Reviews

White’s orchestrations are delicate at times – allowing the clarinet to come through when required – but also don’t shy away from full-bodied orchestral tuttis with a depth and resonance that complements the original composers. Scott’s beautiful clarinet sound and assured technique clearly demonstrate why he was wanted by White for the project.

Fascinating and creative music. An interesting and innovative program.

We must be grateful to Antony Gray for having designed this eclectic, original and interesting program, insofar as it paints a varied pianistic portrait of the composer covering several musical fields. His interpretation is warm, involved and attentive to the works’ textures. It sheds additional light on this prolific creator and the diversity of his inspiration.”
Sound: 8.5 Booklet: 10 Repertoire: 9 Interpretation: 9

Contains wit and even a couple of jocular moments. You don’t have to know anything about bird to enjoy it as a piece of music.

Music that is attractive, full of wit and humour, and always atmospheric… beautiful Impressionist works, imaginative and accessible music.

Several items on this CD reveal Robin Stevens to be a very individual and exploratory composer. Stevens makes the instruments sound so different and yet marries them together so well.

Alfonso Soldano’s robust sonority and rock-solid technique are tailor made for Rachmaninov.

Irresistible music, superbly played. Much of Saint-Saëns’ output is cruelly undervalued, so the musical world owes Antony Gray a debt for reminding us that a cornucopia of delights awaits the listener. Unmissable.

Soldano’s arrangements are very good. They don’t go over the top with virtuosic flair, but retain the musical integration of voice and piano. The creative aspect here is how well Soldano builds the complex sounds and voices of a full orchestra using just two hands. This great-sounding recording is well worth hearing.

This disc is a true meeting of poetry and music. Poems are read out, beautifully, by the four readers listed in the headnote; four composers add their reactions to some of those poems in the most breathtakingly beautiful settings. The concept of alternations of poetry and music works on the profoundest level. Unforgettable.

This is a wonderful recital, loaded with colour, imagination and pianistic delight. Soldano has enriched the repertoire with these idiomatic transcriptions. Adept and warmly romantic transcriptions … in the monumental richness of Soldano’s Steinway in this big, bold and adventurous playing.

Anything played by ambassador for the violin Peter Sheppard Skærved has to be worth a listen. Music that intrigues but doesn’t really transport – it impresses and fascinates. Living with this recording I have come to value its unsentimental view on nature. It doesn’t lack in moments of beauty and lyricism or even, for want of a cliché, poetic expression and there is always depth and substance in each treatment.

This is a disc to enjoy for sheer pleasure. It can be looked upon as a somewhat higher-class pops concert. A highly entertaining disc that displays fine clarinet playing and colorful arrangements of some tuneful Russian music. Warm, well-balanced recorded sound and brief but informative program notes round out the production.

Lupu is remarkable here—nay, inspired. Every single piece is of great caliber, and Lupu gives each piece its all. His advocacy is never once in doubt. This is an unmissable. Without doubt, a most important recording.

Romanian violinist Sherban Lupu possesses both the technique and the musicality to make this disc a success. It is an important addition to the discography of the famous Belgian violin virtuoso and composer.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of this release. Sherban Lupu has gotten rave reviews on these pages, and the same technical skill, interpretive sensitivity, and exploratory commitment are on display here, with knowing support from Henri Bonamy. Paul Mann gets solid playing from the Liepaja Symphony; and Divine Art’s engineering leaves no grounds for complaint. All in all, a significant release.

This is a most valuable and welcome release. Sherban Lupu’s committed and musical performances are more than sufficient to allow enjoyment and appreciation of these welcome Ysaÿe discoveries. Lupu is ably partnered by pianist Henri Bonamy and, in the concerto, by the Liepaja Symphony Orchestra and conductor Paul Mann.

This is an important release which all fans of the Franco-Belgian violin school should hear. Everything I’ve heard convinces me that Ysaÿe is a composer of stature. The concerto in particular is a startling discovery which will be of interest to violinists everywhere.

Edward Cowie’s Bird Portraits is virtually unique. Cowie strives to depict the birdsongs as they really are, and they do often stand out with remarkable clarity. Pianist Roderick Chadwick is often there to provide atmospheric colour… Peter Sheppard Skærved creates astonishingly detailed renditions of the bird calls. These come across like dazzling cadenzas and include some real eye-popping violin virtuosity.

This warrants an absolutely wholehearted recommendation without hesitation. The sound vista created by Mulvey is vast. The sheer washes of sound Mulvey creates make an enormous effect purely on sonic grounds, especially when Hilliard’s silvery soprano floats ethereally above them. 26 fabulously realised minutes of music by a composer whose music absolutely demands hearing.