Reviews

Terrific CD. Zeynep Ucbasaran is a formidable artist who elevates this music to lofty heights by virtue of her sensitive musicality and dazzling technique. Here’s hoping that divine art will bring her out again to delight us.

Rich Romanticism combined with touches of folk, hints of orientalism and, in Piazzolla’s Estaciones Porteñasm, the sharp heels and smokiness of tango. This is terrific stuff, excellently played.

Adventurous music and album concept. Each of the 25 pieces has its individual charm and miniaturist precision, by turns reflective, ethereal, authoritative and questioning. Mary Dullea’s pianism and musicality as well as remarkable virtuosity make her an ideal interpreter of Eric Craven’s joyous, playful and satisfying music.

This is a superbly performed recital of chamber music from a stylistically conservative but highly original trio of Polish composers.

The artists employ numerous coloristic effects to vary the music’s texture and impact. Each enhances the sense of discovery and joy that abounds throughout this disc. The playing by both musicians is exemplary. The adventurous path they actually traveled makes this a very special recording. The recorded sound is excellent. This Schubert disc is a fine achievement, and one I am delighted to recommend.

An impressive [solo] debut, one that plays to his considerable strengths, both technical and interpretive. {He has} sharp architectural insight, building inexorably and offering a real sense of arrival at the climaxes. He’s also got a keen sense of the shifting character (or characters) of the music. The sound is excellent. All in all, an impressive release.

All of this music is marked by a seriousness of purpose that demands concentration… they make a strong impression. Mary Dullea is one of our most reliable contemporary music pianists, and as usual, she per¬forms this repertoire with virtuosity, commitment, and imagination. Warmly recommended.

A generally upbeat collection of four-hand music—mostly transcriptions, largely dance-inspired, entirely delightful. Ucbasaran and Gallo neatly capture, without exaggeration, the varying spirit of the collection.

A varied collection of largely unfamiliar contemporary voices. The performances seem confident, and the sound gives no cause for complaint. All in all, recommended for explorers.

More fluid phrasing and the most drama [of the competing recordings]. The musicians play with plenty of affection and expressive beauty.

The chronological account of these quartets makes for an interesting journey, highlighted by the composer’s decision to assign a title of each of them. Each of the three quartets offers its own characteristic listening experience… each quartet has its own individual framework. The music encourages focused attention to detail on the part of the listener and an awareness of an evolutionary approach to change.

A hugely attractive CD. Roderick Chadwick is the ideal interpreter of this magical and unique sound world.

Lovely … clearly articulated and contrasting … melodic and thoughtful… concise and charming. One of my ‘favourite CDs of 2020’

White’s libretto is highly imaginative as you would expect it to be – I was moved. some duets were wonderfully original. Notable too was the quality of singing – the whole cast of singers quite brilliantly navigated a complex atonal vocal landscape.

An interesting if melancholic album, and if you like music that evokes an era and atmosphere, it’s well worth a listen.

The performance of these four Bach keyboard works is satisfying and commanding. All the stylish drama and virtuosity is captured in Jill Crossland’s thoughtful and exacting recital.

Trio de L’Île give a simply outstanding performance… I lost track of the number of times that a shiver went down my spine. The passion and energy in their performance is thrilling – simply rapturous. I craved another 20 minutes in the company of Trio de L’Île. This is my first review of the year, and it seems I have a Recording of the Year already in place.

This album testifies to a high level of musicality: passionate performers, high-level musicians, instrumentalists in full control of their means and individuals listening to each other. The result is an opulent overall sound, vibrant with emotion and color. Well done for this superb recording.

This recording bodes well for the Trio and represents yet another first-rate release from Divine Art.

This will entice you with unheard pieces, performed exceptionally well with dedication and conviction. The booklet essay is quite detailed and the recorded sound first class.