‘By the time of the Second Quartet, Smetana's final madness was almost upon him; the Dante's characterise its rapid mood changes with a cold intensity. This is a splendid issue’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘These performances are superb—the Dante Quartet players really have the ability to bring music alive and sustain the listener through these examples of the quartet repertoire that may still be finding homes. Blessed with first-class sound and excellent annotation, this generous release is a winner’ (International Record Review)

‘The Florestan are particularly successful in the two 20th-century trios. The brief Adagio of the Martinů is remarkably moving. If anything, the Eben is more impressive with the players completely in command of his distinctive and often introspective idiom’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘The Florestan Trio give exemplary accounts of the two classic Czech trios … apart from the masterly Suk Trio, it is difficult to imagine them surpassed … all in all, this is a stimulating programme with recorded sound in the high traditions of the house’ (International Record Review)

‘An imaginatively planned programme … [Eben Trio] the work of a man with a keen ear and a probing spirit … this is the sort of score that the Florestans seem to relish, music full of subtle shades, many of them tucked carefully within subsidiary voices … [Smetana] is an immensely imposing piece, written in the wake of great personal loss, and the Florestans do it justice … this is an excellent programme, beautifully recorded’ (Gramophone)

'Colin Davis and the LSO turn in a vivid, exciting account of Smetana's perennially fresh, dramatic cycle of tone poems ... the best performances of this work must convey a sense of occasion, of a big event taking place … Davis and the LSO have managed to capture this elusive quality' (Classics Today)

'There can be no mistaking the conviction that he brings to the cycle ... Davis never loses sight of the outcome—the main motifs coalescing into an apotheosis both uninhibited and triumphant' (International Record Review)

'The LSO Live label goes from strength to strength ... Smetana's cycle of six tone poems reflecting the mythology and pastoral beauty of his Czech homeland is a given a vivid and richly rewarding performance that delights the ear as much as the heart … luxuriant orchestral sound and refined ensemble playing' (Classic FM Magazine)

'Colin Davis has an affinity with Czech music that is every bit as strong as his better-known sympathy with Berlioz or Mozart … a performance that welds the six portraits into a convincing whole. The LSO plays with warmth and grandeur and the recorded balance is one of the most successful in this series' (The Daily Telegraph)

‘Most of the pieces will be unfamiliar, but they are all absolutely beautiful, played with great enthusiasm’ (Classic FM Magazine)

‘Unexpected pleasures’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Plenty to enjoy here’ (Gramophone)