‘Cristo’s polyphony is unshowy but always graceful, and the church acoustic in which this selection of antiphons plus a Mass has been recorded perfectly sets off the unadorned freshness of the voices. When the music’s decorous emotional restraint relaxes, passion shines through: poignantly in the Stabat Mater, and with exquisite pain in the Cuius animam gementem (‘Whose groaning soul’) which follows. Cupertinos—and Hyperion—are to be congratulated on bringing this radiant music to light’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘Isserlis has certainly collected a lovely set of pieces here, (almost) all from the 1880s. As you’d expect, his playing on this release is absolutely without fault … the highlight of this release is easily Luise Adolpha Le Beau’s Cello Sonata, Op 17. A quick online search shows few high-profile recordings of the piece before now, but I’ll eat my hat if this high-octane recording doesn’t push this fabulous work into the repertoire of a few more cellists. It’s intense, moody, and moving—everything you want out of a good sonata, and indeed everything you want out of a good new release, too’ (Limelight, Australia)» More

„„Es regnet nie, aber es schüttet.“ Dieses britische Sprichwort hat Steven Isserlis seinen Ausführungen im Beiheft vorangestellt. Damit möchte er andeuten, dass das Jahrzehnt um 1880 für Cellisten ein goldener Boden ist. In der Tat: die neue Aufnahme bringt sehr unterschiedliche Komponisten zusammen, die alle nochmal eine späte Form der Romantik aufblühen lassen. Isserlis und Connie Shih spielen diese Musik mit viel Wärme im Ton und Lust an der Entdeckung. Ein Album, das erfolgreich wenig bekannte Pfade erkundet“ (WDR 3)

‘It is a deep pleasure to hear this ensemble flourish. Since winning the 2019 Gramophone Early Music Award it has become increasingly obvious that the singers of Cupertinos and their musicologist-director Luís Toscano have a unique take on the golden age of Portuguese polyphony, and this is only further strengthened by this new release of Marian works by the extraordinarily under-recorded Pedro de Cristo (c1550-1618) … as if the musicological discoveries were not enough, I’m now quite bewitched by this glorious Iberian sound world’ (Gramophone)

‘The Takács Quartet still retains that uniquely distinguishable sonority, full and round, typical of central Europe. And what a quality it is! … [they] maintain an elegant restraint throughout, an option that is bang on target in this repertoire, particularly in the Op 77 and Op 103 Quartets, works of maturity composed between 1798 and 1803 … [and] given a warmly expressive performance by the Takács … Op 42 completes the programme, and the superb cantabile of the third movement is essential listening’ (Classica, France)

‘If this first volume is anything to go by, the journey will be a joy … Hewitt makes them sound effortless. Her articulation is clean, the pedalling lightly judicious, her fingers nimble and strong, the ornamentation always tasteful, while the clarity of her approach brings out the individual character of each sonata, each movement’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘Charlie Parker’s Ornithology on the treble recorder? Surely not. But yes, this is exactly how Dutch recorder supremo Lucie Horsch has opened ‘Origins’, a globetrotting programme of specially commissioned arrangements and transcriptions celebrating the recorder’s connections to folk music, its repertoire ranging from classical to popular, supported by a host of energetic guest collaborators … what’s most impressive about this album is the meticulous thought Horsch has given to each piece’s sound world—drawing on the ranges and tonal qualities of eight different recorder types but also consulting her collaborators on each genre’s finer stylistic points … conceptually enterprising, sparkily executed, spotlighting both Horsch’s formidable technical prowess and her inventive powers, ‘Origins’ is an unexpected and marvellous affair’ (Gramophone)

'La lectura de Alina Ibragimova, con instrument barroco, se coloca, sin lugar a duda, entre las mejores' (Scherzo, Spain)

‘Proceedings are launched with a scrupulously prepared and enviably cogent account of the towering Sixth, the eager application and clean-limbed poise displayed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra captured in sound of impressive range, definition and depth … the Eighth, too, is most persuasively served. Again, the BBC SO is on its toes throughout, and Brabbins’s direction is unfailingly attentive and selfless … sandwiched between the two main offerings come three unpublished folk-song settings for unison voices and orchestra, which likely date from 1912 and may well have been receiving their very first airing at these Watford Colosseum sessions. Commissioned for a BBC broadcast in November 1941, the setting of WE Henley’s nationalistic poem ‘England, my England’ is rousingly delivered by Roderick Williams and the admirable BBC Symphony Chorus to round off a strongly recommendable release’ (Gramophone)

‘No cellist alive can match the eloquent intent of Steven Isserlis’s line. Every phrase he threads through the warm embrace of Connie Shih’s pianism is articulated and ‘breathed’ with the ardour of a great vocalist, while his mercurial energy sets alight [Le Beau's] Allegro vivace’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘Le Beau’s compact and tuneful sonata has been recorded several times but never with anything like the exultant energy on display here. Isserlis pours his heart into the lilting slow movement, and he and Connie Shih seize every opportunity to ratchet up the drama—as at 2'41" in the opening Allegro molto. They bring a similar exuberance to Richard Strauss’s youthful Op 6, heard here in its rarely played original form … Isserlis isn’t the first cellist to adapt [Dvořák's] glorious miniatures for his instrument but I find his account the most persuasive yet, particularly in the melodious sobbing of the final piece. Listen, say, to the vocal quality of his tone at 2'01", at 3'25" and again at the end. The effect is absolutely heart-rending … everything about this release is a pleasure, from the refinement and intensity of the performances to the absolute perfection of the recorded sound. Don’t miss it’ (Gramophone)

‘Isserlis is on top form here, playing with lucid intelligence, variegated bow weight and expressive intensity. Shih takes on her burdens with scrupulous clarity and together they form an immaculate team. A fine recording completes the pleasures of this slightly odd-looking but ultimately attractive disc’ (MusicWeb International)