“… Intelligent, attractive music with a very distinctive personality. That we have this anthology at all is a cause for celebration, a permit issued by Lithuania’s minister of culture granting conductor Giedre Šlekyte and pianist Gabrielus Alekna permission to fly to Vilnius last July for the recording sessions. Ondine’s sound is spectacular.”
“… Intelligent, attractive music with a very distinctive personality. That we have this anthology at all is a cause for celebration, a permit issued by Lithuania’s minister of culture granting conductor Giedre Šlekyte and pianist Gabrielus Alekna permission to fly to Vilnius last July for the recording sessions. Ondine’s sound is spectacular.”
Graham Rickson – theartsdesk.com – 24 April 2021
“… Giltburg set himself the task of learning and recording all 32 sonatas during 2020, surely one of the reasons why the performances on this release sound so fresh. Recorded sound is excellent.”
“… Giltburg set himself the task of learning and recording all 32 sonatas during 2020, surely one of the reasons why the performances on this release sound so fresh. Recorded sound is excellent.”
Graham Rickson – theartsdesk.com – 8 May 2021
“There’s much to enjoy here and admire, both in the performances and the selections on hand, which hardly dwell on the usual suspects or limit themselves too narrowly.”
“There’s much to enjoy here and admire, both in the performances and the selections on hand, which hardly dwell on the usual suspects or limit themselves too narrowly.”
Jonathan Blumhofer – theartsfuse.org – 18 April 2021
“… A strong group of soloists drawn from the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic orchestras bring erudition, vitality and interpretive understanding to all this music. I found every piece and movement splendidly played and interpreted. Naxos’s sound recording is excellent. The liner notes by Paul Hindmarsh are extensive and provide all the information required for enjoyment of this eclectic and wide-ranging music. It is a cliché, but I do hope that there are several more CDs of Edward Gregson’s music “in the can”, be they instrumental, symphonic or chamber.”
“… A strong group of soloists drawn from the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic orchestras bring erudition, vitality and interpretive understanding to all this music. I found every piece and movement splendidly played and interpreted. Naxos’s sound recording is excellent. The liner notes by Paul Hindmarsh are extensive and provide all the information required for enjoyment of this eclectic and wide-ranging music. It is a cliché, but I do hope that there are several more CDs of Edward Gregson’s music “in the can”, be they instrumental, symphonic or chamber.”
John France – MusicWeb-International.com – 14 May 2021
“Mokranjac’s melancholy and introspective piano music is subtly appealing and ideally presented on this fine disc.”
“Mokranjac’s melancholy and introspective piano music is subtly appealing and ideally presented on this fine disc.”
MusicWeb-International.com - 14 May 2021
“… The lighter serenading side of this buoyantly imaginative composer. The music is really glowingly recorded. The orchestra (which turns its collective hands to all sorts and conditions of music) may have been unfamiliar with the music but, guided by Adriano, betrays no clumsiness…”
“… The lighter serenading side of this buoyantly imaginative composer. The music is really glowingly recorded. The orchestra (which turns its collective hands to all sorts and conditions of music) may have been unfamiliar with the music but, guided by Adriano, betrays no clumsiness…”
Rob Barnett – MusicWeb-International.com – 13 May 2021
“… Recording at the House of Radio, St. Petersburg the engineering team achieve satisfying sound with Gülbadamova’s Bösendorfer piano having a particularly engaging tone. Gülbadamova herself has written the booklet essay which provides helpful information and some insights to her collection. If the album programme suits, there is no reason to hesitate as this is admirable playing, firm of conviction and displaying technical prowess. Gülbadamova consistently provides a really satisfying level of poetic expression which ideally suits this captivating Idylle-themed collection.”
“… Recording at the House of Radio, St. Petersburg the engineering team achieve satisfying sound with Gülbadamova’s Bösendorfer piano having a particularly engaging tone. Gülbadamova herself has written the booklet essay which provides helpful information and some insights to her collection. If the album programme suits, there is no reason to hesitate as this is admirable playing, firm of conviction and displaying technical prowess. Gülbadamova consistently provides a really satisfying level of poetic expression which ideally suits this captivating Idylle-themed collection.”
Michael Cookson – MusicWeb-International.com – 13 May 2021
“… The disc isn’t all Piazzolla … Sidorova has also programmed a series of other works to “reflect” on the Argentine composer, hence the disc’s title. The other works are interpolated among the Piazzollas, and that approach works pretty well because they have interesting conversations with their surroundings. They're all by contemporary composers, and if they can't escape Piazzolla’s orbit then that's kind of the point. I loved the seductive wheeze of Voitenko’s solo Revelation, and there is an exquisite melancholy to Roffi’s Nocturne. Angelis’ Piazzolla Fantasie is an affectionate homage (in which I loved the way the accordion dashes in, panting, from nowhere), and there is a beautiful strangeness to Akhunov’s Two Keys. The Bach/Marcello transcription is utterly magical however, giving the accordion a lyrical cantabile that I never knew it possessed. The disc ends with Piazzolla’s Libertango… The piece pulses with heart-thumping brilliance, and Sidorova plays it with the affection and expertise that you would expect from its place in her story. It's an exciting and brilliant way to end an exciting and brilliant disc, one that has fired my interest in Piazzolla and left me hungry for more…”
“… The disc isn’t all Piazzolla … Sidorova has also programmed a series of other works to “reflect” on the Argentine composer, hence the disc’s title. The other works are interpolated among the Piazzollas, and that approach works pretty well because they have interesting conversations with their surroundings. They're all by contemporary composers, and if they can't escape Piazzolla’s orbit then that's kind of the point. I loved the seductive wheeze of Voitenko’s solo Revelation, and there is an exquisite melancholy to Roffi’s Nocturne. Angelis’ Piazzolla Fantasie is an affectionate homage (in which I loved the way the accordion dashes in, panting, from nowhere), and there is a beautiful strangeness to Akhunov’s Two Keys. The Bach/Marcello transcription is utterly magical however, giving the accordion a lyrical cantabile that I never knew it possessed. The disc ends with Piazzolla’s Libertango… The piece pulses with heart-thumping brilliance, and Sidorova plays it with the affection and expertise that you would expect from its place in her story. It's an exciting and brilliant way to end an exciting and brilliant disc, one that has fired my interest in Piazzolla and left me hungry for more…”
Simon Thomson – MusicWeb-International.com – 12 May 2021
My Wish List
BBC Orchestral Winner
BBC Chamber Winner
The Prison wins a GRAMMY
Barry Douglas Podcast
BBC R3 Record of Week
Desert Island Disc
Welcome, Francesca!
We are sorry to hear of the passing of pianist Eric Parkin, aged 96. Eric made over
Jennifer Pike MBE
We are all moved by today’s news that soprano Erin Wall has been taken from us by cancer, aged just 44. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family & friends. ,%20by%20sim%20canetty-clarke%20photography.jpg)
Queen's Medal
Gramophone Awards
Korngold BBC triumph!
Ralph Couzens Interview
