'If you want a disc of well-loved carols and one which offers the 'imprimatur' of the King's College Choir then this disc will serve you well. The choir is on fine form, the three Organ Scholars between them provide expert accompaniments to many of the carols and the performances have been well recorded … a generous selection of mostly traditional seasonal fare … satisfyingly performed' (MusicWeb International)

‘In these musical juggernauts, the superb ensemble playing of Steven Isserlis and Robert Levin is especially breathtaking. The duo probably work hard to achieve the kind of balance of sound Beethoven had in mind, but it all seems so effortless, and so joyously executed, that work is the last thing you’ll think of as you listen’ (Audiophile Audition, USA)» More

‘In every regard, Driver proves to be an ideal interpreter of Schumann. His technique is exemplary, and his feeling for the emerging Romanticism of Schumann’s music is impressive … The Novelletten are character-pieces, not technical studies: in the Fourth, we are in a kind of ballroom that verges not so much on the wild as on the flamboyant; Driver is admirable here, and in the relatively scaled-down Fifth his grasp of the nature of the music is total. Schumann reserves the most challenging piece until last, but Driver is more than its equal, making the myriad sectionalised construction flow with impressive unity and inevitability. It would surely be impossible to imagine finer accounts than these … In the Nachtstűcke, Driver continues to show himself as the perfect Schumannian, the music being rhythmically well held together and revealed with much sensitivity of touch and natural phrasing, displaying all of the composer’s fanciful invention. And in the F sharp major Romanze, the inherent difficulty of phrasing the finest melody ever written for the thumbs is surmounted with ease. Add to the excellence a recording quality which is perfectly balanced and the result is a truly outstanding disc of great music that for no good reason is relatively little heard’ (Classical Source)» More

‘The eight Novelletten, whether taken as a set (of nearly 50 minutes’ duration) or as individual pieces, are full of wonder and energy; each might paint a picture and certainly each is full of human feeling, the music itself unpredictable and emotionally heightened, all of which Driver has under his fingers and in his heart and head. The four Night Pieces, as might be expected, as more reclusive and shadowy, but not without their own vigour, Schumann’s characteristic enigma always present to tell us that something – much – lies between the notes. To end the recital, the second of the three Romances is ineffably lovely and lovingly played. Excellent sound; immediate but not intimidating’ (Hi-Fi Critic)» More

‘I spent most of the year procrastinating, unable to stop listening and start writing an article on CPE Bach. Perhaps I was enjoying the process too much, or maybe I wasn't able to wrap my mind around the complexities of the composer's music. Mahan Esfahani's traversal of the 'Württemberg' Sonatas was one of the delights of the composer's anniversary year, fully embodying the enormous range and subtlety of Bach's expressive language, his playfulness, his tenderness and his manifold idiosyncrasies’ (Gramophone)

‘Bach’s monumental late work … [With] The Art of the Fugue, Hewitt has now tackled this set of 18 fugues and canons, which she describes in her detailed booklet notes as 'completely overwhelming, both intellectually and emotionally'. Hewitt’s stylistic trademarks are here—dancing rhythms, nuanced touch and sparkling clarity. She colours each voice so distinctively, you can hear right into the complex textures. But her greatest achievement is to reveal the spiritual depth that suffuses this work’ (The Whole Note, Canada)» More

'What matters here is that this live recording preserves personalised music-making of real distinction. If the opening movements feel a little undercooked, Gergiev’s distinctive brand of theatrical intensity builds as the narrative unfolds … bar for bar, the ‘Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath’ is certainly more viscerally exciting and driven than Sir Colin’s. Whether it provides the same kind of symphonic inevitability and/or dreamy poetic truth is of course a moot point but you don’t turn to Gergiev for the finer points. The Waverley Overture is similarly rousing' (Gramophone)

'When Birtwistle introduced the UK premiere of The Moth Requiem at a 2013 Prom, he initially engaged his audience by suggesting that our negative view of moths was conditioned by the havoc they wreak on our precious cashmere garments. Maybe we should consider the message herein. The Moth Requiem is a Requiem to nature in peril and our own wider commemoration of loved ones lost. This poignant piece engages our full attention for its relatively brief running time' (Gramophone)

‘In the opening Allegro of the Third Concerto, Jack Liebeck projects the combined rhetoric and supplication of the main theme with assurance, finding due tenderness in the ruminative melody that follows. The BBC Scottish Symphony is heard to advantage in the bracing initial and central (7'15") tuttis, Martyn Brabbins ensuring a close coordination with the soloist in this avowedly symphonic conception … an impressive reading, then, of a work that may yet receive its due in terms of performance’ (International Record Review)» More

‘The Brabants have never ventured this early before but on this showing I hope very much that they will do so again’ (Gramophone)

'Conductor and author Andrew Gant brings classic carols to life with his choir Vox Turturis. Performances include hardy annuals such as The Angel Gabriel, Adeste fideles and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, as well as lesser known gems such as Celebrons la naissance and Tempus adest floridum. The CD booklet includes an essay highlighting some of the fascinating stories behind the works. An ideal stocking filler' (The Northern Echo)

«Ce n'est pas la première fois que sont enregistrés des concertos pour piano de Jan Ladislav Dussek, mais on n'a ici, dans les meilleures conditions, que des premières mondiales. Le pianiste Howard Shelley est fait pour cette musique» (Classica, France)» More