‘My Easter listening has been buoyed no end by one of [Hyperion's] newest releases, Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles … A colourful epic at the best of times, the sprawling work from the early 1970s emerges triply awesome in this bracingly vivid recording from Thierry Fischer and the excellent Utah Symphony—ideal performers for a work directly inspired by the American state’s rugged landscapes and birdsong …every note dazzles from the soloists who really matter: the pianist Jason Hardink and the wonderful horn player Stefan Dohr’ (The Times)» More

‘This is quite an inspired pairing, even if it risks giving you the mother of all earworms after hearing one of Schubert’s catchiest themes in two versions: the return of the whimsical melody of the second movement of the early(ish) A minor Sonata in its superior, Beethovenian guise as the Rondo finale of the late A major shows how extraordinary was the creative journey Schubert had undertaken in the space of just a decade. Garrick Ohlsson approaches both sonatas with a high sense of drama. This is big-boned pianism that rarely lacks immediacy or drive’ (Gramophone)

‘Martyn Brabbins rounds off his Vaughan Williams symphony cycle for Hyperion with a most impressive account of the Ninth. His is a memorably lucid conception: textures are sifted with judicious skill (how gratifying to hear the flugelhorn registering so naturally), RVW’s bass lines (always worth paying close attention to) tread with reassuring solidity, and there’s an enviable sureness of purpose from first bar to last. Magnificently recorded by Simon Eadon and Dave Rowell in Watford Colosseum, the BBC Symphony Orchestra are at the top of their game throughout, responding with all the freshness of new discovery … there’s an exploratory zeal and infectiously questing spirit about this powerful performance that I feel confident will stand the test of time … a reading of genuine stature’ (Gramophone)

‘In these richly detailed and technically demanding scores, his orchestra sounds both glamorous and immaculate, complemented by a detailed yet well-balanced recording’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘It would be hard to deny Mäkelä his place in the top tier [Firebird]. He creates a vibrant mood in every episode, even the ones that fill in while pantomime takes place onstage in Fokine’s fairy-tale choreography. Not a note feels like filler here, because an astute musical intelligence is paying attention without letup. As in Le Sacre, there’s a lovely natural flow to the performance’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘If you like your Schubert unfussy and unsentimental, then this recording from Garrick Ohlsson might be for you … Ohlsson emphasises the kinship between the two works, with an interpretative approach that remains broadly the same. His articulation is never less than precise, his fingers always nimble, emphasising the horizontal lines of the music. His touch is robust but never overpowering, often delicate, finding carefully judged shades of piano and pianissimo’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘This could be just the recording both these symphonies need’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘The fluidity and poetry of Ohlsson’s playing are a joy. I sometimes think that what sounds like the undue protraction of the last movement [of D959] is symbolic of Schubert’s unwillingness to let go of his hold on life while still so young, and Ohlsson catches the mood of perseveration inherent in those desperate, breathless, cascading roulades and restless, left-hand repetitions. Excellent sound enhances the virtuosity of Ohlsson’s playing … a fine achievement’ (MusicWeb International)

‘The unique qualities of each work are rendered with absolute clarity and precision by the Takács Quartet; the balance between instruments seems perfect and every nuance thrillingly audible. This is a brilliantly conceived program, with performances of the highest calibre. The sound quality is of Hyperion’s usual excellent standard: spacious, resonant and impeccably clear. A faultless recording, and an early contender for the year’s best lists.’ (Limelight, Australia)

‘Marc-André Hamelin is a super-virtuoso who can untie the knottiest textures with a twist of jazz. In the finale of his Hyperion recording of the Reger concerto with Ilan Volkov and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, he throws off the sub-fusc to reveal a madcap frivolity that every other performance misses’ (The Spectator)

‘This very fine account of the Ninth wraps up a cycle that has been a distinguished contribution to the discography of Vaughan Williams’ symphonies. Martyn Brabbins has consistently displayed—as he does on this disc—great empathy for the music; he knows how to make it work. His cycle has been a very fine achievement and he’s been aided and abetted at every turn by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. They’ve played all the symphonies very well indeed and their collective skills are again on display on this disc. The recordings have been consistently well engineered and I’m inclined to think that engineer Simon Eadon has saved his very best till last; both of these recordings are highly successful, with the sound for Sinfonia antartica a singular achievement—even now, recalling the opening of ‘Landscape’ sends a tingle down my spine. The whole project has benefitted enormously, I’m sure, from the fact that Andrew Keener has produced the cycle; he’s a seasoned veteran of capturing VW’s music on disc. If you’ve been collecting Martyn Brabbins’ cycle, you probably won’t need any encouragement from me to invest in this final disc’ (MusicWeb International)

„Mahan Esfahani geht diesen leichtgewichtigen Klassiker [das Martinů Konzert] gleich zu Beginn seiner Einspielung pfiffig und gewitzt an—auch dank der gleichermaßen luftig-transparenten Gangart des von Alexander Liebreichs geleiteten Prager Radio-Sinfonieorchesters … Mahan Esfahanis manuelle Sportlichkeit entpuppt sich dabei immerhin als eine Klasse für sich“ (Rondo, Germany)» More