‘This latest marvel from Marc-André Hamelin explores Leopold Godowsky's relationship with the Viennese waltz … these pieces are more than just for show, and Hamelin brings out their poetic intent as much as their panache and vivid energy’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘Hamelin's playing is infinitely seductive and flawlessly judged in its mixture of panache, grace and charm’ (The Guardian)

‘How many fingers does Hamelin have? Thirty would be a conservative estimate, though the magic of his piano playing lies in his subtlety and flow, never in any shallow brilliance … the succulent recording is the cherry on the cake’ (The Times)

‘Marc-André Hamelin, it hardly needs saying, is precisely the pianist for this music … no-one since Godowsky's son-in-law, David Saperton, has played it with such discernment; and not even Saperton had Hamelin's technical command or his variety of timbre, touch and mood … bravura handled with exquisite tact. If you are looking for an example of pianistic grace under fire, you won't find anything better … all in all, a caviar release’ (International Record Review)

‘These virtuoso pieces, effortlessly executed by Hamelin, are pure pleasure’ (The Sunday Times)

‘There's no need for analogies about a surfeit of Viennese cream cakes with this excellent CD: the musical invention is so brilliant and varied, and the performance so coruscating, that one's attention is firmly held. The liner note is genuinely illuminating’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Cultured musicianship, extraordinary keyboard proficiency and unflappable tonal control … Hamelin is a seasoned and subtle orchestrator at the piano … some of Hamelin's most poetic, lyrically inspired playing on disc. All told, a stellar achievement, graced by Hyperion's close-up yet ample engineering’ (Gramophone)

‘He has surpassed himself here: I have never heard such playing before. This is, quite simply, amazing’ (International Piano)

‘This is one of the great solo piano recordings of this or any other year … unlikely ever to be surpassed. The Canadian virtuoso has one of the most astonishing keyboard techniques in history … in Hamelin's hands more than any other these studies are no mere freak show, but make a genuine bid for repertoire status. Yet who else among pianists could rise to the challenge? And who else could do so with such consummate artistry? The Hyperion team has provided fabulous recording quality, commensurate with Hamelin's fabulous playing … a sensational issue’ (International Record Review)

‘I have no hesitation in saying that this is one of the great piano recordings of recent years and, if there's any justice at all, it will garner a whole chest-full of awards … breathtaking’ (Classic CD)

‘This is probably the most breathtaking piano recording I’ve ever heard. It’s exceptional, not only for Hamelin’s pianistic perfection—staggering in itself—but also for the sensitivity and tenderness he brings to the music. This disc is a real winner … this small, green box contains the pianophile's ultimate heaven … this recording redoubles Hamelin's growing status as today's complete pianist, equal to anything that Godowsky cares to throw at him. Yet perhaps his greatest achievement is that this recording leaves the listener marvelling not only at Hamelin's incomparable pianism, but above all at the wizardry of the music itself’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Rarely can such a gargantuan task—truly a labour of Hercules—have been accomplished with such strength, grace and agility, with an ease bordering on nonchalance. It is impossible to think of another living pianist who could have carried off this enterprise with comparable success. Hamelin crowns his already awe-inspiring discography with a truly phenomenal achievement … these are performances of such power, dexterity and finesse, that it is difficult to imagine them being surpassed … few pianists, surely, can have executed and delivered these studies with such unnerving ease and panache (for example, try No 43 in C sharp minor—for left-hand alone!). A staggering feat of virtuosity’ (Gramophone)