‘Hamelin is utterly commanding in this repertoire. Technically there are no hurdles and the clear recording allows you to catch every pin-point note in any part of this dizzying pianism, so we are left to appreciate this music in all its splendour. Hamelin's phrasing is marvellous and his control of the quieter passages is miraculous, even to the many tremolandi that Liszt injects into the proceedings. He also has perfect control of the theatre so essential in this music; the dramatic, declamatory opening of the Réminiscences de Norma is astonishing and when the grand chorus 'Dell aura tua profetica' finally rings out it is shining nobility incarnate. Bringing Liszt, Thalberg and Hamelin together is a splendid gift from Hyperion Records and I will end by paraphrasing a quote about the Liszt/Thalberg dual from a newspaper article from 1837: ‘an admirable joust … (with) three victors and no vanquished’’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘The miraculous strings-of-pearls lightness is so entrancing the recording is worth having just for that … there are wonderful moments of captivating poetic invention, such as the way the 29th Variation ends in a haze of pedal sonority, out of which the final variation emerges like a mirage … utterly wonderful’ (The Telegraph)

‘A miraculous performance … this is a cherishable account of the Goldberg Variations, individual without point-making, ever respectful of the score. Fabulous booklet notes by Richard Wigmore crown a release fit for a king’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Sophie Rennert’s voice is magnificently burnished, full and deep … the songs with viola form the centrepiece of the disc, and one could hardly hope for a finer exponent of the obbligato part than Lawrence Power … Graham Johnson, of course, needs no introduction, and everything one associates with him—the intelligence, the high musicality, the technical perfection—is here in spades’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Timeless music, beautifully sung, impeccable phrasing and intonation, and we've become used to the high quality of the recordings over the years—that luminous sense of space and depth. Well, it's taken them over 33 years to finish the project, but that's it—complete. Eighteen masses by Josquin, nine volumes ending with the three masterpieces on this final recording. A major achievement in time for Josquin's 500th anniversary next year’ (BBC Record Review)

‘All told, a mighty achievement’ (The Guardian)» More

‘At once tough and inspiring, the cellist Steven Isserlis’s tribute to John Tavener, No Longer Mourn for Me, combines various musical forces, giving a chance to hear Tavener in his many creative guises … a highlight is the mantra Mahámátar (2000), in which chant is overlaid with an improvised hymn of praise: Tavener at his most eclectic and ethereal’ (The Guardian)» More

‘I found this performance [of Preces and Responses] highly effective, beautifully played and recorded. The stories in the notes are touching; the interwoven history of the cellist, the composer and the music is well told. The performance of The death of Ivan Ilyich (from Tolstoy's story) is pungently delivered by bass Matthew Rose, and Mahámátar takes the form of a chant for cello over which a Sufi singer improvises a hymn of praise. The whole thing makes a moving tribute to John Tavener from one of his special champions’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Awesomely impressive … Hamelin plays everything, inspired or indifferent, sublime or vulgar, with the same loving care. His motto, like the virtuosos of old is—it ain’t what you play, it’s the way that you play it’ (The Telegraph)» More

‘[Kolesnikov] paces the Aria well and the following variations are full of Kolesnikov’s characteristic refinement and imaginative colour palette. I like the élan of Var 1 and the trumpets-and-drums effect in Var 4, while the Giga that is Var 7 has a limpid airiness to it. The fughetta subject of Var 10 is beautifully phrased and given real clarity, while he imbues Var 21, taken quite slowly, with an organ-like timbre, beautifully sustaining the intertwining lines … his fascination with bringing out unexpected lines and elements can be delightful’ (Gramophone)

‘Brahms was always drawn to the chiaroscuro of the mezzo-soprano voice and its instrumental equivalents, the clarinet and the viola. I suspect that Sophie Rennert’s tones, combining an amber glow with the freshness of youth and a free-soaring top, would have come somewhere near his ideal. She phrases broadly and expressively, and points and colours words with unexaggerated sensitivity. Her diction throughout is a model … a lovely singer, Sophie Rennert is a natural in lieder. Her partnership with Johnson makes a fitting culmination to what has proved a revelatory Brahms series’ (Gramophone)

‘This ends a hugely enjoyable project begun in 1986, not originally envisaged as a complete cycle of Josquin’s Masses but which spawned consistently superb releases until completion became inevitable. This final disc is described by Phillips as ‘a perfect showcase for [Josquin’s] genius’ and presents a trio of early-middle works offering some exquisite textures. Who better to navigate such extraordinary music than the masters of tranquillity and clarity themselves, The Tallis Scholars? Their exacting style delineates the distinctive sound world of each Mass while maintaining a consistent sonic beauty … a superb end to a magnificent cycle of recordings’ (Gramophone)