Reviews

The performance is thrilling. His approach to the work somehow manages to combine an improvisatory freshness and a sense of the inevitability of the form. McLachlan … plays it here as if mastering its praeternatural difficulties were as natural as running your fingers through your hair. Strongly recommended

Murray McLachlan’s… terrific at sustaining cumulative momentum and keeping textures fresh and diversified during the work’s lengthy opening and closing sections. … there’s much to admire in McLachlan’s colouristic instincts and seasoned musicality

Stevenson’s masterpiece… without question a major addition to the quite superb pianism, allied to a structural command that knows no peers. The Passacaglia is an out-and-out masterpiece, which will be played long after much music of the last 50 years is justifiably forgotten

Murray McLachlan projects the work’s opening Sonata with a dark energy; … the start of a journey with real sweep and grandeur. McLachlan is stunning in the Fugue… he visits worlds of fantasy and virtuosity his two competitors do not often approach. In McLachlan’s hands, we’re always made to appreciate the Passacaglia as a meaningful, pertinent piece of contemporary music. Pianistically the final fugue section is absolutely stupendous. His performance is filled with excitement, feeling and belief, and superbly executed

Here is a committed performance… It could be argued that no pianist has grown up with this work in closer proximity than McLachlan… an exciting pianist. The work is… a living organism… an experience

movements are built often quite imaginatively and always resourcefully.. [Seivewright] is a sensitive artist and obviously enjoys this repertoire, and he communicates this enjoyment to us. ⭐️⭐️(⭐️)

The music is attractive, elegantly crafted and often melodically memorable…delightful and little known pieces

Raymond Clarke now provides what is the most satisfying single disc of Copland’s piano music… altogether this collection leads the field. The recording is outstandingly vivid and realistic, with a full sonority in the bass. A most satisfying and rewarding collection. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (outstanding)

rock-solid technique, a strong sense of purposeful movement and outstanding clarity… enthusiastically recommended

My recording of the month, without a shadow of a doubt. For anyone who has yet to experience the wonders of Copland’s music for piano, here is the place to start

Clarke…plays with intensity and conviction… the listener hangs on to almost every note – remarkable tension

Clarke plays with immense authority…a performance to which I’ve returned again and again. Clarke turns the work into musical gold…a rare gift… a major achievement

Raymond Clarke moves past the notes themselves and creates an imposing, even monumental, effect… .impressive technical mastery and structural insight.

Highly accomplished performances, one and all

All the composers on this compilation ably uphold the English plucked-string tradition…….Richards’ contribution is in the form of a clutch of lovingly crafted musical miniatures, harmonically satisfying distillates that take one deeply into the fundamental elements of music. I found the third of Richards’ Mini-Preludes particularly satisfying in its Duartian subtlety. These are tiny aphoristic […]

An enterprising collection of almost completely unknown pieces which has to be applauded for its refusal to play to the crowd and just be a collection of audience-pleasers…..the Tavener and the concluding Rawsthorne both receive committed performances, the Tavener in particular having many winning moments…..the playing and recording are clear and vibrant…

This is a richly rewarding programme, beautifully played and recorded… it’s difficult to keep one’s finger off the ‘replay’ button… [it] held this listener spellbound

Trio Gemelli consistently held my attention via their wide range of fervent expression and flawless technique. The performances also radiate a sumptuous tonal quality and show meticulous attention to phrasing, carefully shaped melodic lines, and well-shaded dynamics. The overall presentation is quite exceptional in every aspect, including the sound proferred by Divine Art: it is honest, crystal clear, and well blended.

The playing is particularly sensitive: I like the delicately handled dynamics of the Emily Segal’s piano in works like the Brahms, which can often be too intrusive. The skilful reading by the Bradburys is superb, and in fact the team work effectively to convey nuances of mood… The complexities of the [Wood] score are ably handled by the Trio, and Adrian’s cello handles difficult high notes with skill. Where a held note on the piano is picked up by the clarinet, the crossover cannot be detected, the musicianship and balance is that good.

This (Brahms) is a performance without anguish, beautifully played and recorded… The performers bring [the Beethoven] off in grand style