‘Osborne’s very poetic opening of the Allegro moderato illustrates his narrative intuition. He precisely calculates the dynamics, pedalling and phrasing to suggest a magic casement opening onto a legendary domain. The sound is very natural and warm, the piano well prepared and with a welcome taming of the super-bright treble sometimes associated with a Steinway, at least in some hands. The second subject chant is as restrained in its first appearance as it is mighty and sonorous at its climactic return. The playing in the lovely Lento is initially untroubled in its serene tranquillity, unlike the middle section where the turbulence features some complex counterpoint, very clearly articulated by the pianist, as is much else, right up to the sequence of trills in the coda. The barnstorming finale is driven and devilish. Osborne keeps the rhythm tight, never sacrificing metrical precision to virtuoso pyrotechnics. Others might display greater abandon here, but Osborne’s focus on cumulative power is just as exciting, maybe even more so. The appearances of themes from earlier movements to act as structural signposts in the finale are tellingly played, so as to serve well both the compelling form of the work and its emotional narrative. A fine First Sonata then, up there with the best’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘I cannot speak too enthusiastically of Hamelin's playing. Immediately in track 1 his relish for this music is tangible in playing of terrific wit, verve and sheer uninhibited character, but there is also deep sensitivity in the more reflective numbers’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Hushed tones are among the qualities that make Kolesnikov’s recording so special—a kind of pianistic crooning effect achieved by placing the mics very close to the instrument. His range of colours and effects, as subtle as it is wide, brings him closer to the core of these pieces than any other available recording … [Hahn] could hope for no finer advocate than Kolesnikov and no subtler response to the cultural ambience of belle époque Paris’ (Gramophone)

‘The [G minor Sextet] is something considerably less light than its forces might lead one to imagine. The Piano Trio captures something of Beethoven’s C minor mood, as might be expected of a work in a key and form so closely associated with him. Again, though, you couldn’t imagine him writing it, so personal is Ries’s keyboard style. The Introduction and Russian Dance was clearly intended for the amateur market, with an approachable cello part, even if its keyboard virtuosity might have placed it beyond the means of many … it’s good to have the two sextets paired together, along with the weighty Piano Trio, all in performances of the exemplary standard customarily expected from The Nash Ensemble’ (Gramophone)

‘The more one listens, the more one notices the subtle touches: holding the first note of each verse of ‘Das Wandern’, as if breathing in the air before striding off down a favourite path; the dreaminess of ‘Pause’; the playfulness of ‘Mit dem grünen Lautenbande’; the gradual slowing at the end of ‘Der Müller und der Bach’ to accompany the gradual diminuendo. The sheer beauty of some of the slower numbers—‘Danksagung an den Bach’, for example, or ‘Der Neugierige’—is irresistible, but never seems to exist for its own sake. At the other end of the spectrum, meanwhile, there’s no lack of Schwung in the livelier songs, with a rollicking ‘Mein’, and both ‘Der Jäger’ and ‘Eifersucht und Stolz’ going at a good lick … an interpretative approach that is controlled and considered, with pianist and singer perfectly in accord, their artistry shining through in every bar. With a beautifully hushed ‘Des Baches Wiegenlied’, moreover, it proves as moving a recording of the cycle as any I’ve heard in a long time. All in all, another superb album from this artistic partnership, and beautifully recorded by Hyperion, too’ (Gramophone)

‘It is the quality of the music that has drawn conductor Stephen Rice back to this still little-known but highly important Renaissance figure … the sound that The Brabant Ensemble make … is fresh, open-throated, clear in diction and expressive all at once. This has been their style throughout the fourteen or so years they have been recording … Laudate Deum in sanctis eius is an unashamedly joyous work whose open harmonies suit the choir wonderfully. In final cadences of all these works, their perfect fifths are superbly tuned. The booklet contains all Latin texts and English translations’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Quite a discovery’ (Yorkshire Times)

‘[Eubie’s Luckey Day is] extremely virtuosic, and, given Marc-André Hamelin’s pedigree, it’s not surprising that his performance is a tour de force … Hamelin knows when to swing the rhythms and when to keep them straight … a clear picture of an essential chapter in American music’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘The long first movement [of the Grand Sextet] is concerto-like—magnificently handled by Simon Crawford-Phillips. The middle movement is a lovely set of variations … while the finale is a sparkling showpiece … for the Sextet in G minor, Benjamin Frith’s piano, Hugh Webb’s harp, Richard Hosford’s clarinet, Ursula Leveaux’s bassoon, Richard Watkins’ horn and Graham Mitchell’s double bass combine to create a rich and rewarding sound world’ (Limelight, Australia)» More

‘The Brabant Ensemble is, as always, outstanding, the precision of tone, vibrancy and ensemble flawless … an exceptional disc’ (Yorkshire Times)

‘Howard Shelley is a suave advocate for Schmitt, alive to the humour of some of the twists and turns in his music and prepared to exaggerate key moments as well. The Ulster Orchestra … seems to enjoy Schmitt's Rondeau brillant as much as Shelley does’ (BBC Record Review)

‘The C major Grand Sextet (with an equally grand Opus number, 100), for piano and strings, including a double bass, is a splendid work, energetic, lyrical, and with a hauntingly lovely slow movement. Simon Crawford-Phillips sparkles at the keyboard, and is sensitive when required, and Graham Mitchell’s bass is faithfully captured by Oscar Torres’s microphones … this Andrew Keener-produced release is also high-end in terms of annotation and presentation’ (colinscolumn.com)» More