Peter Donohoe

“…and there is no denying that Louis Lortie and Helene Mercier are among the most judicious interpreters of these French masterpieces, with every detail of the pianistic soundscape caught with great felicity by the Chandos engineers. An essential disc, not least for lovers of Debussy – even if you possess other recordings of these pieces.”

“… This new recording in splendid surround sound by James Ehnes and the BBCSO under Sir Andrew Davis is one of the most involving that the piece has ever received, and the fill-ups – the three Orchestral Pieces and Andrew Davis’ orchestration of the piano Sonata complete a desirable disc.”

“…On SACD until now there has been no version I have heard that combines both a top flight performance with the demonstration quality sound that the music deserves. I have no hesitation in stating that, at a stroke, Wilson’s masterly and sympathetic reading combined with the luxuriant Chandos 5.0 multi-channel recording makes this a clear first choice among modern recordings.”

“…Nothing on this disc better illustrates the outstanding quality of the orchestral playing [‘The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex’ (1939)] – a combination of discipline, spontaneity and technical security. Needless to say the opulent sound quality achieved by the Chandos recording team … is all one could wish for…. This is release that is certain to be relished by both aficionados of Hollywood film scores and admirers of John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London’s exceptional musicianship.”

“…there were late works which recaptured the energy and vivacity of Stravinsky’s earlier music, notably the remarkable Symphony in Three Movements, and it’s particularly engaging here in this new performance from the BBC Philharmonic under Sir Andrew Davis, couched in impeccable Chandos surround sound. Particularly important in the Stravinsky piece is the concertante piano part, and here that registers with all the ear-tingling vitality that is so necessary. The other pieces are given equally persuasive readings…”

“… this new take [Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy] from Yevgeny Sudbin and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is something special, with a full-blooded performance showcased in the best possible sound. Alexander Scriabin had a lifelong obsession with occult and mystical ideas. Initially under the influence of Chopin, Wagner and Liszt, his music later became more complex, taking on an expressive power which provoked extreme reactions from audiences – of adulation as well as repulsion. The unusually large orchestra and a wordless choir produces a kaleidoscope of contrasts, colours and sounds caught up in an ecstatic whirl.”

“… Bernard Haitink’s revelatory Brahms recordings with the LSO demonstrated why fresh new interpretations of his major works are so important, and why the composer’s music is still so relevant today…”

“… John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London here deliver an authoritative version of Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony, in impressive SACD surround sound, along with The Isle of the Dead and Rachmaninoff’s own orchestral version of the Vocalise… for those who want an SACD take on the work, this will become the gold standard.”