'In the theatre, Bartók's one-act opera is a dramatic portrait of the irreconcilability of the sexes. In the concert hall, where this recording was made in 2011 by the Philharmonia Orchestra, its appeal to the imagination seems no less powerful. Salonen conducts a taut, luxuriant reading that captures the score's majesty and mystery. John Tomlinson' Bluebeard makes up in histrionic heft what he has lost in vocal poise, but is overshadowed by Michelle DeYoung's wonderfully alive Judith. The inclusion of the enigmatic introduction spoken in English by Juliet Stevenson, is an unexpected bonus' (Financial Times)

‘Here are two works that ought to be valued alongside Brahms’s Piano and Clarinet Quintets. The Second String Quintet, particularly, is one of his most admirable and lovable large-scale works. But it’s also as challenging interpretatively as any of the Symphonies. So when this Quintet is performed or recorded, it’s rarely with the depth of understanding it needs. Fortunately, the Takács Quartet and Lawrence Power show every indication of having given a lot of thought to both works … the fascinatingly fluid slow-movement-plus-scherzo that forms the centrepiece of the First Quintet is beautifully conceived. The impassioned, long opening paragraph of the Second is a magnificent balance of rich tonal weight and soaring momentum (perfectly caught by the recording); the Adagio is darkly eloquent and the finale’s rhythms are clean-cut and full of springing vitality’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

'Recording the War Requiem was a labour of love, and involved some of the hardest days of my life, but it was also one of the most fulfilling experience of my career: says conductor Paul McCreesh. 'The sense of collective endeavour in the room, when all these singers—professional, amateur, Polish, English, some very young from our Gabrieli Young Singers Scheme—came together with instrumentalists and soloists in Watford Town Hall was special. It was a privilege to stand before them.' McCreesh knew that the project was a challenge, though: 'I felt a few raised eyebrows when we announced we were going to do this piece, but I felt passionately that we did have something to say with it, a new perspective on it 50 years on: He also sensed Britten would have approved of his particular mix of forces: 'I always feel mixing young and old creates great joy and energy.’ McCreesh's attraction to the piece is not, however, focused on the massed forces but rather the intimate settings of Wilfred Owen which, he says, 'form the deepest heart of the work; they were my priority. It was wonderful to have soloists with such sensitivity to the power of the words. You never quite know how things are going to work out, so I'm glad that our efforts have been vindicated' (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Sophistication and refinement inform every note of lestyn Davies and Thomas Dunford’s recital, which moves from Jacobean blockbusters such as In darkness let me dwell and Flow, my tears to the complex poetry of Time stands still. Nothing is taken for granted. I saw my lady weep is delivered with chilly hauteur, in contrast with the hot emotionalism of All ye whom Love or Fortune hath betrayed and Burst forth, my tears, and a luxuriously slow Lachrimae. Most striking is the urgency of Can she excuse my wrongs? and rhythmic flexibility in Come again, sweet love doth now invite’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘The scalic flourishes of the First Suite’s Prelude instantly reveal Driver’s nimble fingerwork, meticulous control over dynamic accentuation on key harmonic features and judicious use of the sustain pedal. The rippling D minor arpeggios of the Prelude to Suite No 3 transfer to the piano thrillingly … most of Handel’s French-style intricate dance movements are played with dignified tenderness: the consecutive allemandes and courantes always have a delicate balance between cantabile warmth in the elegant upper melody, softly precise inner details and a lightly flowing bass-line. The quick Fugue that launches Suite No 4 in E minor has a sparkling clarity that any eminent Baroque specialist keyboardist would be pleased with … an engagingly post-historical approach’ (Gramophone)

‘Quite superb accounts of the Recitative and Scherzo, and Kreisler’s arrangement of Tartini’s ‘Devil’s Trill’ Sonata … the engineers provide an ideal balance and pleasing sound to complete an outstanding release’ (The Strad)» More

‘Jack Liebeck is a fine player—no doubt about that—with a firm tone and rock-solid technique. The 1785 ‘Ex-Wilhelmj’ Guadagnini he plays fills St George’s, Bristol, with commanding ease … he is best in Kreisler’s transcriptions (a touching Gluck Mélodie, thrilling bravura in Falla’s Danse espagnole and a forthright, confident account of the 'Devil's Trill' Sonata, which ends the disc in style)’ (Gramophone)

'A real tribute to the virtuosity of the Philharmonia Orchestra whose playing is absolutely faultless' (Classical Source)» More

'Throughout all three symphonies the playing of the Philharmonia is razor sharp and idiomatic: they’re consistently on top form for Maazel. The recorded sound is very good as are Julian Johnson’s notes. This is shaping up as a most interesting, if variable, Mahler cycle and I look forward to the next volume very much' (MusicWeb International)

‘The earliest and most fascinating composition here, a cello concerto dating from 1889 when Pfitzner was a 19-year-old student, starts like a pious exercise in Schumannesque rumination but takes in startling and richly orchestrated outbursts evoking Wagner’s Venusberg … when he returned to the cello concerto genre in 1935 it was with music of unusual concision, making his typically unsettling mixture of restraint and flamboyance even more effective than usual … the Hyperion team provide a characterful recording, close to the music’s generally expansive sonorities without obscuring its many distinctive details. Alban Gerhardt is an unfailingly charismatic soloist, finding a sense of purpose where others might lapse into aimlessness, and the orchestral support is first-rate’ (Gramophone)

‘Piers Lane joins the fun for Pierné’s Piano Quintet. Dating from the latter years of World War One, it encapsulates much of the spirit of the Belle Époque, but also looks forward to the rhythmic drive of the 1920s. Echoes of Franck are apparent, especially in the final movements remembrances of earlier themes and methods of cranking up the tension. Resonances of contemporaries such as Debussy, Ravel, Dukas and Stravinsky can also be heard, notably in the central ‘Zortzico’, and with the advocacy of this finely nuanced performance, Pierné’s rhythmic and timbral invention shine through’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘Pierné composed a generous amount of chamber music, and one of the jewels among them is the Piano Quintet presented here … I find it difficult to understand why this music is not performed and recorded more frequently, because it is no less attractive than Fauré’s Piano Quartets and Piano Quintets … [Vierne's] String Quartet, like Pierné’s work, has been unfairly neglected, and it would be nice if Debussy's and Ravel’s quartets occasionally invited it out for a stroll … recommended’ (International Record Review)» More