‘I think it goes without saying that you can't not plump for The Tallis Scholars—they've dedicated thirty-four years to researching and crafting their performances of Josquin's work. Peter Phillips absolutely lives the music and with The Tallis Scholars you get a clarity of texture, exquisite phrasing, and a luminosity of tone that is second to none’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Stephen Hough's new work is a concept album in which themes of life and death are explored in an intellectual master class from one of Britain’s finest pianists … the centre piece of the album is Hough’s own Piano Sonata No 4 ‘Vida breve’ (Short Life). A nine-minute piece, it has a melancholic and introspective but melodic drive, starting with a sparse upper register refrain that becomes the heart of the composition. Growing in complexity, it hints at a modern jazz sensibility, the main theme gradually moving down the keyboard before returning to the higher registers in the final moments. The album closes with Bach’s and French 19th-century composer Charles Gounod’s Ave Maria. Arranged by Hough, it’s officially known as the 'Méditation sur le premier prélude de piano de J S Bach' and the musical setting of the Latin text contains one of the most memorable funeral melodies. Quietly uplifting and hugely emotional, it offers a chance for reflection and prayer as Hough explores the composition’s notion of stillness and eternity. In these angst-ridden times, a vital, important work’ (Morning Star)

‘You may think an album of piano duets isn’t very exciting fare. But you’d be wrong; this is one of the most exhilarating CDs to have come my way in months. The British pianists Paul Lewis and Steven Osborne are both exceptional talents in the prime of their careers … their playing is spectacular, and brilliantly caught by the engineers … but the real attraction here, of course, is the music, a programme of French duets containing some of the finest music ever written for duettists’ (Daily Mail)

‘There is some wonderful music here. I’ve been a fan of the Brabant Ensemble for some time and can confidently say that this is one of their most outstanding recordings’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Hough’s selections include Chopin’s piano sonata featuring the funeral march (given a particularly taut rendering) … gloomy thoughts can never win when Hough’s touch is so penetrating and sensitive; when the programme includes the colourful swirls of Busoni’s Carmen fantasy after Bizet and his imposing transformation of Bach’s solo violin chaconne; when the acoustic is warmed by resonance; and when the lively booklet cover depicts the back of Hough’s head, seemingly ready for a smart day on the beach’ (The Times)

‘The performances of this glorious music—and there is so much more that could be said about it—are in general extremely rewarding … the playing is technically of a high order and the excellent balance also adds to the pleasures of a set that will delight anyone collecting a complete cycle now nearing completion’ (Early Music Review)

‘There is something for every pianophile here’ (The Sunday Times)» More

‘Performances of Machaut which are as good as any of us might ever have expected to encounter’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘This is a very fine disc indeed. By now we’ve come to take for granted that any recording by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge will feature singing of the highest quality; that’s emphatically the case here. It must be an extraordinarily stimulating experience to be a member of this choir because not only does Stephen Layton demand and obtain the highest possible standards but also, he continually presents his young singers with the rewarding challenge of expanding their repertoire horizons, as he has done with this programme … the sessions were safely in the experienced hands of engineer David Hinitt and producer Adrian Peacock. They work regularly with this choir and this venue; it shows. The recording of all the pieces is first rate. The production also benefits from excellent booklet notes by Francis Pott. It’s very illuminating to read the insights of one distinguished composer of choral works into the music of another. I’m delighted that I’ve made the acquaintance of the music of Jaakko Mäntyjärvi through this outstanding CD’ (MusicWeb International)

„Es macht Freude, in diese ferne Welt einzutauchen, weil sie das Orlando Consort ganz nah an uns ranholt: ausdrucksvoll, präzise, voller Intensität. Man mag einwenden, dass die rein vokale Interpretation nur eine Facette der vielfältigeren historischen Realität abbildet, in der wohl auch Instrumente eine Rolle spielten. Aber farbig ist diese Aufnahme dennoch: im steten Wechsel zwischen ein-, zwei- und dreistimmigen Stücken, aber auch in den individuellen Timbres der Sänger, die sich klar voneinander abheben und mal dem einen, mal dem anderen den Vortritt lassen. Jede Interpretation ist klug durchdacht, jede offene Frage plausibel gelöst, basierend auf einer nagelneuen wissenschaftlichen Notenausgabe. So lässt uns diese kraftvolle, schnörkellose, nuancenreiche Aufnahme tief eintauchen in Machaut kunstvolle Gegenwelt, die die Nöte der Zeit vergessen lässt“ (BR Klassik, Germany)

‘Fabulous playing’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Not only does the Brabant Ensemble give us splendid performances of all the music, to convince us that these are far from sweepings from the workshop floor, Stephen Rice brings us up to date on Josquin research, including what little is still known about his ancestry and his life … without boring the reader with too much detail, the notes also address the issue of what is certainly Josquin, probably Josquin, partly Josquin, and not Josquin—as controversial as some of the attributions of paintings of the period. All the music here is free from asterisks in the authoritative edition, though some of it contains additions from later hands. At the risk of appearing to be fixated on Josquin, I’m already considering this recording as one of my six choices for Recording of the Year 2021’ (MusicWeb International)