‘This new recording shows a greater richness in Finley's voice plus an evolving intimacy in his approach to recording Lieder … each song's overall conception—of which Julius Drake is a key part—reflects great thought as to its core emotion’ (Gramophone)

‘This disc presents a very fine performance of both the Liederkreise. Gerald Finley … sings Schumann with perceptive musical intelligence and a keen sense of the subtlety with which the composer places the vocal line over and through his piano writing. Finley is admirably accompanied throughout by Julius Drake … this is a disc to be admired and praised for Finley's and Drake's moving truthfulness to each song in both the Liederkreise. This is astonishing music, exceptionally well performed’ (International Record Review)

‘The whole programme is a delight, as both artists catch the music's poetic ebb and flow to perfection’ (The Sunday Times)

‘This music sings and soars, flying to the instrument's highest reaches with dreamy eloquence and a sense of rightness … he plays with fierceness and soul’ (The Observer)

‘A disc that all Schumann lovers will want to own’ (BBC Radio 3 CD Review)

‘This fabulously virtuosic and psychologically complex work [Violin Sonata] forces Isserlis's musicianship up to a new level … Isserlis masters its explosive flourishes and has the vital impetus to manke an eccentric work feel whole’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Enhanced by glowingly intimate sound from Andrew Keener and Simon Eadon, Isserlis constantly draws us in with playing of gentle radiance and exquisite nuancing … [Violin Sonata] sets the seal on one of Isserlis's finest discs’ (International Record Review)

‘Could this be his best recording yet? … [Fantasiestucke] has a wonderfully considered and luxuriant aspect; the results never sound contrived. That's partly to do with Isserlis's sound, which has a very focused centre to it, but also his utterly intimate relationship with pianist Dénes Várjon. Perhaps the most ravishing item on the disc is the poignant Abendlied … in his hands it's as moving a wordless Lied as anything you could imagine … for all that Isserlis has made many wonderful recordings, not least his seminal Bach suites, I think this might just be his finest yet’ (Gramophone)

‘In Download News 15 Geoffrey Molyneux wrote that he could not 'imagine the Novelletten better played', and is highly complimentary about Danny Driver’s performances of the other pieces. I am happy to agree with all of his comments, and add that the exceptionally rich and fine piano sound in this recording makes it a real all-round treat in every regard’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Driver’s a real find, and his musicianship has the indefinable 'finish' that marks a mature artist’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘Clara Schumann, such a pianistic prodigy, was the insipration for many of her husband's works … but the Piano Concerto is the greatest of all, full of intimacy and proud bravura, and Angela Hewitt comes very close … to pulling off a definitive account of what this music is all about. Her pianism has clarity, weighting and deft articulation, complemented by Hannu Lintu's Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin's response’ (Birmingham Post)

‘The concerto is given a graceful, expressive and supple performance in which tales are told and it's blessed with a lively accompaniment from Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, sympathetically conducted by Hannu Lintu. The sound is excellent too—immediate, well balanced and vividly detailed … this is a handsome package of delicious romanticism’ (Time Out)