‘Oh. My. Word. This is, I think, an important recording, not merely because it captures some of the most astonishing piano-playing you will ever hear but because it places Marc-André Hamelin front and centre as one of the foremost pianist-composers of the day, taking up the long-neglected baton once held by the likes of Rachmaninov, Earl Wild, Busoni and Godowsky … how fortunate we are that Hamelin signed with a record label that not only allows him to record whatever he wants but positively encourages him to do so. (Think what we missed of Rachmaninov because of RCA.) Here is piano-playing of such an exalted standard I seriously wonder if anything comparable exists on record. I wait impatiently for a Hamelin piano concerto’ (Gramophone)

„Mit Aufführungen und einer neuen Aufnahme von Maurice Duruflés Requiem hat sich Stephen Layton nach 17 Jahren als Dirigent des Trinity College Cambridge verabschiedet. Es wurde ein mehr als bemerkenswerter Abschied, denn diese Duruflé-Interpretation ist schwerlich zu toppen … Die enorme spirituelle Tiefe des Notentextes erreichen Dirigent und Chor durch klare, zarte Gesangslinien, durch die natürliche Symbiose von Gregorianik und raffinierten Harmonien, den homogenen Chorgesang, der sanft im Raum schwebt“ (Pizzicato, Luxembourg)

‘This is a splendid album. As was the case in the previous collaboration between David Briggs and the Trinity College choir, Briggs is confirmed as an exciting composer for voices and for voices and organ. And his music is exciting not just when all the stops are pulled out (apologies for the pun!) but also in the quiet, reflective pieces. Here. he also treats us to several examples of his skill and flair as a virtuoso improvisor on the organ (I shan’t forget in a hurry the way in which he improvises on Surrexit Dominus). His music clearly sets considerable challenges to the singers but the Choir of Trinity College is equal to every demand and, energised by Stephen Layton, produces superb performances. Nor are the College’s Organ Scholars, Harrison Cole and Jonathan Lee, overawed by the presence of one of the world’s leading organists; both of them play marvellously, seizing opportunities to display virtuosity but, at other times, playing with great sensitivity. Recording in the spacious acoustic of the Church of Saint-Eustache must have presented significant challenges to engineer David Hinitt but he has been thrillingly successful. The sound of the organ has terrific presence and impact and the choir comes across clearly even when the mighty organ is at full tilt. As I’ve commented earlier, the acoustic has been used expertly to impart an aura yet never at the expense of clarity. Joseph Fort’s booklet essay is ideal; he’s an expert guide to the music. This is a memorable disc’ (MusicWeb International)

„Gerade ist eine neue CD erschienen, auf der sich Marc-André Hamelin mit eigenen Stücken vorstellt. Er ist ein genuiner „composer-pianist“, also ein Künstler, der Interpret und Schöpfer in Personalunion ist. Hamelins eigene Klavierwerke sind natürlich hochvirtuos, dazu aber auch extrem originell und humorvoll. Dieser Mann sprüht vor Geist und Witz, und ein wunderbares Beispiel für seine Kunst sind seine „Variationen über ein Thema von Paganini“ … Kaum zu glauben, dass hier nur 10 Fingen eines einzigen Pianisten gespielt haben—eigentlich klingt das nach mindestens 4 Händen“ (Radio Bremen, Germany)

‘Appealingly transgressive … an ensnaring collection of Hamelin’s piano pieces’ (The Sunday Times)» More

‘We might be back in St Mark’s Basilica in the late 16th century, so haunting and crystalline are these recordings by the London Oratory choir of works from the golden age of the Renaissance. Immersion in sacred pieces by Gabrieli uncle and nephew, Monteverdi, Merulo and others proves a spine-tingling experience’ (The Sunday Times)

‘Witty, imaginative, not averse to challenging the technical facility of anyone brave enough to take [Hamelin’s] place on the piano stool. Superb piano playing, as you’d have every right to expect, and those Paganini variations are the highlight for me from this new album of Hamelin’s own music, with all kinds of witty allusions built into them, from Beethoven to Rachmaninov and beyond. There’s originality and fresh thinking at every turn, from Hamelin’s ‘feelings about chocolate’ to the gently wistful version of David Raksin’s song Laura to an extra-devilish Diabelli variation for Beethoven’s set. Fabulous playing and recording’ (BBC Record Review)

„Eine faszinierende und im besten Sinne unterhaltsame Sammlung, die Sinne und Intellekt gleichermaßen anspricht!“ (Musik An Sich, Germany)

‘Despite the phenomenally difficult demands that Hamelin creates for himself, I never get the feeling that any of it is superficial virtuosity for its own sake. It's abundantly evident that there is an intelligent mind at work with a vast knowledge of the repertoire, alongside a wicked sense of humour’ (Presto Classical)

‘More and more, I consider Marc-André Hamelin to be the Franz Liszt of the 21st century. A combination of a pianist endowed with superhuman virtuosity and a brilliantly innovative composer all rolled into one. Where does he find the time?’ (Classical Music Sentinel)» More

‘The Three Kings brought gifts, and the vocal ensemble arrive laden in turn with armfuls of curious and unexpected offerings, all performed with meticulous care and musicality. Musical gold is in particularly generous supply. It glows from Pierre de Manchicourt’s Illuminare, Jerusalem, text flickering in brilliant strands of imitative polyphony, intricately woven together here: vertical clarity never sacrificed to horizontal direction. It radiates from the swelling ebb and flow of Lassus’s Tribus miraculis and Josh Cooter’s solo Omnes de Saba (the quality of the plainchant singing throughout is exemplary), as well as from Park’s own O send out thy light, close-set chords engulfing the ear in thick warmth—a contrast to the more diffuse softness of Joanna Marsh’s In winter’s house … while some ensembles blend through mutual imitation and similarity, The Gesualdo Six manage to preserve the colours of the individual voices while finding common ground. It’s this breadth—of colour, tone, gesture—that gives these performances their appeal’ (Gramophone)

‘Many ensembles record discs of Christmas music but Owain Park and his colleagues have done something slightly different: they have put together a musical sequence which focuses on the season of the Epiphany … throughout the programme, the singing of The Gesualdo Six (augmented in five items by guest countertenor Will Prior) is immaculate. I enjoyed the purity and intelligence of their performances very much indeed. They have been recorded expertly by engineer David Hinitt and producer Adrian Peacock. The recording balances the group in an ideal fashion and places them beautifully in the acoustic of Trinity College Chapel, which is an ideal venue. Owain Park’s notes are succinct and informative. This is a notable musical celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany’ (MusicWeb International)