26 April 2021

McDowall: Sacred choral music
Studio Master: CDA68251  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘This excellent disc is another fine addition to the discography of the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. The choral pieces were recorded over a period of three years during which there were inevitable changes in personnel, yet the standard is consistent—and excellent. As ever, the freshness and discipline of this group of young singers is exemplary, showing just how thoroughly they are trained by Stephen Layton. Both in St George’s Chapel, Windsor and in the chapel of Trinity College, engineer David Hinitt and producer Adrian Peacock have recorded these performances expertly for Hyperion. Paul Conway’s notes are ideally informative’ (MusicWeb International)» More
24 April 2021
British Music Society Journal, Alistair MacDonald
McDowall: Sacred choral music
Studio Master: CDA68251  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘With this CD the discerning collector is once again in debt to Hyperion’s stimulating catalogue of contemporary choral repertoire, one enhanced by performances and recordings of the highest quality … this is an altogether admirable release and is very well worth investigating’ (British Music Society Journal)» More
24 April 2021
The Guardian, Fiona Maddocks
Paganini: 24 Caprices
Studio Master: CDA68366  2CDs for the price of 1  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘[Ibragimova's] facility, speed and precision, breathtaking throughout, never loses sight of musicality. Listening to these short works in one sitting can feel like an overlong firework display. Not here. Ibragimova infuses them with addictive variety, grace and insouciance. She obviously has 20 fingers’ (The Guardian)
21 April 2021

Vladigerov: Exotic preludes & Impressions
Studio Master: CDA68327  Temporarily out of stock  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘In the Exotic Preludes … Vlaeva lights the blue touchpaper and keeps the combustible invention flowing … the splendid Vlaeva is no newcomer … Hyperion’s artistic values are evidenced by decent measures of silence between tracks and Vlaeva benefits from extremely finely engineered sound that communicates a life-imbued tone and an open acoustic. All this is as immaculately engineered by Ben Connellan and produced by Rachel Smith’ (MusicWeb International)» More
12 April 2021

Music for the King of Scots
Studio Master: CDA68333  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘This is a unique and fascinating project and achievement … it is a credit to all concerned that the music emerges as clear, expressive and suitably moving. The singing, as ever with this group of seven male voices, is of the highest quality. The texts are provided and there are also colour illustrations of the manuscript’ (MusicWeb International)» More
11 April 2021
The Arts Fuse, USA, Jonathan Blumhofer
Ligeti: The 18 Études
Studio Master: CDA68286  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘Throughout these Études, Driver’s playing marries tonal warmth with textural precision … Driver’s sense of the music’s character is unerringly on-point, too … there’s lots of energy to be had throughout and, often enough, he draws out the dancing impetus behind Ligeti’s writing. Taken with the bracing clarity of the musical line, the disc’s excellent recorded sound, and an informative, personalized booklet note by the pianist, Driver’s is a welcome, distinctive addition to the Ligeti Étude discography’ (The Arts Fuse, USA)» More
9 April 2021

Sacred treasures of Spain
Studio Master: CDA68359  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘Today, the performance of the polyphony of the Renaissance is pretty much the domain of specialized vocal ensembles, which sing masses and motets as part of a concert in a church or even a modern concert hall. The majority of recordings also features such ensembles. However, around the globe there are choirs for which this repertoire is part of the liturgy. They sing this kind of music on a daily basis. One of such choirs is the Westminster Cathedral Choir, which has recorded frequently for Hyperion. The present disc is the second of another choir of this kind, The London Oratory Schola Cantorum … and a very fine choir it is. I enjoyed the Christmas disc, and I am just as happy with the present recording, also because I happen to have a special liking of Spanish polyphony. I hoped it would be served well by this disc, and it is. The singing is excellent, and shows a commitment which is undoubtedly the effect of the music's being the singers' daily bread. The pieces recorded here are treasures indeed, and so is this disc’ (MusicWeb International)
8 April 2021
Crescendo, Germany, Carlo Schreiber
Feinberg: Piano Sonatas Nos 1-6
Studio Master: CDA68233  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

„Tout au long de ce disque, Marc-André Hamelin est exceptionnel par son engagement et sa flexibilité au service de ces oeuvres fougueuses, tempétueuses, narratives et virtuoses“ (Crescendo, Germany)» More
8 April 2021
Morning Star, Simon Duff
Josquin: Motets & Mass movements
Studio Master: CDA68321  Temporarily out of stock  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘The 500th anniversary of [Josquin's] death is marked in fine style by this new anthology by the Oxford-based Brabant Ensemble, a 13-strong choir led by Stephen Rice … Rice and his singers capture so well Josquin’s emotional, spiritual drive. The ensemble’s sound is clean and bright throughout with sopranos, altos, tenors and basses well balanced and the Latin diction, in an uncomplicated acoustic mix, is clear. And Rice’s detailed liner notes are a useful summary of the scholarly debates surrounding the music’ (Morning Star)

8 April 2021
Opera Today, USA, David Truslove
McDowall: Sacred choral music
Studio Master: CDA68251  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘Disciplined and polished throughout, just as we’ve come to expect … Layton coaxes first-class singing from his Trinity forces, generating well-paced accounts that highlight much of this composer’s undoubted craftsmanship’ (Opera Today, USA)» More
6 April 2021

Haydn: String Quartets Op 76
Studio Master: CDA68335  2CDs for the price of 1  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘A particular triumph—of many—in this set is the rendition of Haydn’s sometimes achingly beautiful slow movements. I cannot recall performances more moving in their intensity and sensitivity. Even the most famous movement, the Kaiserlied, of Quartet No 3, becomes touchingly intense: to hear it in this performance is to encounter it as if for the first time … The London Haydn Quartet—in superior recording quality—give us so much rich treasure. These are special recordings of truly great music, and a more than worthy part of the marvellous ongoing series. Each time I have played them, I have found new insights’ (MusicWeb International)» More
5 April 2021

French duets
Studio Master: CDA68329  Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

‘If the genre of piano duet needs rescuing from the condescension of the salon, this excellent disc does just that … this collection will now become the disc I reach for when I want to hear any of these pieces’ (MusicWeb International)» More
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