‘[Hough] writes tonally (and polytonally, on occasion), with a sweetness that’s balanced by welcome bursts of sharp acidity. And while his music often displays a strong French accent, there’s something about the cinematic quality of this score that’s deliciously over the top. I’ve often lamented the fact that Korngold never wrote a piano concerto; in his own individual way, Hough has come close to filling that void for me. And of course he plays it with sharply focused clarity, rhythmic verve and seemingly unflappable elegance, while Mark Elder has the Hallé provide warm, vividly coloured support … in all three works, the richness of Hough’s ideas and their working out handsomely repays repeated listening. Now, will some enterprising director please have Hough write a film score? If this Concerto is any indication, he’s a natural’ (Gramophone)

‘It's perhaps inevitable that any discussion of Khachaturian's Piano Concerto should be obliged to mention the fact that the slow movement includes a prominent part for musical saw, and while that is certainly an entertaining feature of the music, there's much more to the concerto than that, especially in the hands of Jean-Yves Thibaudet, who negotiates the work's many fiendish passages with extremely impressive virtuosity. Alongside this is a selection of works for solo piano, including excerpts from the suite Pictures from Childhood, a transcription by the composer's nephew of the Adagio from Spartacus, and an energetic account of the 'Sabre Dance' from Gayaneh in an arrangement by Oscar Levant’ (Presto Classical)

‘Thibaudet is nothing if not a flamboyant showman (that’s a compliment) but equally his graceful reading of Khachaturian’s whimsical salon pieces Pictures of Childhood is full of charm and even a little mystique in ‘A Glimpse of the Ballet’ (the Adagio from Gayaneh) whose spare tone is strangely beautiful. But on to the Piano Concerto, which brings on Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to lend lushness and muscle to the proceedings … notes are piled on for optimum virtuosity and Thibaudet’s mastery of the work’s hectoring grandiosity is happily countered by the exotic Armenian inflections to which he brings an almost French impressionistic finesse … Thibaudet, of course, takes the sub-Rachmaninovian pyrotechnics in his stride and his swagger in the jazzy finale is infectious’ (Gramophone)

‘So much charm and lyricism in these performances, genuine musical conversations between Schumann’s characters and this intuitively sensitive pair of performers. And if I say they make light of the difficulties of Schumann’s third sonata I don’t mean there’s anything glib about the performance—far from it—just that you’d never know that the piece has had a chequered history, his last surviving major piece associated with Schumann’s mental breakdown. Strange, certainly, but played as it is here fascinating, challenging and rewarding. It’s a beautifully balanced recording as well … it’s my Record of the Week’ (BBC Record Review)

«Le génie de Schumann est à son comble dès l’Opus 105 dont l’élan sombre n’aura peut-être jamais trouvé une traduction mieux sentie que celle osée par Alina Ibragimova et Cédric Tiberghien. Cet archet qui parle, ce piano de tempête qui pourtant chante, l’alliage est magique» (Clic Musique, France)

‘A passionate, multicoloured and contrast-rich reading [of No 3], and Ibragimova’s colouring is a dream, treading an emotionally sophisticated line between dark and light … a gloriously nuanced, emotionally kaleidoscopic and at times sparklingly theatrical album … amid limited but tough competition … it will more likely than not be Ibragimova and Tiberghien’s set for which I will reach first from henceforth’ (Gramophone)

‘This [the Fantaisie & Variations on a theme by Weber] is a great discovery, and the piece should make its way into the rather slim repertory for two pianos and orchestra. Exciting, virtuosic, and always interesting, Lev and Kariv are very well supported by the Rundfunk Orchestra … this is the second exceptional disc by this ensemble to come my way [after Hyperion CDA68367]. Lev wrote the very informative booklet essay. These booklet notes are detailed and contain a wealth of great information. As with all Hyperion recordings, the production values are first-class. The recorded sound is clear and well balanced’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘Debussy’s String Quartet is a rather less volatile composition, though the Nash’s account here leans into the first movement’s pungent anticipations of Bartók-like dissonance and offers a nice foreshadowing of La mer’s billowing seascapes during the finale. In between come moments of whimsy—the second movement’s transformation of its opening theme charms the ear—and, in the Andantino, devotion. Filling out the album is David Walter’s arrangement of the Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune. His is a lovely adaptation, though climaxes sometimes make it sound like Debussy’s faun has gone on a diet. Regardless, the Nash, here expanded to 12 players, does the transcription full, lush justice’ (The Arts Fuse, USA)

‘Hamelin’s Hammerklavier is far from neutral: you’ve never heard it the way you do here—nor have you heard as much of it as you do in this performance. Simply put, Hamelin uses rhythmic resilience (listen to the snap of the dotted figures in the Scherzo), subtly varied articulation and artfully judged voicing to bring everything sharply into focus. But he does so without Schnabel’s strain (note Hamelin’s facility in the treacherous innervoice trills) and without Pollini’s severity, offering instead a freshness that few can summon in such familiar music. Combine that focus with his unfailing sense of rhetoric, and what emerges is a remarkable synthesis of eventfulness and coherence … a major release’ (International Piano)

‘Delectable … flourishes and fireworks, an imposing cadenza, Viennese waltzes, calorie-rich twists and turns, contortions suggesting Korngold or Richard Strauss: they all find a place in this 20-minute creation, performed with shiny panache by its creator and the Hallé orchestra conducted by Mark Elder. Other musical worlds visited include Copland-style Americana and a little cool jazz, whipped into the mix by a composer-pianist with a magpie mind and a mischievous grin’ (The Times)

‘In complete contrast with his pellucid Ravel and the Parisian chic of his Poulenc, Thibaudet thunders up and down the keyboard with fine authority, embroidering the melodies with fantastic arabesques to showcase the facility of finger work and the cadenzas as sonorous climaxes with impressive energy. The LA Philharmonic, also somewhat out of its normal comfort zone, one imagines, responds brilliantly’ (Limelight, Australia)

‘It’s a heady mix, triumphantly executed. We’re presented with a rich set of evocations, which seem to flash by (the whole piece is just over twenty minutes in length). The cleverness and invention in the writing is evident but unshowy and crucially Hough somehow manages his Proustian tugs on our real or imagined memories without serving up layers of pastiche … ee has fine collaborators in Mark Elder and the Hallé, the dialogue between orchestra and piano in the middle section variations in particular being a real delight. With a fair wind, I think this could become the popular work it deserves to be. There are performances coming up in the UK, the USA and Australia in the next few months, so it seems well set … I’ve listened to little else all week’ (MusicWeb International)