‘These are world class performances allied to Hyperion’s classy engineering and production, which together will generate a much-deserved recognition for this abundantly gifted Finnish composer’ (Opera Today, USA)» More

‘This beautifully recorded disc is enriched enormously by Steven Isserlis’s very personal booklet notes—it is very important to have this kind of testimony, and makes of this release a genuinely historical document as well as a vibrant new contribution to the Tavener discography’ (Gramophone)

‘All good things must come to an end, and this ninth release in the Tallis Scholars’ series of recordings of the Masses of Josquin is it … where now for the Tallis Scholars? Wherever they are bound, I shall continue to follow their progress with great interest. Meanwhile, this final shot in their Josquin locker may well be joining my choice of Recordings of the Year’ (MusicWeb International)

‘Just when you think there are enough recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, here comes one that makes the music sound fresh off the page … when the final variation emerges from the afterglow of the one before—one of just a few moments where Kolesnikov uses the sustaining pedal for effect—it blooms through a long crescendo into something not brash but gloriously full, before receding again for the final reminiscence of the theme. Kolesnikov’s Goldbergs are softly spoken, but they are also extraordinarily eloquent’ (The Guardian)» More

‘It is hard to fault this release. Angela Hewitt unfolds the marmoreal progress of the C minor Variations with an implacable logic, yet finds a tenderly affectionate touch for the theme of the F major set and a precise sense of timing in her witty and ebullient reading of wide-ranging Eroica Variations and Fugue. Nor are the more knockabout variations on ‘God save the King’ and ‘Rule Britannia’ any less pointed—Hewitt’s ever-immaculate finger work enhanced by Hyperion’s spacious yet focused recording and by the special qualities of the Fazioli grand piano she treasured for so long’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Angela Hewitt’s CD is very hard to beat indeed … I’m not usually a big fan of entire programmes of variations, but this particular recording is a delight from start to finish’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Johann Baptist Cramer was highly rated by composer-pianist contemporaries—Beethoven among them—and this second instalment in Howard Shelley’s ongoing concertos cycle offers convincing evidence as to why. All three works have individuality and substance; and it’s hard to imagine they can ever have been much better played … the immaculate playing here is alert and personable in a way that transcends contentious issues of style’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Two golden qualities leap out at once. One is the glorious singing. Tonal purity, articulation, ensemble spirit: everything here is sheer perfection, but it’s never the perfection that chills. Phillips’ unaccompanied voices, mostly numbering nine, bring passion and warmth to every note, however complex the counterpoint’s web. The second is the forceful appeal of Josquin’s music. If Phillips wanted to end the series with a bang, he couldn’t have chosen a better work than the 'Missa Hercules Dux Ferrarie', written for Duke Ercole I of Ferrara, a classy arts patron who ultimately became Lucrezia Borgia’s father-in-law … this is a heavenly album’ (The Times)

‘I love the athletic passion of Sophie Rennert’s mezzo, rich but so responsive to these vignettes with their erotic overtones. Graham Johnson relishes the economy of Brahms’s settings and they make an excellent duo in the other songs here, including Brahms’s two gorgeous opus 91 songs with viola, played with moving eloquence by Lawrence Power … as always, the insights and notes from Graham Johnson’s booklet essay are almost worth the price of admission on their own’ (BBC Record Review)

‘The latest in the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s excellent RVW cycle, conductor Martyn Brabbins … if you need a reason to opt for this eloquent recording, with so many fine versions around, it’s this: the incidental music for Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress is performed in its original 1906 guise. With contributions from folk voice Emily Portman, mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately, baritone Marcus Farnsworth, the BBC Symphony Chorus and a quartet from the BBC Singers, it’s a rewarding novelty and part of the continuing exploration of a composer whose reputation seems unstoppable’ (The Observer)

‘I have come to appreciate Alban Gerhardt's musicality and immaculate technique in listening to his formidable recording of Britten's cello works (Hyperion CDA67941/2). In recording Shostakovich's cello concertos, he faces some strong competition, not least Rostropovich who had made these works his own, but the strength of great music is that it can be open to interpretations sometimes slightly different from what one may have come to expect. Rostropovich's shadow looms large over these concertos but 'this does not mean we have to do everything differently to him, but we should arrive at our final interpretation of a piece of music by using our own resources and inspiration, and not through note-for-note emulation.' I for one thoroughly enjoyed his take on these great masterpieces which he plays with consummate assurance and deep understanding while Saraste and his WDR orchestra support him with full-hearted commitment. There are full notes too for this natural, clear and well-balanced recording. I warmly commend this very fine release to you’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Overall, this is an absolutely superb disc—I am very familiar with most of Mr Hamelin’s excellent other recordings and here he really outdoes himself. The playing is absolutely magnificent and he is clearly on top form in repertoire that he loves. The sheer exuberance and panache of the playing and the musicality is spellbinding. Add to this the top-notch recording quality (as we expect from Hyperion) and the informative and interesting cover notes by Francis Pott, and the whole enterprise is fantastic. This is well on the way to being my favourite disc of the year. Absolutely splendid stuff and top marks to Mr Hamelin and to Hyperion for another winner’ (MusicWeb International)