Performance ****      Recording ****

“…  Allen, who turned 74 in September, remains an irresistibly attractive, superb communicator…[He] is deftly accompanied by Stephen Higgins, who savours the music’s sweetness without over-egging the pudding…Clearly, Allen and his pianist Stephen Higgins are thoroughly enjoying themselves, Allen’s voice still sounding gloriously burnished…”

“As one might expect, he approaches this repertory straightforwardly and with his customary directness, making no attempt at crossover croon or an approximation of jazz vocalism. Inevitably, perhaps, his voice has lost some of its sheen of late…Against that, however, must be set his unforced sincerity of expression and telling way with words…It’s a fine, consistently engaging disc, witty and touching in equal measure.”

“There’s an admirable refusal to hurry, so that Szymanowski’s long, asymmetrical lines are given space to sing and breathe…Kramer is superb in this work, too, filling in the filigree textures of ‘La fontaine d’Aréthuse’ with exquisite grace…It’s another fine disc from Lee, one that consolidates her growing reputation and marks her out as an artist to watch in future.”

Performance ****      Recording ****

“Lee and Kramer offer fresh, lively performances in sympathetic partnership, responding to the pieces’ vivid contours and varied rhythmic drives without ever succumbing to the temptations of self-indulgence of excess…Lee’s playing, mercurial, precise and soaringly lyrical by turns, is always a delight to listen to, and Kramer matches her high-stepping virtuosity, dispatching the rapid-fire Ravel piano part as if it’s the easiest thing in the world.”

"Nothing seems forced or overstated, with tone and mood immaculately judged. The recording itself is beautifully balanced: listening on headphones, I really felt as if I were sitting in a room with the Goulds themselves at a private performance for an audience of one. Very fine."

Performance ****      Recording ****

"The Gould Piano Trio play both with a nice feel for the salon etiquette of the period and an unshowy sparkle" 

"The turbulent opening, the jumpy Allegretto (unusually in 5/4 time), two shorter movements and then a densely wrought finale with intricate counterpoint are all powerfully projected by the Gould Piano Trio." 

“Bookended by two chamber works, it is the shorter pieces at the centre of this programme that enchant the most. Sublimely tender performances too.” ****

“Too little attention has been paid to Reynaldo Hahn’s chamber music of late, so this beautiful CD, marking the start of what promises to be a major reappraisal, is an important addition to his discography …”

“With their tonal, romantic mood and luscious melodies, these works might have been written a century earlier. Beautifully played here by the pianist James Bailleu, with Benjamin Baker and Bartosz Woroch (violins), Tim Lowe (cello) and Adam Newman (viola), they’re a pleasurable discovery."

“This is a marvellously engineered disc, capturing Apekisheva’s beautifully nuanced tone and playing. Her most winning accounts are of Fauré’s six Impromptus, the most varied sequence, which are stronger public statements than the more intimate utterances of Scriabin; Chopin’s lie somewhere in-between, the products perhaps of improvisations to small groups or parties. A fascinating and engrossing album.” ****

“… Throughout the programme, Apekishiva is responsive to the unscripted and spontaneous nature of the genre, while maintaining seamless phrasing and flawless tonal control…Apekisheva’s Chopin offers some charming reminders of Scriabin’s early obsession…”

"The Canadian pianist Yaroslav Senyshyn is Professor of Music and Moral Philosophy at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He is an honest to goodness academic philosopher, with the scholarly publications to prove it... Senyshyn, not surprisingly, is drawn to the Romantic repertoire…As a student of moral philosophy, Senyshyn has the capacity to empathize with the inner lives of the composers he performs, giving their works a wholeness that can only come from a deep appreciation for their entire personality. He possesses a big, rich, highly individual tone, while being unafraid to create a very wide dynamic range… Senyshyn varies his tempos in accordance with the total musical substance of a passage. This is most notable in the last movement of Chopin's Second Concerto, where Senyshyn finds depth in figurations that most pianists just treat as bravura passagework. Senyshyn's playing really swings, with heart and soul that makes the listener want to dance… If there is a moral, ethical way to interpret each composer correctly, Senyshyn seems to be practising it… I only hope that this is one of the rare recordings that brings an artist to wider public awareness. Highly recommended."

Album of the Week

“… delivered with delicious brio by Tortelier and his virtuosic Icelanders. Superb Chandos engineering, as ever.”