‘Some of Hindemith's most haunting tunes went into his viola music … this is the first volume of a projected and very welcome series devoted to the viola works of a composer who played the instrument himself and wrote prolifically for it … [Sonata No 4] gives Power a chance to show off the gorgeously smooth tone of his 400-year-old instrument … Power's acute sense of phrasing makes for an eloquent and elegiac Meditation’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Not since the days of William Primrose have I heard Hindemith's viola music played with such warmth and conviction’ (Gramophone)

«L'équilibre trouvé par l'altiste Lawrence Power … est tout simplement parfait. Paul Hindemith gagne beaucoup à être fréquenté par de tels talents» (Classica, France)

‘Paul Hindemith, himself a major viola player, left one of the most important of 20th-century legacies for his own instrument, including the four solo sonatas recorded here. They make a protean collection … Op 25 No 1, written in 1922 when Hindemith was at his most radical, includes a movement marked 'Wild. Tonal beauty is of minor importance.' Lawrence Power easily encompasses the many moods. He has a giant sound at his command – he can make the instrument sound as if it’s being played by a man striding with seven league boots—and he makes every moment gripping’ (The Irish Times)

‘Aided and abetted by Hyperion's close, lifelike recording quality, Power gives an absolutely stunning demonstration of viola playing, with no concessions to Hindemith's daunting demands’ (The Strad)

‘Power's warmly rounded tone and searching interpretations cast the most favourable possible light on this wonderful if sometimes astringent music … though such fine players as Nobuko Imai and Kim Kashkashian have made important Hindemith discs, Power's series—soon to progress into a third and final volume with the works for viola and orchestra—is the most comprehensive and satisfying’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Power's performances—characterised by his trademark tonal richness and easy, almost nonchalant technical brilliance—leave no doubt about the weighty seriousness of the music, and its significance for Hindemith’ (The Guardian)

«L'accompagnement à la fois incisif, brillant mais aussi chaleureux de David Atherton contribue grandement à faire de ce troisième volume le meilleur de la série; le tissu orchestral qui enveloppe l'alto dans le concerto permet à Lawrence Power d'épanouir son chant avec plénitude, tandis que les réponses ironiques à ses interventions séduisent dans les Musiken qui secouent l'auditeur» (Diapason, France)

‘Trauermusik is a particularly striking three-movement elegy, with David Atherton ensuring that the BBC Scottish Symphony's string textures perfectly cushion the viola's lament’ (The Guardian)

‘Power's affinity with Hindemith's music is as evident in these new recordings as in previous instalments, his tone perfectly balanced between strength and delicacy … Hyperion's beautifully natural recording is the best yet but it is the partnership with Atherton and the BBC Scottish that makes this such a rewarding listen … the new market leader, strongly recommended. Now, how about the viola d'amore works on Volume 4?’ (Gramophone)

‘Real musicality shines through … Lawrence Power lends poignancy to the slow movements and tremendous drive to the fast ones, and the BBC SSO under Atherton gives those machine rhythms real relish’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘This disk featuring Britain's star viola player throbs with lyricism and insouciant larks … sparks keep flying from Power's viola, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Atherton, is always neat and clean’ (The Times)