

‘In many respects, Angela Hewitt’s solo Mozart recordings represent a modern-day parallel to Walter Gieseking’s 1953 EMI cycle. Her playing is characterised by rhythmic steadiness and symmetry, uniformity in regard to repeated notes, and the most evenly balanced chords on the planet. Tone colour, nuance and articulation result from meticulous fingerwork and balances between the hands, with scant aid from the sustain pedal. Her dynamic schemes appear to be well worked out in advance, with each trill, ornament and embellishment calibrated to the proverbial nines. If you want Mozart from an Apollonian vantage point, with spotless surfaces and impeccable proportions, Hewitt is your ideal pianist … both the C minor and D minor Fantasias (K396 and 397) stand out for Hewitt’s radiant, full-bodied tone and intelligently dramatic pacing, where the timbral diversity of her beloved Fazioli grand comes into its own … thanks to Hewitt’s longtime producer Ludger Böckenhoff, Hyperion’s sound does full justice to Hewitt’s artistry’ (Gramophone)

‘This album of Debussy’s Études is full of superlatives. Marvel at the meltingly even thirds in ‘Pour les tierces’, the delicious range of articulation, and the almost Rachmaninov-like outpouring at the end. Linger in the timeless mood of ‘Pour les Quartes’, all cool fourths, and the way in which Osborne oscillates between flurries and stillness. Or admire the muscular playing in the outbursts of ‘Pour les Octaves’ … the list could go on. Technique and artistry are perfectly allied—and the beautiful recorded sound has a lovely balance of clarity, space and resonance’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘Chant performances on recordings tend to be somewhat perfunctory and dull, but here each item is performed with marvellous attention to both phrasing, style and message … the singers are at their brilliant best in pieces that demand gentle, embracing harmonic blending—for example in Johannes Eccard’s Maria wallt zum Heiligtum, in Howells’s Here is the little door, and in Mirabile mysterium where the Slovenian composer Handl serves up exotic shifts of chromatic colouring … there are many engrossing and lovely musical experiences here’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

«Tout chante (même dans ces tempos larges dont, à l’instar de Scott Ross, il posséde l’alchimie, ce legato soi-disant interdit par l’instrument à cordes pincées), tout danse, l’air entre à foison, je respire et je savoure l’art de ce petit génie du clavecin qui ajoute trois Suites qu’il désigne joliment comme orphelines» (Artamag, France)

‘In terms of gleaming vocal purity, The Gesualdo Six, directed by Owain Park, are hard to beat. Their Morning star takes its title from Arvo Pärt but combines chant and early works (by Lassus, Byrd, Clemens non Papa) with new works by Joanna Marsh, Judith Bingham and Adrian Peacock. Park’s own O send out thy light is lyrical and radiant. Not so new but still beautiful, Herbert Howells’s Here is the little door stands out. The dominant mood is quietude, contemplation’ (The Guardian)

‘All credit to Esfahani for this carefully prepared recording. While no amount of scholarly underpinning will save poor performing, there is much to enjoy in playing that displays poise and expressive nuance as well as virtuosity’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More