Reviews

…[a] fascinating disc, beautifully recorded and thoroughly recommended. The performance is a joy to hear and I am certain that Schubert would have approved…. another joint triumph for the Divine Art’s unique piano duo.

….a lively appreciation of Schubert at work…The version of the Trout…makes changes which without being too interventionist, suggest a composer’s imagination at work. Goldstone’s idiomatic realization of the Polonaise…a conjectural reconstruction, and a convincing one

Goldstone and Clemmow threaten to win over even the most ardent purist. The performances are crisp, the ensemble is sharp and the sound is clear and lively. A marvellous guilty pleasure

Czerny did a thoroughly professional job [on the Trout] – Poldini’s entertaining, over the top study … and Prokofiev’s piquant, glittering take on a sequence of waltzes… well worth hearing. Goldstone himself offers a skilful, sensitively harmonised realisation [of the D618a sketch] Performances are always enjoyable.

much to admire and enjoy in this collection of pieces and in the exemplary performances that they receive… Anyone with an interest in [the English choral] tradition can safely and confidently explore this rewarding CD

James Cook works within traditional tonal boundaries. Sincere and moving, unglamorous settings written within the accommodating embrace of the Cathedral tradition… sung with total professional commitment

So good are these performances that I quite forgot I was listening to totally familiar works in an unusual setting. In the case of the Dvorák, I am sure there is evidence here that the composer was, far from being the poor writer for piano of popular myth, a true master of his medium, so well does the work develop…this New World will take a great deal of beating. It is simply that good.

Goldstone and Clemmow are alive to the spirit of the music, showing admirable poise, and easy momentum and a wide range of colour in the slow movement and sensibly opting for a steadyish tempo in the Scherzo, with its hazardous plethora of rapidly repeated pitches. The transition to the finale is beautifully managed, and that movement builds to an impressive climax. This is highly rewarding duet playing. I like, too, the recording, which offers a welcome feeling of space between listener and instrument without seeming distanced or vague.

Both symphonies are given the most satisfactory performances which are full of life, verve and great sensitivity… the sound and presentation is good… You should acquire this disc even if you only play it once. It is a real joy. Recommended. One does not have to say more. The disc recommends itself.

The performance is a colossal display of pianism and musicality… they are brilliant and electrically-charged piano performances of two great symphonic works. Try them. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The program notes give fine background information about both works in this piano format. For myself, having heard both of these works in the more familiar orchestral versions very often indeed, I find this recording a breath of fresh air. It is like hearing them both for the first time. Grab a copy

Fine, immaculately balanced and paced performances

Of all the many recordings in my collection, this has for me to be one of the finest.

Raymond Clarke’s commitment to 20th century music is in no doubt. Technically and emotionally music for children can lack depth, though much of this disc proves this is not invariably so.. but they are enjoyable enough to warrant a return visit, especially in Clarke’s hands. Clarke’s notes are a real bonus. The range of styles on display ensures that the disc never outstays its welcome

… pianist Raymond Clarke makes a good case for each of [the pieces]… piano teachers will certainly want a copy of this program… The rest of us can simply enjoy the music

… a demonstration that composers of stature can write with simplicity without compromising their style… [Raymond Clarke’s] very good at setting the mood quickly for each piece… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Voces Oxonienses sing with rich tone and expressively, with good diction and excellent breath control. An interesting disc, indeed, and definitely worth hearing.

On the evidence of this disc James Cook writes sincere, accomplished and assured music. He is obviously inspired by his chosen texts… Cook ably builds on and renews the traditions of the music that has been written for the English Church in the last few centuries and that in itself is a cause for celebration. It is hard to imagine that his music could have been better served than by the expert singers who constitute Voces Oxonienses. They are directed by Michael McCarthy in flawless performances. Tuning, ensemble and diction are all excellent and the engineers have recorded them clearly. The documentation is good and includes full English texts. I had not encountered the music of James Cook before but I hope to hear more of it in the future. I hope that this enterprising release will bring his music to a wider audience and will encourage other choirs to take it up – though they’ll have to be good! Strongly recommended

The composer’s unique voice is quite discernible from one piece to the next. His harmonic schemes are varied and striking, and he adroitly explores a wide array of forms and techniques… he writes with considerable canonic and contrapuntal skill. He achieves real beauty and profundity, while displaying a sure knack for musical illumination of texts

This is a very worthwhile disc in each of the four categories that make an album desirable: choice of repertoire, performance, technical quality of recording and documentary presentation.. .admirable performances… this CD is strongly recommended