‘Gerhardt, one of the finest before the public, plays both works with an intensity, bravura and scrupulous attention to the score, honouring Rostropovich’s championship of these masterpieces without copying them. He finds a lyrical core to the music of loss that marks the G major work, its opening slow movement balanced by two allegrettos, the finale dissolving into a D held low. Fascinating complements to Rostropovich’s own, highly personal accounts’ (The Sunday Times)

‘Since their inception, Cinquecento have shone a light on the Imperial Habsburg court, which hitherto had warranted barely a metaphorical footnote in music history. Thanks to this Vienna-based ensemble, we now know that the court boasted some exceptional composers … while the album’s tenor is undeniably solemn, their sonority, soft and intimate yet full, gives real pleasure. Of all their recordings devoted to ‘minor masters’, this strikes me as one of the finest’ (Gramophone)

'Je moet ervan houden … De Profundis gééft heel veel: een warm rijk geluid, durf, ziel én zaligheid … Ik ben fan' (Luister, Netherlands)» More

‘Fading is, happily, a triumph on multiple fronts … these performances are superb: precision, warmth, power and delicacy united in an utterly beguiling whole, all the while maintaining perfect definition as each vocal tonality inhabits its own sphere. This is further enhanced by a very high-quality recording from St George’s Church in Chesterton, Cambridge … its glorious acoustics are on show in spades here, with a rich, thick presence and just the right amount of reverberation for these glorious voices to soar heavenwards’ (Limelight, Australia)» More

‘Throughout this album Cinquecento are at the top of their game. Stylistically speaking, I would suggest similarities with The Hilliard Ensemble; the rich meld of lower voices creates a stable core to their performances and the subtle individuality of their voices allows for polyphonic details to be heard clearly at all times. Their countertenor, Terry Wey, is superb throughout, bringing a graceful ease to the top line. They have chosen to record in a generous acoustic which, despite warming their sound, does not obscure any of the finer details. The Mass is particularly attention-grabbing since it comprises many sections for three or four voices which are so skilfully managed that the full six-voice textures, when they occur, feel like a warm embrace. What I admire most from Cinquecento, though, is their sense of polyphonic momentum and on this album in particular they find a perfect balance of long-range phrasing with surface detail. The result is a sonically beautiful performance that holds my attention’ (Gramophone)

‘Two giants of the keyboard —sorry, make that three—Franz Liszt and Sigismond Thalberg from the 19th century, and Marc-André Hamelin from the 21st, intersect through time and music to yield us a resplendent pianistic tour de force … not only does Marc-André Hamelin merge [Hexaméron's] disparate styles seamlessly into one, but he also brings out the work's basic Italianate operatic flavor by focusing our attention on the melody at all times, even when that melody is buried under a blizzard of vociferous notes, arpeggios, and octave runs. Is there anything this pianist cannot do? A feast for the ears, from start to finish, for all piano enthusiasts. I'm surprised the piano was still in one piece afterwards. Highly recommended!’ (Classical Music Sentinel)

‘Both the solo viola’s effervescent and introspective qualities are brought vividly to the surface in a subtly graded and nuanced performance by Lawrence Power. By comparison, MacMillan’s Symphony No 4 at times resembles a supercharged concerto for orchestra, with each instrument given its moment to shine … the listener is taken on an eclectic journey that draws on everything from Renaissance polyphony to Mahler, Shostakovich and Andriessen. The transitions are smoother on this recording under Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Philharmonic’ (Gramophone)

'Een heel mooi gevoelig album. Sitkovetsky heeft een gelaagde stem, sensueel, expressief, lyrisch. De soms weemoedige en haast filmische melodieën brengt ze prachtig warm, zoals de klassieker ‘Vocalise’ en ‘Do not sing to me, fair maiden’' (Luister, Netherlands)

‘Stephen Hough’s playing is a delight. He has a superb technique and tosses off the most awkward passages with aplomb, but that is almost taken for granted nowadays, where so many pianists have fine technical skills. However, that is just the beginning; he observes Beethoven’s instructions closely, as for example in the differences between forte, sforzando and fortissimo or between staccato, semi-staccato and legato phrasing. He balances the often chunky chords with great care. Both he and Lintu offer very clean playing, often light and limpid, and Hough uses the pedal sparingly … the performances of the first three concertos are very good, but those of the last two are even better. In fact, I don’t know when I last enjoyed them so much … there are many excellent recordings of the Beethoven concertos, and listeners can usually please themselves with the choice of soloist, orchestra and conductor. However, if you choose this one you will be very happy with it. It is a winner’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘It’s the Amy Beach Quintet that truly matters, and the Ohlsson/Takács team has given us a reference recording to savor’ (Classics Today)» More

‘These performances by members of the Nash Ensemble are full of fire and vigour, with no shortage of expressive nuance when called for. The recording is up to Hyperion’s high standards and the booklet has helpful notes … if you want to leave Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn out of it, or simply want to explore some fine early romantic chamber music, this will do very well. I have been delighted to make the acquaintance of these fine compositions and can thoroughly recommend this coupling’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Cinquecento, five men from five countries, have made a happy habit of presenting choral works by little-known and even often forgotten figures. They have come up with many gems, and here they have largely done so again … there is some gorgeous singing here and the blend of the voices is immaculate and sensitive’ (MusicWeb International)» More