‘The [Takács Quartet's] defining qualities—fire, poetry, clarity, balance—never change. The principal work on their latest release is Schubert's String Quartet No 15—one of his most grandiose. It's spellbinding from the opening, when a tussle between major and minor keys gives way to a calm landscape pre-echoing passages in Bruckner symphonies. Schubert springs surprises, but the Takács players take everything in their stride’ (The Times)

‘This release is a standout … another draw is Hyperion's sound from the Wyastone Estate Concert Hall, a flawlessly appropriate venue. This is wonderful Schubert by any standard, but what is most compelling is that the Takács Quartet, at it since the late '80s, continues to think and to learn’ (AllMusic, USA)

‘I was gripped from the very opening [of the Sibelius], and over the course of just a few bars Jansen draws myriad colours from the Shumsky-Rode Stradivarius (1715), making it speak from the iciness of those first notes to the early signs of the intensity that is to come. And the relationship between soloist and orchestra is best described as organic, with Mäkelä’s affinity for the composer clearly in evidence’ (Presto Classical)

'De fijnbesnaarde samenwerking tussen Janine Jansen en Klaus Mäkelä is gewoonweg sensationeel' (De Volkskrant, Netherlands)

‘Andrey Gugnin has arrived at an ideal variety … any monotony in repeats is avoided by Gugnin’s hypersensitive touch: listen to the way, for example, he leads back to the main idea of 'Butterfly'. The tender inwardness of ‘In my native country’—surely the perfect encore—and ‘Erotikon’ could hardly be treated more poetically. A well-placed collection of multifacted jewels’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Gugnin ripples his way through the Holberg Suite in its original piano solo guise, radiating poise, affection and respect for its Golden Age retrospection … Gugnin lavishes immense sympathy and finesse on [the Ballade], keeping a close eye on the balance and emotional logic of the variations, and making a persuasive case that its absence from the concert hall is very much our loss … the Lyric Pieces, it might be thought, need no special advocacy, given the standards set over the years by the likes of Gilels, Andsnes, Hough and Kozhukhin. But advocacy can take many forms, and Gugnin’s is as special as anyone’s as he follows Grieg’s flights of fancy into nature, mood-pictures and dreamscapes with equal acuity’ (Gramophone)

‘The great strength of this recording is the transparency of its textures, which allows the parts to come through individually while preserving the monumentality that such a scoring obviously motivates—all the more remarkable given the size of the choir, which is large by modern standards in this repertoire (nearly 40-strong). That is due to canny direction and a bright acoustic, which together achieve a sound strongly reminiscent of Cupertinos. That will be recommendation enough to lovers of Iberian (or indeed Franco-Flemish) polyphony … the clarity and precision of these interpretations is very satisfying’ (Gramophone)

‘The well-upholstered choral sound is always focused … from Manchicourt’s ravishingly luminous Osculetur me to the mellow soundworld of Payen’s Virgo prudentissima, revelations abound’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Cinquecento as one of the current premiere all-male vocal ensembles find much beauty and intricacy in Padovano’s ‘highly consonant’ style, reminding me that I once wrote: 'Their sound is reminiscent of The Hilliard Ensemble, particularly in the delightful interplay of their two well-matched tenors and the warmth of the overall blend captured through a close, warm recording technique'. This still holds today, as the ensemble’s skilful blend is a happy marriage to Padovano’s ars perfecta flow. They also handle transition moments well, as best heard in the opening Kyrie of Missa A la dolc’ ombra, which cadences on a shimmering top-heavy chord so that the Christe section feels inevitable … Cinquecento at their best’ (Gramophone)

‘The G6 boys—as they like to call themselves—are really making a name for themselves with these highly polished and inventive programmes, and this album is no exception … they have a knack of making you feel like you're the only one listening to their music … wonderful, intimate singing’ (The Early Music Show)

‘The meatiest and finest work here—also the best played—is the Rachmaninov, which Lane executes with transparently more freedom and pure relish. There is much to admire here, from the judicious pacing and depth of tone to the way he plays the heartbreaking Var 16 (one of the composer’s loveliest inspirations) and the exultant conclusion. For once, we get the presto final-page ending, which is surely what the work deserves’ (Gramophone)

‘Having heard the Takács Quartet live on multiple occasions … I've come to expect beauty and emotional eloquence from this ensemble. This recording delivers’ (Stereophile)