‘Stephen Hough’s complete set of the Piano Concertos is impeccable in taste, judgment and, of course, virtuosity’ (Daily Mail)

‘The opening Ave Maria d’Aosta is heavenly and the concluding O magnum mysterium remains in my head long afterwards. This is a disc to immerse oneself in and return to—both for the totality and for picking one’s personal plums. It is a triumph in every respect’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Kolesnikov’s playing is consistently lovely, and I would defy anyone not to enjoy it’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Brahms, who loved the mezzo-soprano voice, would surely have relished the pure, glowing tones of the young Sophie Rennert. Partnered by the ever-discerning Graham Johnson, Rennert vividly characterises Brahms’s mother-daughter dialogues, catches the heightened passions of the Zigeunerlieder and sings the viola songs with musing inwardness. A superb finale to another revelatory Hyperion song edition’ (Gramophone)

‘Stephen Hough’s profoundly poetic interpretation of Brahms’s piano works is an antidote to the self-indulgent sentimentality that has long dominated accounts of these works: a real palate-cleanser. As appropriate for a renaissance man like Hough, the release is a multi-sensory pleasure. From the cover to Hough’s booklet note to, of course, his sublime musicianship’ (Gramophone)

‘From the exciting Capriccio that opens the Op 116 set to the concluding grand Rhapsodie of Op 199, Stephen Hough is alive to the poetry, passion, sentiment and emotion that Clara Schumann described on receiving 11 of these late pieces from Brahms in 1892. The full-bodied sound of his Yamaha piano is well suited to these multi-faceted compositions that are more varied in mood than the title ‘late’ might suggest’ (Gramophone)

‘I’d never normally nominate something I was directly connected with, but the fact remains that ‘Homage to Godowsky’ (for which I planned the programme and wrote the booklet notes) gave me the most pleasure this year. These works, dedicated to the pianist-composer who sesquicentenary it was in February, are played with masterful aplomb by Andrey Gugnin’ (Gramophone)

‘This is an easy pick: a recording that’s not just an outstanding performance, but also one that explodes so many myths about 20th-century British choral music: what it is, what it should be and how we should listen to it. Everything about its operatic intensity, symphonic scope and sheer expressive abandon is thrilling’ (Gramophone)

‘Liszt and Thalberg dominate this recital of opera transcriptions, joining hands in Hexaméron, a 20-minute sequence of variations by several composers on a theme by Bellini, as compiled by Liszt. Marc-André Hamelin grabs every chance to seduce and dazzle the listener. As he does during the remainder of this stimulating, dramatic and lyrical programme, including Thalberg’s re-working of Don Pasquale motifs—piano does bel canto. Perhaps the highlight is Liszt’s Paraphrase on Ernani (Verdi), music with greasepaint, not as familiar as his Réminiscences de Norma (Bellini), which Hamelin brings off with trademark panache and style, for which he’s as focused on the music, intensely projected as well as poetic, as he is the technical requirements. There is also Thalberg’s take on Rossini’s Fantaisia en Moise, slight if charming. With excellent sound, and Francis Pott’s booklet note to open the curtain and set the theme, this is a very recommendable release’ (Pianist)

‘A feast of Renaissance repertoire is featured, ranging from the ringing carillons of Sweelinck's Hodie Christus natus est to the searching introspection of Victoria's O magnum mysterium. The 50-strong oratory choir is made up entirely of boys, and conductor Charles Cole draws singing of vernal freshness from them, with excellent ensemble and an interpretive awareness that puts many an adult choir in the shadow. This is a warmly recommended recording’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘The effect is impressively mature and well blended, the bright, sweet top-line sound balanced to and shaped by the lighter lower voices. You can hear their flexibility in the contrast between Scheidt’s Puer natus in Bethlehem and Sweelinck’s double-choir Hodie Christus natus est, the disc’s arresting opener—all fizz and crisp, forward delivery—and Mouton’s Nesciens mater, its cloudy skeins of counterpoint drifting in the air like incense, the trebles softening the edges of their sound, allowing much more breath to flow through it … the choir has obviously grown and developed since 2017, and if the Christmas collection is typical of things to come, this should be an interesting project to keep an eye on’ (Gramophone)

‘The Schola Cantorum are at home in the softer draping of Guerrero’s counterpoint, revelling in the gentle sensuality of his Ave virgo sanctissima and his lyrical O sacrum convivium’ (Gramophone)