“When not in wild and wacky form, Antheil could combine the sass of Gershwin with the sharp edge of Shostakovich and Stravinsky. Stunning performances provide the perfect showcase here.” *****

“Two world premieres here, but it’s the colourful and comedic incidental music for 1929 play The Bedbug which stands out …” ****

Performance ****      Recording ****

“Kodály’s Sonata for Unaccompanied Cello is an ‘Everest’ work which, in live performance, divides the great from the good. To sustain a dynamic but flawless performance of this fiendish, 30-minute score in the studio is an even greater challenge. Daniel Müller-Schott is without doubt a master cellist; this is a big, imperious reading…”

Instrumental Choice

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

“Peter Donohoe makes a poetic case for these piano gems…”

Chamber Choice

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

“…Fretwork takes everything in its expertly burnished stride… This is an utterly civilised and civilising release.”

Performance ****      Recording ****

“Listening to Simon Phipps’s immaculately accomplished Swedish Chamber Choir is rather like sinking into a warm bath bubbling over with your favourite scented lotions. After the emollient harmonies of Stenhammar’s Three Choral Songs, you may wonder if the choir’s velvet blend could get any smoother. Answer comes with Serenity from the contemporary Norwegian Ola Gjeilo, smoother still; burnished with ecstasy as well, along with Jennifer Pike’s sweet solo violin… refreshing repertoire with refined choral bliss.”

Performance ****      Recording *****

“… Throughout, organist Joseph Beech provides a sensitive underpinning to the choir’s sharply communicative singing. Delphian’s sound is excellent, as are Andrew Burn’s booklet notes on the music. As a single-disc introduction to Leighton’s choral music – and there aren’t too many available – this is an easy recommendation.”

Performance ****      Recording *****

“… Although it [The Ballad of the Brown King] dates from 1954, this is the piece’s premiere recording. It is a very good one… The choral contributions draw palpably on the style of spirituals, without seeming derivative, and are affectionately shaped by conductor Malcolm J Merriweather. Expressive solo singing from tenor Noah Stewart and mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford further enhances the warmly communicative qualities of the performance… A clutch of songs by Bonds, all darker in tone and content, fills the brief running time of the disc out a little. They pique curiosity to hear more of this composer’s neglected music.”