‘Marvellous performances, full of joy, vigour and sparkle. The recording is in the demonstration bracket and this Hyperion set includes no fewer than four encores. An easy first choice’ (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)
‘It is unalloyed pleasure to sit through all five at a sitting … the quite outstanding pianism of Stephen Hough makes this an unmissable addition to anyone remotely interested in the barnstorming, physically exhilarating concertos of the late nineteenth century’ (International Record Review)
‘There are few more exciting young fiddlers around at the moment than Frenchman Philippe Graffin. Three previous Hyperion releases of music by Ysaÿe and Chausson have already revealed Graffin’s abundant gifts, and in this generous new Saint-Saëns coupling … one can once again only marvel at playing of such thrilling temperament, consummate intelligence and stylistic flair’ (Hi-Fi News)
‘Philippe Graffin is fully equal to [the] formidable technical demands, and also strikes an essential spark illuminating the music’s character and passionate stimulus’ (The Daily Telegraph)
‘The French virtuoso Philippe Graffin is a sensitive and intelligent soloist, wonderfully attuned to Saint-Saëns’ conservative but always tasteful subtleties’ (The Scotsman)