‘Cole and his polished ensemble—and Hyperion—spring many surprises. You would have to hunt to find Ribera, Esquivel, and Vivanco (sensationally sung) all on one disc. Melchor Robledo’s interspersed plainsong—was there ever a more tender Ad te clamamus?—are just perfect. The rest of the disc—exemplary Victoria included—is of the same quality’ (Church Times)

‘A remarkable new voice, fresh, clear and warm, with a rare response to the text and incredible intonation. Oh, and there’s Graham Johnson’ (BBC Record Review)

‘A disc that grabs you by the ears and rivets you to your chair and has you breathless with exhilaration. There’s a rawness to Ibragimova’s sound that cuts to the heart of the music, and the orchestral playing is equally dramatic … it does exactly what Shostakovich at his most devastating should do to you’ (BBC Record Review)

‘This disc is a valuable addition to any collection of Christmas music. I have greatly enjoyed this disc, and I am sure you will enjoy it too’ (MusicWeb International)

‘An overwhelming, emotionally accessible triumph [Mahámátar] … premiered just a few days after Tavener’s death, [No longer mourn for me] is a sublime work of tenderness and beauty and it concludes what will surely become a classic album by Isserlis and his gifted team, an essential part of this extraordinary canon of spiritual work’ (Morning Star)

‘Beautifully sung … strongly recommended’ (Classic FM)

«Kolesnikov nous livre « ses » Goldberg, sans déformer « les » Goldberg. Et cet apport est aussi majeur que fascinant» (Le Devoir)» More

‘Steven Isserlis ends his booklet notes with a ‘hope that this recording as a whole will serve not just as a fitting memorial to John, but also as a catharsis for all of us whose lives were touched by this extraordinary man.’ Well, I would say ‘job done’ to all concerned, especially to the performers for creating such an extraordinary and moving account of every work here, but also to the recording engineers for capturing everything with clarity and empathy to make this a very impressive and memorable release indeed’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Sophie Rennert doesn’t sound the slightest frail but she sings the song [Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer] so beautifully and sensitively that I feel transported back to the days of Erna Berger … she has a well-schooled high mezzo-soprano, beautiful and capable of both rhythmical lilt and dramatic exuberance … her interpretations are well up to the general standard of this series and collectors should with confidence invest in this final issue. This project is a worthy companion to Hyperion’s mammoth series with Schubert’s complete songs, also masterminded by Graham Johnson. Did I write that his accompaniments are just as masterly as they have ever been? They certainly are! Congratulations to Graham and Hyperion for bringing yet another song project to a successful close’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Hewitt invests this work [WoO80] … with the spirit of the Baroque and the austere elegance of the chaconne and the sarabande. The soft ending seems to come as a gentle reproof to anyone who thought he couldn’t do much with the original theme. Here, Hewitt combines both technical bravura with thematic and tempo cohesion. In the almost equally obscure Op 34 Six Variations on an Original Theme in F, which, Hewitt insightfully notes, is 'made' by the penultimate C Minor variation which, in her hands become a dark harbinger of the Funeral March of the Eroica Symphony. The theme in the succeeding 15 variations and a fugue, Op 35, the so-called Eroica Variations, is the best-known piece here and in Beethoven’s jaunty and most famous 'earworm' she is at her most exuberant, soaking up the generally (except the sombre minor key 14th) 'carnival' mood … Angela Hewitt at her best’ (Limelight, Australia)

‘Cellist Steven Isserlis frames this personal, moving tribute to his friend Sir John Tavener with his own eight-cello arrangements of two choral works, the title piece and Preces and Responses, Tavener’s final opus. In between there’s the mantra-like Mahámátar—a mesmerising contribution from Sufi singer Abi Sampa—and two dramatic late works, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Popule meus. Isserlis’s burnished playing, ably supported by a shrunken Philharmonia Orchestra under conductor Omer Meir Wellber, weaves its usual irresistible spell’ (The Sunday Times)

‘John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress preoccupied Vaughan Williams for longer than Wagner worked on The Ring. Its themes, which permeate this Second World War-era symphony, are first found in his stage music of 1906, yet his opera based on the allegory was only finally performed in 1951. The symphony is spaciously, nobly conceived and Kitty Whately makes a touching Angel’ (The Sunday Times)