‘Charming’ (Classic CD)

‘Splendid fun’ (The Strad)

‘There seems to be nothing The Tallis Scholars undertake that falls short of the mark … The Tallis Scholars' performance here is, like the music, born of purity and simplicity. And, also like these chants, it transcends the physical confines of notation and text to allow the listener to dwell, undistracted by harmony, instrumental accompaniment, or complex contrapunctal texture, on the liturgy's higher, more immediate purpose … the music on its own is quite beautiful and extraordinarily eloquent, almost hypnotic in its effect’ (CDReview)

‘The pianism of Hough leaves one breathless. His technique is fabulous, and tasteful phrasing wonderfully sensitive to the needs of the period … musts for fans of 19th-century virtuosity’ (In Tune, Japan)

‘Virtuosity as impish as it is magisterial … [he] wings his way through every good-humoured page with a poetic and technical zest that takes us back to the great pianists of the past; to a golden age of piano playing’ (BBC CD Review)

‘Here, surely, is the jewel in the crown of Hyperion's absorbing series … a flawless marriage of composer, performance, recording and presentation … for here is a scintillating wit and ebullience that will make lesser technicians and stylists weep with envy … as magisterial as it is ear … tickling and affectionate, his playing glows with warmth … and pulses with the most nonchalant glitter in the finale … throughout, haunting melodies are embroidered with the finest pianistic tracery and, once again, the performance is bewitching … Hough’s caressing, fine … spun tone and long … breathed phrasing are a model for singers as well as pianists’ (Gramophone)

‘A glitteringly worthy addition to the Hyperion series … Stephen Hough exhibits dazzling flair in showpiece concertos by Sauer and Scharwenka – and plenty of stamina … Hough plays throughout with exhilarating momentum and dazzling technical address. I doubt whether any CD has so many double octave passages as this, but he never wearies, and his response to both works is as many-sided as the music itself … not to be missed, on any account’ (Classic CD)

‘These are two bracing works that set the pulse racing and heart soaring without any help from saccharin … Hough’s playing combines bravura and poetry in what the critics call "pure pianism"’ (The Sunday Times)

‘Emotions run high, melody runs vibrantly and virtuoso playing takes the breath away … Hough rises fabulously to every demand with big-boned sound and grand-scale musical vision, jousting at full strength with the robust playing of the CBSO … It might seem unlikely for two obscure piano concertos to achieve such success at the Gramophone Awards, but this disc richly deserved its prize and remains one of Hyperion’s best releases to date’ (Amazon.co.uk)

‘This excellent recording allows us to listen, for the first time, to two neglected romantic concertos. It is hard to understand how two works of such bravura and of such calibre as these, that sound so immediately appealing, have remained forgotten for so long. Fortunately, the superlative quality of these versions compensates in excess for the wait … Stephen Hough performs memorably in both of these scores. A pianist of the subtlest musicality and unsurpassable technical resources – a powerful sound, clear and precise fingerings, insurmountable octave playing, enormous dynamic range – he knows how to lend eloquence and fluidity to his splendid musical discourse’ (Classica, France)

‘This Gramophone Award-winning disc thrills from start to finish … Hough’s meticulously voiced and glistening pianism really takes some believing considering the technical pressure exerted by these caruscatingly ingenious scores … anyone who has yet to catch up with this remarkable disc should do so without delay’ (International Piano)

‘Stephen Hough’s punchy, glittering account [of the Scharwenka] is electrifying, his precision and rhythmic élan, especially in the terrifying finale, is beyond praise’ (International Record Review)