Reviews

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.

“I find something refreshingly Neo-Classical about it all, essentially often unabashedly tonal, very vivid, extraordinarily well constructed and inventive, well scored and well played. The sound of the music stands out as special. It is most of all “good music,” which of course should be what we seek in the end. That and musical talent. Gimme Twelve satisfies by providing and abundance of both. Something new and very good. Bravo.

Remarkably varied and imaginative and I can’t help but hear landscape in every note. The composer could not have wished for a more committed and dramatic performance and this applies to all of the performances on this disc.Superbly recorded with useful essays, photographs and reproductions of Cowie’s paintings.

This is a big programme of music to take in, the works themselves ambitious, with a big sound and big ideas. Mr Whitbourn is used writing music that needs to be both quickly absorbed and emotional or even inspiring. The album will please singers, as well as those who love the sound of a good choir.

Fowler is late night radio, on a specialist section for people who like their music rare.. [but] this is modern music that’s not too difficult… worth a listen.

Terence Charlston brings to us this abundant program nicely from a specially constructed period clavichord that gives out with a most distinctive tone. The music is masterful, lucid; this is a carefully detailed reading of some gems from 1649, music that maintains high levels of contrapuntal brilliance. It is music any thorough explorer of Early Music should be happy to immerse self in.

Music making of a particularly high order. This CD provides a useful overview of James Whitbourn’s choral output… , these eminently practical works demonstrate a thoroughly accessible musical style. The quality of this disc is further enhanced by first rate performances and recording.

Seivewright is an extremely assured pianist, with a light, confident and colourful touch; he explores the virtuosity of the music and the tonality of the instrument with a generous use of the sustaining pedal. His playing is clean, neat and well-toned. Seivewright’s fleetness of touch is excellent.

A systematic collection of twelve of Froberger’s suites: Handel and Bach studied his music, and Mozart copied out his Hexachord Fantasia. Rowland’s detailed notes on each suite were very helpful, pointing out interesting features in each suite. This set is expertly recorded.

It is good to hear a composer who works in the traditions of the Second Viennese School and its successors and is not afraid to admit it. Thomas Fortmann is not tied to any one aesthetic. Jazz, ragtime and even hints of pop music feature in these scores. [Grafeneck 1940] is a superbly written piece, but downright scary and troubling as befits the subject. The seriously impressive Gimme Twelve is a superb piece of organ music. The playing of this music is excellent by the multifarious performers. And the sound quality is superb.

[Froberger] paved the way for J S Bach’s elaborate contributions to the dance suite genre and influenced almost every major composer in Europe. On this new album is the first recording all 14 of his Canzonas and Fantasias. These are amongst his most beautifully crafted yet most neglected works. This is a welcome exploration of the work of a composer who has been called the Chopin of the seventeenth century.

These CDs make a wonderful addition to our stock of German Baroque solo violin music on record. Skærved’s playing is unfailingly pure and beautiful.