'Valery Gergiev [makes the LSO] sound as passionate as he obviously is himself about Szymanowski’s music. There’s some wonderfully committed vital, colourful playing here, and the Barbican recording lets it all through to us' (BBC Radio 3 CD Review)

'The soloists leave little to be desired: Sally Matthews (her voice having latterly taken on an almost mezzo-like richness) and Ekaterina Gubanova combine most eloquently in their various duet passages, while Kostas Smoriginas exudes passion without undue histrionics. Gergiev directs with thoughtful attentiveness, and though the pauses between its six movements might have been minimized even further, the radiant transcendence of the fourth and final sections is never in doubt. It helps that the contribution of the London Symphony Chorus, audibly revitalized under Simon Halsey, galvanises this account to an extent seldom encountered outside of Polish readings, so ensuring the fusion of Renaissance and folk-inflected harmonies is not merely distinctive but blazes a trail right through to the present' (International Record Review)

'A hothouse performance of Symphony No 3, where the tenor Toby Spence, the London Symphony Chorus and lush-sounding LSO all combine to capture the orientalist tone' (BBC Music Magazine)

'LSO Live offers another in its stellar series of works by this essential composer … if you already have the equally impressive recording of the first two symphonies with Gergiev and the LSO (also on LSO Live) this one is an essential addition' (Audiophile Audition, USA)

'Along with the First Violin Concerto, [Symphony No 3] represents the peak of the composer’s middle period, when he was heavily influenced by Debussy and Scriabin. Gergiev and the LSO revel in the rich tapestry of sound, while Toby Spence is impressively ecstatic in his high solo lines. Pierre Boulez may have coolly revealed every strand of Szymanowski’s orchestral texture, but Gergiev seems more in touch with the composer’s exotic world’ (Limelight, Australia)

«On ne pouvait s’attendre à plus agréable surprise que ce programme présentant les dernières œvres pour piano du compositeur polonaise Karol Szymanowski» (Répertoire, France)

‘Marc-André Hamelin plays them with fantasy and rhythmic snap’ (The Irish Times)

‘Perfect territory for Marc-André Hamelin’s stylish and evocative playing’ (The Independent)

‘Marc-André Hamelin defines the character of each piece vividly, readily tuning into their dark soulfulness’ (The Evening Standard)

‘Hamlin does, I think, set a new benchmark … a very notable disc. If you don’t already know this great music, I strongly urge you to buy it’ (International Record Review)

‘Their highly original, sensual harmonies and sophisticated writing demand a refined pianist of imagination to make a persuasive case. Hamelin gets inside each miniature to do just that, and in beautifully recorded sound’ (Classic FM Magazine)

‘Such elusive music requires a pianist of rare sensitivity and dexterity and in Marc-André Hamelin Szymanowski has been granted a true champion. A marvel of stylistic inwardness and pianistic refinement, his performances capture the Mazurkas’ alternating whimsy and rigour to perfection’ (Gramophone)