‘These are among Tavener’s most powerful works. They are magnificently performed … a deeply moving disc’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘The latest instalment in Martyn Brabbins’s RVW symphonic cycle for Hyperion brings as dedicated, articulate and lucid a reading of the great and glorious Fifth as one could hope for. The apt pairing is the 1906 incidental music for The Pilgrim’s Progress, worth experiencing for the ‘Angel’s song’ alone’ (Gramophone)

‘Martyn Brabbins and his musicians generally give a glowing and contemplative account of Vaughan Williams Fifth Symphony (1943), its colours well captured in producer Andrew Keener’s fine recording’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Martyn Brabbins’s Vaughan Williams symphony cycle continues to go from strength to strength with this impressively cogent, self-effacing Fifth, a reading notable for its unhurried demeanour, clarity of texture and orchestral playing of conspicuous finesse and lustre. Enhanced by sound at once glowing and transparent, the first movement grips from the off; indeed, there’s an enviable wholeness, lofty integrity and sureness of purpose that effortlessly hold the listener … a rather special release, this, and emphatically not to be missed’ (Gramophone)

‘This is by a country mile the finest Goldberg Variations I’ve heard, on any instrument, since Angela Hewitt’s (also on Hyperion: what’s their secret?!) … Kolesnikov’s playing sparkles throughout … the sensitivity of Kolesnikov’s touch meets a sharp intelligence of approach and a determined refusal to follow convention for its own sake. Also, his ornamentations are a total delight throughout: they never sound self-conscious, but instead casual and relaxed; deeply considered but sounding as though touched out with remarkable ease. Structurally, he observes all the repeats, but he sounds so natural that, unlike in one recent recording, I stopped paying attention to them after a while and lost myself in the sound. It’s beautifully presented, too, with a brief note from Kolesnikov himself, an excellent essay from Richard Wigmore, and artist biography. In short, this disc is completely marvellous: a wonderful musician giving his fresh take on a timeless masterpiece, beautifully played and captured in excellent recorded sound. If you want a modern Goldberg Variations on a piano with digital sound, then there is no reason hesitate’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘With this almost valedictory recording, The Tallis Scholars complete their monumental nine-disc project to record all of Josquin’s Mass settings … The Scholars’ sound is lean and clear: every strand of the musical web is beautifully illuminated, and the text is carved with a sculptural sharpness … a mesmerising final chapter to this unforgettable musical odyssey’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘This 57-strong choir of boys and men makes an absolutely heavenly sound. There is purity in the tone, exquisite balance across the voices, and a magical empathy with this programme of 15th and 16th century polyphonic motets which set texts relevant to the seasons of Christmas, Epiphany and Candlemas … Cole himself is a superbly gifted choral director, moulding and shaping his choir into a conglomerate whole which makes a sound which is both deeply satisfying and infinitely stimulating. If only every disc of Christmas music was this distinguished in content and performance quality’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘The compelling reason for buying this CD … is the performance of the Fifth Symphony. It’s a fine one; indeed, I think it may be the highlight to date of Martyn Brabbins’ cycle. It only remains to say that producer Andrew Keener and engineer Simon Eadon have done a fine job; the recorded sound is excellent’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘[Kolesnikov’s] playing has the joy and freshness of a new encounter, imbued with Terpsichorean grace and delight, as he revels in the jiglike rhythmic momentum of variation 7, and dashes off the fast variations 11, 21 and 24. He has shown his affinity for baroque keyboard music with an album of Louis Couperin’s Dances, but his approach here is magisterial, nearing the sublime in the Adagio of variation 25. There are countless great accounts of this music on harpsichord and piano, but this is required hearing’ (The Sunday Times)

‘A sublime and exhilarating soul-feeding experience, one to treasure and to return to’ (colinscolumn.com)» More

‘We’ve done pretty well for all kinds of recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations over the last few weeks … but my new favourite arrived this week from pianist Pavel Kolesnikov … in some ways I think it’s the antithesis of Lang Lang’s Goldbergs—a different kind of introspection, a natural rather than forced intimacy, ornamentation that’s delicately applied and feels organic, and a hushed, gentle pianism that draws you effortlessly inside the music and Bach’s imagination … natural, logical, simply expressed and beautifully revealed in all its intimate complexity; playful, as well. Exquisitely voiced by Kolesnikov, and a luminous recording to match … it’s my Record of the Week’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Brabbins draws the most beautiful playing from the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Vaughan Williams’s great ‘Romanza’ and it’s a wonderfully well-made recording as well, the sound surrounded by a spacious acoustic halo’ (BBC Record Review)