"Enjoyable, well-played survey of Bliss's pungent, beautifully orchestrated film scores."

Performance ****      Sound *****

"... This selection is a wonderful introduction to the Sir Arthur Bliss's work and as an example of stirring British music it is difficult to envisage anything better..." ****½

Performance *****      Recording *****

"... another indispensable release from Gamba and Chandos."

"... This is a wonderful collection of film music from one of Britain's best-loved composers and contains scores not readily available elsewhere. The suites are beautifully arranged and performed, making this a must-have collection. Highly recommended." ****

“…A characteristic of Mena’s musical approach is a strongly lyrical, poetic style. He has a gift for bringing out the gentler aspects of any piece he conducts. That is very much the case here, in a profoundly beautiful, even devout, performance of this classic of Spanish music. This beauty of sound is matched in a characteristically warm Chandos recording, admirably suited to a performance such as this. Throughout one is conscious of the love thrown over the whole work, as well as the meticulous preparation of all involved. A great deal of thought has gone into the recording, with all-Spanish forces, apart from the ever-admirable BBC Philharmonic. The RTVE Symphony Chorus obviously flew to Manchester for the occasion. This opera, despite its brevity, depends very much on the quality of the chorus, and the authenticity pays dividends…”

“…Throughout the disc the CBSO’s playing is sensationally fine – responsive, virtuosic and tonally beautiful. Particular plaudits should go to the superlative woodwind section, but the ‘Unfinished’ in particular makes you aware of the strengths also of the cellos and the horns. These days, post-refurbishment, Birmingham Town Hall has a good acoustic, at least for ensembles of moderate size; and it is well captured here in a recording of exceptional clarity and wide dynamic range… “

“… Tortelier doesn’t disappoint in this recording and generally moves through the bars at a sprightly pace. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra respond with warmth and vitality; the clearly defined wind sections and rich bass nicely enhancing the depth of Gounod’s score…”

“ … Sasha Cooke and Roderick Williams as Mary and Joseph respectively, sing with parental warmth and authority that also serves to channel any devotional tendency towards the infant saviour the work might inspire in its audience, but certainly any such piety is not cloying or sentimental. The slightly pinched, nasal quality of Andrew Staples's Narrator, and the robust singing of Shane Lowrencev as Polydorus, ground the work within a dimension of greater dramatic immediacy in any case. In a work with several purely orchestral interludes, however, it is the music itself, so much as any particular incident in the narrative, which stands out, with both orchestra and chorus caressing their phrases thoughtfully and subtly, as sparing use of vibrato is made, and strings and woodwinds are beautifully integrated. The famous ‘Shepherds’ Farewell’ is sung with hushed reverence, and the concluding chorus melts away tantalisingly into an atmosphere of mystical wonder… The sound quality is excellent.” *****

“The Kantorows, father and son, are not primarily interested in the virtuoso side of the Saint-Saëns concertos but rather in the poetry of the three compositions. Of course, Alexandre Kantorow’s playing does not lack virtuosity, and his father also inspires the Tapiola Sinfonietta to an energetic music-making ... The BIS recording deserves particular interest because of the quiet passages, not only in the slow movements. There, the music becomes very sensual, sometimes even mysterious. The whole program can ultimately be described as a homage to the ‘douceur’.” *****

“Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas (including the transcription of the Horn Sonata) show Leonard Elschenbroich and Alexei Grynyuk as a tightly acting duo, whose performances are colourful and technically excellent.” ****

“This is a fascinating account of Rachmaninovs 24 Preludes, very coherent, rich, colourful and pulsating.” *****

“Light and playful and lots of sensuality: the 18 minute long first movement from Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is beautifully played in this new recording with the Israeli violinist Guy Braunstein and the Ukrainian conductor Kirill Karabits. The Canzonetta sounds imaginative and poetic, melancholic, but not at all greasy. Karabits provides particularly invigorating colours. In the final movement Braunstein’s playing is ravishing, always light and agile, but also with very personal phrasing and accents. The five smaller pieces, three of which were arranged by Braunstein for solo violin and orchestra, are delightful.” *****

“American tenor Michael Fabiano sings a challenging program with mostly dramatic arias, which suit his tenore spinto very well… the intense singing is impressive…” ****

“Divine Arts concludes its series dedicated to the Russian composer Vyacheslav Artyomov with two recent studio recordings of his symphony In Spe and his Latin Hyms. In Spe, a symphony for violin, cello and orchestra, is a rather extroverted, dramatic and for the composer extremely good-humoured work. Very rhythmic, very rich in contrast and brightly coloured, it is, as the booklet says, to be regarded as consolation in a world full of suffering. The four-part cycle Latin Hymns for soprano, choir and strings has a clearly religious connection. The composer uses the solo voice in a very original way, setting it against the commenting choir. With colouristic accents, a fascinating play of shadows and light and sometimes ethereal sounds, it is a work of great emotional spirituality, as well performed as In Spe.” ****