Reviews

beautifully performed anthology…There are many lovely moments in this always interesting, chameleon-like collection. What comes across is the exceptional quality and musicality of Williamson’s diverse material.

Bowyer has no technical difficulties…the unknown, the surprising, the unfamiliar. Cook offers plenty of this, and Bowyer’s creative skills can be expressed unbroken.

An excellent introduction to Dufourt’s piano works.

Individually, each selection on the Tranquillity album is a moonstone of clairvoyance and spirituality in Phillips’ interpretations. As a whole, the set transports the listener beyond consciousness.

…the sheer virtuosity of these three sonatas is palpable. There is beauty here, as well as passion, energy and ferocity.

…the project impresses…the album reflects his playfulness…teeming with joy, abandon, and abrupt twists and turns

…highly controlled playing and ideal control of dynamics.

This is vast, swirling music for a dense and dowdy landscape – the music of quiet resistance and brutal victory. Somehow there is both defiance and acceptance. It is…deeply inspiring. Do yourself a favour and spend an hour immersed in this stunning performance by the Sonoro Quartet and the wonderful soprano, Dr. Sylvia O’Brien.  

…there’s substance in spades…Chadwick’s account of these physically and musically demanding works is masterful…this is an album that will yield up more of its secrets on repeated listening, yet also holds enough immediate appeal to draw in the first-time listener.

…Full of Grace stands as a landmark work. This new album…James Woodhall…offers a selection of choral pieces of great expressive maturity and profound spirituality…James Woodhall confirms his place as one of the most promising voices on the current choral scene.

“it’s good… [these] are seeing the light of day. … Brittenesque exuberance in the faster music, and the sound of birdsong and long melodic lines redolent of Messiaen in the slow… [in] Pas de deux… clarinettist Neyire Ashworth plays a beautifully long-breathed line over Antony Gray’s rippling piano accompaniment…” 4 Stars

I was left rather captivated by this collection of works…There’s a sense of introspection throughout, some sadness, but all of it with a reassuring vein of glimmering light.

an intriguing collection from Nathan Sherman exploring the versatility of the viola, its sound refracted through and around electronic effects. The music is certainly intriguing… offering something
truly original.

Nevertheless, at its best The Devil’s Dream contains music that places Doherty at the forefront of the most exciting new developments in composition that explore traditional music. The quality of the performances from the Sonoro Quartet, uilleann piper Mark Redmond, soprano Sylvia O’Brien and others is first class and many listeners will surely be impressed…

The recording…is superb. A remarkable disc of high beauty and profound emotional depth performed and recorded to the very highest standards. Pure Want List material.

She has considerable technical fluency, avoids muddiness even in the most rapid passagework, is rhythmically alert, and has a good sense of the dramatic. All in all, this is a worthwhile disc…

Alexandrov’s piano sonatas…comprise a significant body of work in Russian history deserving of greater exposure. This first integral recording is an achievement that any listener with an attraction to Russian and Eastern European piano music will find of interest.

Honma’s interpretive choices…are clearly delineated and stylishly played…This is very distinguished musicianship and very beautiful Beethoven playing…an emotionally and intellectually satisfying Beethoven cycle. Urgently recommended.

After many hours of listening to this set, I must say that it is one to savor. The playing is crisp and the voices well delineated. Each time, even in the best-known sonatas, I hear a new detail. This box set will take a place in my CD library…as a more complete reference with insightful, solid interpretations.

Honma’s Beethoven cycle, from beginning to end, gives equal justice to all. If there is one word to sum up Tamami Honma’s Beethoven piano sonata cycle, it would be “transcendental.”