«L'impressionnant travail effectué par Andrew Manze en tant que violoniste «baroque» a-t-il marqué son approche de Saint-Saëns, dont il donne une image vive et allégée, sans empâtement, plus chambriste que symphonique» (Classica, France)» More

‘In many senses the 1838 Novelettes are quintessential Schumann, with their imaginative harmonies, fascinatingly inventive textures, wide-ranging moods and ravishing lyricism. If their intrinsic interest weren’t sufficient, they contain, in terms of piano playing, a veritable lexicon of every gesture Brahms confided to the keyboard avant la lettre’ (International Record Review)» More

‘Fanny Ardant is not only a film star but has experience of the French classical theatre, home of good declamation. She is, throughout, classical but also personal. The risk lies in loss of the formal convention of emotional distance intrinsic to the work, but the manner suits Mme Ardant and it matches Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s approach. Without distorting the form, he allows his singers more expressive freedom than is usual. Stuart Skelton, even if perhaps more emotional than Stravinsky might have liked, brings increasing tension into his interpretation … this is a beautiful performance' (Gramophone)

‘Overall, Landowska’s playing is a seemingly endless source of enlightenment. Mark Obert-Thorn’s transfers are excellent, and these records should be heard by music college students in particular, to make them aware of other possibilities, of richer times and places’ (Gramophone)

‘These are vintage Schumann, radiating as they do that typical mix of beguiling poetic inspiration, vital virtuosity and lyrical allure … there is an unbroken thread of thought running through Driver's interpretation, with the fluxes of harmony and the nuances of dynamics artlessly etched in and a natural flow and impetus to the music from its very start to its hushed finish. The poise, focus and imagination that Driver brings to the Novelletten are equally applied to the four Nachtstücke, the crepuscular atmosphere of the first one being set against the shifting lights and images of the other three. This is playing of a most perceptive order’ (The Daily Telegraph)» More

‘This, as you would expect, is a beautifully produced and presented recording of Rameau’s complete Pièces de clavecin … Mahan Esfahani is a brilliant technician, but more than that he is a master at delivering the character in these pieces. Dark minor-key drama, dancing rhythms and elegance are created with the utmost refinement, and refinement is a major strength of this set as a whole’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Jonathan Cohen's choir of 20 can convey the inward spirituality of Et incarnatus est and the laudatory éclat of the Gloria and Et resurrexit with equal efficacy. The excellent high-voiced soloists are Lydia Teuscher and Ida Falk Winland, duetting sensuously in the Christe eleison, and Tim Mead’s rapt alto in Qui sedes and Agnus Dei. Samuel Boden’s lithe tenor and Neal Davies’s solid bass blend ideally with their colleagues’ (The Sunday Times)» More

„Kurz und gut: Dieses Album ist hochgradig inspirierend. Vermittelt es doch nicht nur einen absolut frappierenden Einblick in die britische Chormusik der letzten zwei Jahrhunderte. Es zeigt auch, mit wie viel Inbrunst und Hingabe selbst als eher „säkular“ bekannte Komponisten Musik schrieben, wenn es um die Ehrerbietung für die heilige Cäcilia ging. Man könnte meinen, in vielen dieser Stücke würde der Musik selbst gehuldigt. Nikolaus Harnoncourt nannte die Musik sinngemäß einmal einen „Strahl des Göttlichen, der in unser weltliches Leben scheint“, und das fasst diese CD vielleicht besser zusammen, als man es mit vielen anderen Worten beschreiben könnte.

Dank des britischen High Quality-Labels Hyperion ist auch der Sound ausgezeichnet ausgefallen, sodass man eine Natürlichkeit des Klangeindrucks erhält, die man auf anderen Chormusik-CDs leider allzu oft mit der Lupe suchen muss. Großartig“ (The Listener, Germany)» More

‘Hewitt’s account, characteristically, is clean and precise but always pianistic—she never seems, like some pianists, to be imitating a harpsichord, whereas her delicate touch means that the music is not burdened with undue heaviness. Her ‘Contrapunctus 2’, for example, dances with carefree abandon. Hewitt is fluent and homogenous, her effective expressive and dynamic contrasts made subtly within an overarching, unifying concept, solemn but not overbearing’ (International Record Review)» More

‘There will always be a special place for playing of Marc-André Hamelin’s quality and insight … The discretion of his pedal work and dynamic control creates layered vistas of perspective, with the notes themselves nuanced precisely to the graphic character of the music at any given moment. The effect is akin to standing in front of a painting and allowing eyes and brain to synch and study every detail, while still nailing the whole picture … With beautifully wrought sound that captures just the right amount of ambient space around a Steinway that must have been prepared by a master technician, seize the day or night with Hamelin at the earliest opportunity. He offers much to learn from as well as to wonder at’ (International Record Review)» More

‘Gabriel Jackson's La Musique is attractive and beautifully imagined; this is another example of Jackson’s highly inventive ear for unaccompanied choral textures. The soprano solo line, which is a gift for a singer like Dame Felicity, contrasts with and complements the choral parts most effectively. The music is gorgeous, not least the soft, rapt conclusion … this is a most interesting and nicely varied programme of music. The singing is consistently fine. The choir’s blend is excellent and I admire very much the fresh tone that they produce. Rupert Gough, as we know from previous releases, trains his choir marvellously and this disc is another notable achievement. With Adrian Peacock and David Hinitt serving as producer and engineer respectively it’s no surprise that the recordings are excellent. Quite a few of these pieces will be unfamiliar to many collectors, which adds to the attraction of this splendid disc’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Schumann’s eight Novelletten form the biggest and arguably the most challenging of his piano cycles ... The demands of sustaining the strenuous emotional pitch over the work’s 50-minute span are such that it’s rarely performed whole, either in concert or on disc. Danny Driver, however, who is going from strength to strength at the moment, turns in a powerhouse performance on his new Schumann album, playing with great technical prowess, and admirably alert to the fluctuations of mood and feeling within the prevailing intensity of the whole. His subtle, deeply felt reading of the melancholy Nachtstücke of 1839 provides contrast and relief, and the recital closes with the calm Romanze in F sharp, exquisitely done. Recommended’ (The Guardian)» More