'Naji Hakim's extraordinary virtuosity has never been in doubt, and the brilliance of the reed stops en chamade on the one hand and some delicious flutes on the other give him ample opportunity for contrasts. Much of the disc is devoted to chorale and Gregorian melodies with modern accompaniments, as in the main work, Die Apostel (in which Hakim is joined by his wife), where St Peter's forthright character is duly acknowledged. But Hakim's harmonies and textures are rather limited in scope. A disc to dip into, perhaps, rather than hear straight through' (Choir & Organ)

'If the intention is to deliver the joy inherent in this music, he succeeds brilliantly … I would welcome further discs devoted to Hakim's music, especially on this super organ' (Gramophone)

‘One of this extraordinary musician's finest achievements, indeed, one of the great solo piano recordings ever made’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘These are astounding pieces … with a hint of frenetic, sometimes out-and-out grotesque, madness. They bar no holds where technical extremes are concerned … these are the other individual works on this superlative disc cover anythign from grandiose Romanticism to 20th-century stride’ (The Scotsman)

‘A set of 12 Études that reveals Hamelin's immersion in the great virtuoso tradition … Hamelin the composer has the same kind of tact and imagination that Hamelin the pianist does … the virtuoso demands are daunting; but there's so much harmonic and contrapuntal interest in these works, so much sheer joie de vivre, such evident love for the instrument and its history, and such consistent wit, that even music lovers who disdain virtuoso excess are likely to be seduced … in its gentle luminosity, the [Theme and Variations] is the most touching work on the CD. Hamelin the pianist, of course, plays with his usual understated virtuosity—his unerring control of phrasing, articulation and dynamics; his ability to generate huge masses of sound without banging; his succulent legato; and, most important in the more thorny textures, his ability to give each contrapuntal line its own flavour … the engineering is first rate. A cause for celebration’ (International Record Review)

‘Hamelin's original etudes … as well as the character pieces that round out the disc, with their blend of tasteful lyricism and striking textures and harmonies, are as enjoyable as his homages. While brashly flaunting his influences (Gershwin, Poulenc, Rachmaninov) he sounds utterly individual. Of course, the composer makes all the technical difficulties sound easy to play in these vividly recorded performances’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Dear Marc-André, I begged and pleaded for Hyperion to keep this disc under wraps. But now that it's released, all of us composer / pianists have no choice but to go out of business. Isn't it enough for you simply to be the world's most proficient pianist? Do you also have to compose amazingly well for your instrument, and rewardingly so? Must you serve up some of the most witty, charming, entertaining and devastatingly effective piano music of your generation?’ (Gramophone)

‘Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt, famous for playing Bach, commands the very different, more Italianate style of Handel. The last work on the disc is Haydn's great E flat Sonata and I like Hewitt's way with its Adagio best of all’ (Daily Mail)

‘Everything emerges with an impressive combination of clarity and vitality … the programme is unique to the current catalogue, and Hewitt's favoured Fazioli instrument has been recorded with superb fidelity’ (International Record Review)

‘What intrigues me most about Angela Hewitt's playing is the tension between the expressive restrictions of her 18th-century repertoire, and the imagination she deploys so fully within its boundaries … she takes pains to make each strand of the music apparent to the listener … technical virtuosity put to the service of Haydn's brilliant wit’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘Hewitt distils the essence of the original instruments without compromising her out-and-out commitment to the modern keyboard … the large-scale Haydn E flat Sonata is superb, above all the middle movement in an astonishing and other-wordly E major. Hewitt's dynamic range is bold … and the glittering facility of the final Presto is thrilling. Altogether a splendid contribution to these composers' anniversary year’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Performances, engineering, packaging—everything here is first-class: the kind of truly perfect release one usually just dreams about!’ (American Record Guide)