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

“…Gardner keeps the firm rhythmic definition and a certain elegance of phrasing in the great Unfinished, but the sonorities, not least of the three trombones and the horn edge that surfaces fitfully in the earlier works, partly dictate a greater power, easily embraced in the spacious, truthful recording. The central swathes of both movements are powerful indeed, the pianissimos even more intense, and how far we’ve come from the jaunty wind solos of No. 3 to the pathos of clarinet, oboe and flute in the slow movement’s second theme. On this evidence I can’t wait for Gardner’s Great C major.”

Performance ****      Recording ****

“… The opening melody’s graceful flow in the overture from Los esclavos felices (The Happy Slaves) immediately gets the listener smiling, and throughout the album Juanjo Mena’s BBC musicians have little trouble keeping that smile in place. Pastoral woodwind solos, often features, are especially winning. There are further delights in the fresh pealing tones of the Norwegian soprano Berit Norbakken Solset … Mena conducts with the fervour expected from an Arriaga champion … Chandos’s recording is wonderfully vivid. Buy and enjoy.”

“…Ever a supremely intelligent musician, Bavouzet brings clarity, gentleness and urgency to all, with a sense of distilled struggle in the five Gesänge der Frühe (Songs at Dawn).”

“The experience of hearing this disc lives with you for some time afterwards … this is a fine, clear, spacious recording … these two concerti are stunning …”

Recommended

“This is a lovely premiere disc recital which will give immense pleasure, not only for the playing of Elisa Netzer but also for its imagination, reaching well beyond what might have been safer choices… The recording is wonderfully clear, complementing both the music and the skill of the splendid Elisa Netzer.”

Recommended

“… I always find him [Gardiner] a wonderfully inspirational conductor and here he elicits from the orchestral players a sensitivity to the text in terms of nuance and inflection. I particularly liked his hand-picked soloists. I would single out Furio Zanasi as an excellent Ulysses, noble yet world-weary. Lucile Richardot similarly impresses, successful in bringing both warmth and drama to the part.  Krystian Adam as Ulysses' son Telemachus brings sufficient vitality to his role. The opera is superbly recorded, and the engineers have achieved an admirable balance between soloists, choir and instrumental players. This is music-making of the highest order.”

Recommended

“This marvellous recording has helped me become a Messiaen convert.”

Recommended

“… The sound reproduction in both works is highly detailed and well balanced, the audiences remaining remarkably quiet and not intruding on the performances… There are many other fine recordings of these two works, especially from complete sets of the symphonies, but the performances by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski are outstanding in both conception and execution, and I can’t say I’ve heard better accounts of either symphony from the plentiful competition. Here’s a case where live performances clearly stand with the best studio efforts.”

"... The music on this disc is too good to languish in obscurity and it’s good news that these three works have been gathered together on one disc. Even better, two of the pieces, Hexensabbat and Hebridentänze are new additions to the growing Braunfels discography. The performances are strong ones. Tatjana Blome is a fine soloist and she receives sterling support from Gregor Bühl and the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. The recorded sound is very good … Admirers of Walter Braunfels’ music should not hesitate.”

 

“…I did find that the recital was typically excellent… some songs seem better suited to powerful bass/baritone Mark Rowlinson’s singing style than others. They explore a considerable tonal range, and sometimes demand that the singer venture into territory where he is less than comfortable... The pianist, Peter Lawson, delivers a consistently satisfying performance. I was delighted to have a chance to hear this CD. It is a fascinating exploration of ‘English’ songs by several composers who write in an ‘expanded’ traditional, but never pastiche, style. This reissue will be of great interest to all those enthusiasts of song who, like me, missed this disc first time around.”

“… This series is definitely worth exploring. Splendidly played and recorded, if the repertoire suits there is no need to hesitate with this album. Reizenstein’s cello concerto is a real discovery…”

Recommended

“… These fascinating and rewarding works are brilliantly performed by the different members of Karolos, and the programme is beautifully recorded. Stephen Dodgson would have been delighted.”

“… Recorded live in concert performance at Konzerthaus Vienna the sound quality is agreeable being clear and well balanced, quite close but never drowning the singers… Bertrand de Billy directs his vocal and orchestral forces in a dramatic and suitably decadent depiction of Wilde’s passionate Florentine love triangle.”

“… I am very impressed with these new accounts that can take their place in the top echelon of recordings of this music, where one can fully appreciate Johannes Moser’s impeccable intonation, fabulous technique, and vibrant sound. He receives sterling support from the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under the direction of Thomas Søndergård, equaling the best of earlier recordings…”

Recommended

“…The singing is ideal on this recording. Mornington Singers and their director Orla Flanagan present a purity of sound, a perfect balance of parts and an enthusiastic understanding of the music and texts… I cannot fault this CD. It is already shaping up to be one of my major discoveries of the year. I am making a belated New Year’s Resolution to explore more of John Buckley’s music at every opportunity.”