Reviews

…this new double album devoted to a wonderfully uncompromising composer is very welcome…every time Finnissy appears to be leaning towards tradition…he veers off somewhere else rewardingly.

one is amazed at how deadly courageous and straightforwardly she punches the…material into the Steinway, which is nevertheless very present, as if she deliberately wanted to set herself apart from all the plush club atmosphere…a strong plea for a still underestimated genius who has opened up completely new worlds for the “classical” piano repertoire.

Hao’s music is…exciting…gorgeously transparent performances…dazzling control…performed with conviction, beauty and imagination.

This is one of those releases where performer and label have spared no effort to do justice to a composer…Ian Pace takes us on an absorbing journey…I’ve heard enough to say unequivocally that this release should be essential listening for anyone interested in contemporary piano writing.

Gordon’s prowess comes into…focus…an encapsulation with few peers…’Manteca’ Paraphrase…exudes a panache of which Dizzy Gillespie would surely have approved…her belief in this music is its own justification and makes this recital well worth investigating.

This album kicks off in fine style…Lesser’s performance foregrounds the intrinsic musicality of speech…thought-provoking

…a fine, intelligently programmed, eloquently played debut on disc with an intriguing premise

…engrossing…Although the four pieces here are different in important ways, they all share a linear sense of energy…I found the music to be pretty in its modernistic way…engaging.

Estrellita is an excellent release…a lovely look at a musical world that is largely unknown to all too many people outside Spain or Latin America.

This release is a must for any art song aficionado…truly a top recommendation for those who want to explore some fantastic Spanish songs with performances to match.

This is an album of contemporary music that I think will have wide appeal…Many…might also find a surprising element of comfort in difficult times here, and that alone is cause for celebration. Strongly recommended.

A very moving album, well performed, recorded, and annotated. More, Buller’s music reaffirms music’s crucial role in reminding us who we are, and what is important. Recommended.

Conspirare sings Mark Buller’s music with radiant beauty, affecting dramatic involvement, and clear, precise diction. Buller’s colorful, diverse instrumental writing is beautifully served by Conspirare’s strings, guitar, and percussion complement. Fine performances of searching, communicative works. Recommended.

Cantores Lucis…is a top notch ensemble. This is music of true devotion…fine work.

Pace’s performances are magnificent: this is music he plays with absolute authority and conviction, and the results should absorb anyone coming to this music…A landmark recording.

Combine Hicks’s refined and intelligent pianism with his detailed exploration of the sources, and the result is engrossing.

Esther Rayo invites you to this experience, as unforeseen as it is captivating, and she does it with the infinite warmth and sweetness of her timbre. Peter Grünberg, with a very well articulated interpretation and sober in its exquisiteness, greatly delights listening.… Rayo and Grünberg offer dazzling performances here.

…a joy to listen to…Her playing captures and projects the ‘spur of the moment’, the ‘swing’ elements of Kapustin’s music…and all of it without missing a beat.

Ophelia Gordon’s rolling left hand and rhythmic aplomb makes Kapustin’s pieces snap into life. ‘Big Band Sounds’ feels like a collage of asides from Gershwin songs, the swingtastic ‘Paraphrase on Dizzy Gillespie’s Manteca’ had me dancing round my speakers. A delight.

Kapustin’s thrilling, toe-tapping piano jazz is performed with virtuosic daring.