Reviews

These works are fantastic additions to the modern woodwind repertoire and display Peter Hope’s skill as a composer in writing such finely crafted music. The four sonatas are well written for the instruments, and the interaction between the solo instruments and piano is interesting and varied.

Argentieri demonstrates a true command of this daunting repertoire, meeting the challenges with apparent ease. [Prokofiev’s] continual quest for freedom from typical 19th-century styles resulted in a particular eclecticism, clearly evident in this attractive program.

A record of a quite remarkable personal journey of discovery… an absolute mine of information for anyone interested in the violin music of the period.

Significant research has gone into this recording of Schubert’s two most songful quartets. The grainier and (counter-intuitively) heavier sound sets off the counterpoint in D804. The same qualities give ‘Death and the Maiden’ the all-important feeling of an inevitable slide into despair despite a full-on fight. Real emotional tension sets in. A close but clear in-the-round recording puts listeners right in the middle.

Hughes’ writing is very seductive, and he is adept at creating striking and rather lovely textures. The performances from the Orchestra of Sound and Light, and from the New Music Players are uniformly excellent. This disc forms an approachable introduction to the composer’s music, providing the new listener with a variety of ways into Hughes’ complex, seductive and fascinating sound world.

This is a very fine disc. Alfonso Soldano is clearly a master; there are generally broad tempi, but always in service of Soldano’s conception. Soldano has a refined touch and makes his tempo sound right and inevitable. Terrific performance. The booklet notes are helpful, and the recorded sound is realistic, rich and full, quite close but with sufficient ambience, and captures the pianist’s often dramatic dynamic range.: RECOMMENDED

The Kreutzer Quartet worked closely with the composer, making this a definitive performance of his music. Powerfully atmospheric… although the music is firmly on the atonal spectrum it has strong thematic development. Peter Sheppard Skærved gives a stunning virtuoso performance of the piece for solo violin entitled GAD… it displays a host of violin technical fireworks and holds together particularly impressively in this performance.

The CD takes us on a fascinating ride across this composer’s life and musical development. All three works are remarkably different but there are certain elements that unify them. Performed with energy and clarity… incisive and precise performance from the players.

Overall, the music [of ‘Cuckmere’] is firmly tonal and is expressively colourful.In the Sinfonia and in ‘Media Vita’ Hughes deconstructs originals and reassembles them in his own individual modernist style. All this is performed with considerable clarity.

That [Burgess] had a good inner ear is undeniable from the sound of his works.. tuneful, pleasant but inconsequential. Beautiful constructions, beautiful playing, beautiful recordings.

It soon turns out that Argentieri has a lot of affinity with [Prokofiev’s] idiom. She has the necessary muscle strength and good vision and the fact that she sometimes uses some rubato enhances the melodic character of her playing.

With this recording we see many sides of Prokofiev, and fortunately so does young Stefania Argentieri, who is able to adjust her interpretive approach to capture these varied aspects quite effectively. This is as fine a rendering of [the Sixth] sonata as I’ve heard in the twenty-five or so recordings of it that I possess. Kudos to Ms. Argentieri. The sound reproduction on this recording is excellent, the piano sound particularly rich and detailed. This recording is a real bargain showcasing a new talent who has much to say in Prokofiev’s brilliant music. Her Sixth is particular is outstanding.

Hughes creates a fascinating soundworld with hints of earlier musical traditions within a complex tapestry of modern orchestral colours. Having seen the film performance [of Cuckmere: A Portrait], the images of the beautiful landscape remain in my mind, and Hughes’ music brings them straight back in this incredibly effective piece. Elements of the sources [for Sinfonia] are used in highly imaginative ways.

The performances are adept, with sensitivity to dynamics, excellent phrasing, and precise articulation. The music all has merit, but Warner’s Trio makes this worth getting.

This is fresh and beautiful. He doesn’t sound like anyone else. He is thrilled and moved, and so are we. The piano (Steinway D) is beautifully recorded—almost sensual. The sheer beauty of the instrument will take your breath away.

A remarkable new CD. The performances of these four works are ideal. Every bar suggests that violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved and the other members of the Kreutzer Quartet have a great empathy with this music and create a magical and engrossing performance. The musical language of this music is as diverse as its emotional background. The liner notes are impressive. They include the preparatory paintings Cowie made before starting work on his quartets. They are excellent and would grace any art collection. Let us hope that this is really an ongoing project.

The string quartets are played with verve and true musical understanding by The Kreutzer Quartet, one of the most accomplished, creative and adventurous ensembles in the UK. The sparkling violin solo piece ‘GAD’ is played by The Kreutzer Quartet’s founder and leader, Peter Sheppard Skærved.

Quietly frenetic…dazzlingly faceted … often surprisingly playful.

A profound sense of imagination when dealing with unusual and intriguing combinations of instruments. In each combination [Skempton] comes up with a sound world at once simple yet intensely intrinsic to the instruments concerned. The performances from Sirinu are terrific, with each performer playing a number of roles. This is a disc to delight and intrigue. (four stars)

Five stars: Gemini is an outstanding ensemble and Sophie Harris is a wonderful cellist. Plenty of engaging textures… make a fascinating dialogue. Informative booklet and high-quality recording.