‘It would be hard to imagine a more persuasive or compelling performance of Pierné's Piano Quintet than this one from the all-Australian line-up of the Goldner Quartet and Piers Lane … the Allegro has litheness, warmth and a constantly engaging sense of musical argument that prompts the question: why isn’t this much more frequently played? … Vierne's String Quartet is full of wonderfully effective writing. The inner movements are particularly impressive: a febrile Intermezzo (airily despatched here) and an austerely beautiful slow movement. With expert notes from Roger Nichols, this is a fascinating and eminently worthwhile addition to the catalogue’ (Gramophone)

‘Faultless. Perhaps more than any other recording the singer and the pianist are in equilibrium … Finley sings with the utmost naturalness but explores the doomed wanderer’s soul in a way that comes close to being shocking in its painfulness. From about halfway in the cycle, he descends into an acknowledgement of reality which is at the same time a projection of his own torture onto the external world. It’s charted with dreadful power. This, to my mind the greatest of all bleak works of art, here receives its perfect rendering’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

'The balance between colourful detail and acoustic atmosphere is every bit as good as with all of the other symphonies so far' (MusicWeb International)

‘The late Malcolm Williamson may have had his unruly side, but he was vastly and variously gifted; it is high time the best of his teeming output was revalued. Here we have all four of his numbered piano concertos—No 4 is given its first airing on CD—plus the two-piano Concerto in A minor and the Sinfonia Concertante with its piano obbligato, collected together for the first time. Piers Lane is the tireless soloist, crisply percussive or touchingly lyrical as required, and Howard Shelley conducts with efficiency and conviction’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘The First Concerto’s mournful opening before a burst into hyperactive chatter makes an attractive start, its second subject as accessible as you could wish … in the 1971 Concerto for two pianos and strings, where Piers Lane is joined by Howard Shelley, everything is whipped up into an outwardly exhilarating but impersonal blend. The ghosts of Ravel, Prokofiev and Shostakovich hover close to the surface … what is memorable is Lane’s playing. Whether dazzling or reflective, he shows a total empathy for Williamson. He is superbly partnered by Shelley and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Sound and balance are outstanding, and Hyperion’s presentation is both lavish and informative’ (Gramophone)

‘Australian-born but UK-domiciled Malcolm Williamson (1931-2003) was once the most commissioned composer of his time … he is little played now and few discs devoted to his music seem readily available either here or down under. This two-disc set from Hyperion makes handsome amends in collating all his piano concertos, composed between 1957 and 1994. The solo parts demand virtuosity and energy in equal measure, and Piers Lane sparkles inexhaustibly … compulsively listenable … an absorbing and highly entertaining experience’ (International Piano)» More

'Miles's voice bursts into the first line of the song with a vengeance … a rich and resonant tone, even throughout its easy range, excellent diction and a strong identification with the text' (Opera Now)» More

‘Hyperion’s superb recording and Stephen Hough’s burnished sound make this a most appealing disc on the subject of music of the night … Hough gives a ‘Moonlight’ Sonata in a different league … finding cheeky accents in the central Allegretto and presenting an explosive finale. The two Chopin Nocturnes, both beautifully shaded and harmonically aware, precede Hough’s own Second Piano Sonata … Hough is his own finest interpreter, playing with a fierce belief in the score. Finally, Schumann’s Carnaval … the opening gestures are gloriously exuberant, introducing one of the finest readings available’ (International Piano)» More

‘Hough's Sonata unfolds … with an immediately apparent structural logic and a harmonic vocabulary that conveys vivid emotional narrative. As one would expect from a pianist of Hough’s gifts, textures are imaginative, with plenty of excitement and variety. Interesting from the first hearing, it grows more so with repeated listening. Hough’s musical thinking has the same warmth and communicativeness as his performing persona, so that one looks forward to hearing more … the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata heard here is very good and deeply musical … the two Chopin Nocturnes, Op 27, on the other hand, are ethereal and abundantly poetic. Though he’s recorded some, I’ve not heard Hough play Schumann before. What a pleasure it is! His Carnaval has great warmth and gentleness, along with appropriate doses of high spirits and antic, even slapstick humour. Extremely original in concept, this interpretation is seasoned throughout with a unique tempo rubato that is both apt and uncannily subtle. I don’t think I’ve sat through another Carnaval that was quite this much fun. You should have a listen’ (International Record Review)» More

‘The soaring, optimistic opening of Brahms's String Quintet No 2 in G major Op 111 is one of the great moments in chamber music: upper strings, enriched with the addition of a second viola, shimmer and quiver, while the cello utters a plunging, jumping melody in G major. This mood of excitement continues, with a magnificent, lyrical violin tune, almost without let-up—a wistful, minor-key second subject notwithstanding—to the end of this long, burgeoning first movement. It's reason enough to try this inspiring Takács Quartet disc with Lawrence Power as guest viola, his big-boned sound matching the expressive energy of the Takács's own Geraldine Walther. The String Quintet No 1 in F major is less driven, more wistful and just as captivating’ (The Observer)» More

'McCreesh and his massed Anglo-Polish forces have given us a 'Seasons' that thrillingly catches both the work’s bucolic exhilaration and its invocations of the sublime. And for sheer sonic splendour it’s in a class of its own' (Gramophone)

‘Tiberghien's limpid phrasing, radiant cantabile and velvety, cushioned tone proves a continual source of pleasure, complemented ideally by Ibragimova's silvery-toned exploratory zeal, as she delights in Mozart's gentle textural interplay’ (BBC Music Magazine)