Reviews

Galant in style, but quite refreshing… this can be recommended for the skill of the performer and the delightful creativity within the confines of the historical period.

The program is varied and includes works by composers not usually associated with piano music. Marvelously eclectic.

John Buckley is one of those composers who can write adeptly in just about any style he chooses. The choir champions Buckley’s music with handsome tone and expressive colors.

These works are more somber than lyrical, more ecstatic than passionate; luminous clusters of string sound and intense melodies with wide intervals abound. They still sound very good after all these years, and the performances hold up, too.

The listener is allowed the mental space to embark on a personal meditation as the music weaves in and out of different sound worlds. Fans of Adams and Gubaidulina will find much to enjoy here.

There are 12 Suites in this collection, played brilliantly by veteran harpsichordist Gilbert Rowland. This is a welcome exploration of the work of a composer who has been called the Chopin of the seventeenth century.

The sheer variety of the music, its typically “sunny disposition”, its sometimes surprising intensity and often intimate mood make for an enjoyable and satisfying musical experience. The sound is superb.

The songs chosen for this album range from the simplistic to the most complex, and represent the eclectic range of styles Ives used, from jazz to gospel; the Cowell section is more avant-garde. An interesting selection.

Beautiful and timeless, interesting and not too challenging; any choir singers would find the album educational, maybe even inspirational.

[A] fascinating and stimulating release. The horn soloist Etienne Cutajar is a master of his instrument and always provides an excellent and inspiring performance. His technical skill and imagination are especially apparent in the modern works.

Liturgical in tone and slow, but not sombre. More of a sense of peace, and almost majestic in places. Music to be played and listened to – a nice collection of music.

Christopher Langdown’s immense musicality and unimpeachable musicianship places him in the mind of this listener as one of the finest pianists of Great Britain. Langdown’s programming is both delightfully ironic and brilliant, and it keeps the listener interested during nearly two hour’s worth of lovely music making. Beyond that reading his insightful program notes further enhances the experience.

I’ve yet to find a work that was anything less than first-rate, nor deficient in any way in Simmons’s performance. This recital is eminently of interest to fans of Cooman, Simmons, or organ music in general, and is warmly recommended by this admirer of all three.

A recital that is thoroughly engaging. [Terashi’s] touch seems entirely appropriate for the music, neither too percussive nor too delicate, neither too detaché nor too legato. The sound of the recording is spacious and clear, with well-defined piano tone. The sound of the recording is spacious and clear, with well-defined piano tone. Overall, this release offers the listener much pleasure.

This is a most fascinating, and beautifully recorded, disc. Textures can shine and lines resound with utmost clarity. Finnissy’s writing … is miraculous. Clarinet-Liederkreis is a remarkable, fascinating piece. [The program] culminates on an Andante malinconico of late-Beethovenian intensity, stunningly sustained by the Kreutzer Quartet. A highly intense, but always rewarding, experience,

Metier Records presents vibrant proof that the art form of the Lied is alive and well. [We] could hardly ask for a finer interpreter than Clare Lesser (who is, to all intents and purposes, a latter-day Cathy Berberian). The combination of Clare Lesser’s pinpoint accuracy and understanding, plus David Lesser’s fine pianism and a splendid, truthful recording, is a powerful combination.

Fully engaging and beautifully realised. The more I hear of Hakim’s organ music, the more it casts a spell.

Many magical and sometimes even quite beautiful moments.

The music is intense… at times, challenging. The recordings are vivid. Superb booklet that has colour photographs and extremely informative essays in English and Russian.

This is a well-constructed ‘entertainment’, with lots of lovely musical clichés, technical wizardry and many subtle nods to the composer’s genius. The clever bit is the interlocking of themes. It seems to happen as if by magic. Remarkable. The presentation of this CD is outstanding.