Reviews

These five trios will strike many listeners as surprising and pleasurable discoveries, with the bonus of outstanding performances.

This is that rare beast: uncompromising music of our time that will raise a smile. Hughes’s achievement is to carve something perfectly crafted from a wide-ranging harmonic vocabulary. His ear for sonority is remarkable… proof positive that modem music can convey joy. Superb notes by the composer himself add to our appreciation of this beautifully recorded, fascinating music.

Rachmaninoff’s titanic First Piano Sonata is a test for any pianist; Alfonso Soldano passes convincingly. One of the more compelling versions of this sonata.

The three composers have created something almost elemental that grabs and holds one’s attention… Heartily recommended, but only to the most adventurous listeners.

Enchanting… astoundingly fresh and utterly devoid of cliché. [Hughes’s] voice remains defiantly identifiable The performances of all these pieces are superb. Métier’s sound is first-rate and perfectly tailored to the specific needs of Hughes’ singular pieces.

Cowie’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2 turns out to be up there among the handful of really worthy such works from the later 20th century… excellent dramatic dialog and a superior harmonic-melodic advancement and expressive daring. The Concerto for Orchestra stands out for its continuous sectional lucidity, its ultra-Modern inventive expression and extraordinary group interplay. Bravo to all concerned!”

An entertaining and varied programme of piano music. It’s robust, and powerfully played. It sounds very modern, in the sense of freshness and energy. we’d like to hear more from Badgerow, and his powerful, confident playing.

This is a quiet backwater of classical music, but one in which all those who wash up there have a thoroughly good time.

A hinterland between jazz and classical, with a bit of brass banding thrown in. a hinterland between jazz and classical, with a bit of brass banding thrown in. Varied in sound and ranging from moments of more outthere modernity to jolly melody.

Highlights include the majestic Musica da processione, the impressive Suite in F Major, a sparkling Invocazione brillante, and two evocative Nantucket Sketches. Magnificent 2013 Link-Gaida organ at Pauluskirche, Ulm.

Odyssey is a very appealing work and it’s extremely well served here by Rupert Gough and his excellent choir. The singing is fresh, eager and full of vitality. Well worth hearing; the recordings have been well engineered and the booklet is comprehensive.

This is truly exciting music—Ed Hughes has an uncommon skill. Sinfonia is a masterpiece that satisfies the endless tension between tradition and modernity in classical music. I find it enthralling.

Skempton’s music has a beguiling simplicity that masks its subtle brilliance just beneath the surface. His compositional choices are so free from ego that the music flows with a natural spontaneity… a humble reminder that great music isn’t always intricate.

I have admired James Whitbourn, I have admired Cor Cantiamo, and I really admire how they’ve have come together in this program. The composer’s personable notes and the inclusion of texts clinch the deal on an interesting and rewarding release.

I enjoyed this. I particularly liked the music with piano, as these pieces showed off his adventurous harmony. These miniatures are bursting with ideas moving rapidly between thorny, moody dissonance and sweet 19th Century romanticism.

This is Argentieri’s first solo recording, and she shows considerable potential… Argentieri manages all of the demands for an effective presentation with an excellent understanding of the music.

The music, playing, and production is of a high standard. It is pleasant, well-crafted, in a tonal, neo-classical harmonic language. Simmons continues to deliver fine performances.

An ear-stretching collection, funny, disturbing and entrancing by turns. Stowe really believes in this repertoire, and she takes us with her.

Well-crafted and accessible… engaging performance.

Dynamic and well-conceived… Album XI gives us a fully rounded look at chamber Artyomov and affirms that he belongs in our attention span as a Russian voice of true merit, a Modern stylist of originality and inventive strength. I recommend this one heartily.