Reviews

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.

This is 100% wonderful: witty, joyful, a bit mad, wildly eccentric and lots of fun. Whatever you want it’s got it. A brilliant CD.

The Fitzwilliam Quartet players capture the mood of Schubert’s pieces very well, and are particularly successful in Death and the Maiden, where their tempo for the famous slow movement is well judged, with its major-mode fourth variation admirably free of sentimentality.

I enjoyed every minute of this well-structured journey. A subtle and effective fusion of traditional musical language and a more modernist voice. This is a splendid recording, enjoyable from the first note to last. The music is well-written, often profound and always interesting… fascinating and essential.

Soldano’s recital builds [in] a clear and compelling trajectory. A fine interpreter…Soldano captures the glowing grandeur with fingers of steel.

This excellent disc covers a fascinating range of instrumental colours, utilising ancient and foreign instruments as well as more traditional ones… such a feast for the ears; beautifully arranged, constantly surprising and exceptionally well played by the ensemble. A fine introduction to a fascinating composer.

We’re impressed with this, modern without being jarring and traditional in sound without being formulaic. The opening Cuckmere is the best section but the whole programme is interesting.

We’ve previously praised the ethereal music of Östlund and this new one is different but equally good and proves that Östlund can handle a larger orchestra, but he always manages to keep the sound intimate and approachable.

Enjoyable

This is a lovely disc, and listening to it continuously makes you realise there is something rather concentrated and cumulatively meditative about the music. The music is complex and elaborate, but the dance measures clearly come through. Here we have a lovely intersection between the sacred and the secular, between period performance and modern exploration thereof.

Fascinating? Absolutely! I got hooked from track 1 through track 14. This is seriously fun music, as entertaining as it is complex in its sonorities and its devil-may-care approach to instrumentation. The ensemble in charge of these giddy proceedings is named Sirinu and they take on their multi-instrumental tasks with enthusiasm and accuracy.

Beautiful and restrained choral works. As well as the inspiring title work, the album also includes seven pieces for choir, all brilliantly performed by Cor Cantiamo.