Reviews

Passages of quite luscious string writing are contrasted with the rhythmically edgy writing which is a feature of Marcus Blunt’s style. The performances of all, soloists and orchestra, in all these works are admirable. Murray McLachlan plays with razor-sharp crystalline clarity. Lesley Wilson’s playing is just marvellous.

This double CD is hugely generous. We are very much in safe hands when our guide is the marvellous Murray McLachlan. He leads us through the most complex and exciting percussive passages with a ferocious virtuosity and startling precision, then through quieter music bringing out all the varied depths of feeling that McLeod has imprinted in these full colour compositions. An absolute delight.

Much of the music is somewhat sombre but they do contain some beautifully reflective passages. The works are conceived on a massive scale and are essentially tonal with rich orchestration providing a depth of colour. Truly stimulating and has set me on the road to exploring further treasures by Artyomov. A revelation!

Music that is by turns riotously colourful, knowingly confrontational and profoundly moving. The Way to Olympus is singularly compelling… Gurian Hymn is an enthralling composition and one that deserves to be far better known. It is sublimely played and recorded… This fascinating disc provides a decent starting point for listeners keen to investigate the strangely diffuse but parallel worlds of a Russian composer whose oeuvre seems consistently unpredictable. , I would actually dare to suggest that the deeply impressive Gurian Hymn is well worth the disc’s asking price on its own.

I love both the composer and the players featured in this album. Great, fun addition[s] to the repertoire of any chamber group.

This fine recording presents a convincing performance of a fine composition.

The pieces have been well put together and listening to the entire CD in one sitting works very well and induces an air of calm on even the most stressful day. This deserves to be widely heard and not just by lovers of contemporary music. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Mostly I am, like my colleagues, convinced, if not swept away, by Schliessmann’s rich sounding, carefully articulated playing, by his occasional tenderness as well as his almost majestic playing elsewhere. As for the recording, the piano sound is impressive by any standards.

I found every one of these tributes quite moving, and doubtless John McCabe would have been brought to tears by any one of them. Given that the pieces are well performed by all involved, I have no trouble at all giving this collection an enthusiastic recommendation.

In many ways, this disc makes me very happy. A more eloquent in memoriam could hardly be imagined, and all credit to Divine Art for hosting this tribute from a total of 19 composers. The disc is a wonderful tribute to a major compositional talent for whom full recognition is yet to come.

The songs on this twofer reflect the epitome of the perfect English pastoral mode of expression. Our guides are two fabulous singers. A simply lovely collection.

I gave approving reviews to Volumes 4, 5 and 6. This new volume is cut from much the same cloth as its predecessor. Most of the works are predominantly on the quiet, meditative end of the spectrum. Cordially recommended,

We find a composer of decided importance… “Symphony: The Way to Olympus.” is a beautifully paced, sprawling and highly evocative sound poem for orchestra, here recorded some time ago but sounding gloriously well. I find the performances and recording quality highly appropriate and appealing. Artyomov deserves our undivided attention as a tragically underappreciated Modern master, creating beautifully advanced music in spite of social neglect and isolation. His time has come.

At less than 25 minutes overall duration, this issue proves that length is no guarantee of quality – or indeed, of value for money.

This is a splendid disc. There are many captivating and interesting moments in this programme. For lovers of post-Berio music this will be a treat. It is ‘truly cutting-edge music for today. The recording impressed me, as did the performances, which clearly appear to be first-rate. The CD booklet is a masterclass in design.

[The music] could be described as Kaikhosru Sorabji having cocktails with Bill Evans, Count Basie, Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky. This is a sweeping stylistic simplification, but it may help. The music is not difficult, it is typically comprehensible to the listener and nearly always pleasing to the ear. The sound quality is excellent, the playing is impressive, ‘inventive’ and dynamic. Everything tells me that this is an ideal ‘wrap’. This is an impressive and often quite beautiful production.

The release of this invaluable historic recording, impeccably remastered by Pristine Audio‘s Andrew Rose should be good news for all opera buffs interested in collecting historical performances.

This superb 1928 studio recording is a sonically satisfying labor of love. The singers are beyond reproach, beginning with Raymonde Visconti, the possessor of a supple, lyric mezzo-soprano voice, utterly expressive 100% of the time, a true singing actress. Partnering her is the great Georges Thill, arguably the finest Don José of his generation. The Orchestre Symphonique de Paris and the Chorus of the Opéra Comique are conducted by Elie Cohen in a first class performance that lets one get a hint of how French opera ought to be sung.

Italian composer Carlotta Ferrari has composed in many genres, developing a personal language that is concerned with the blend of past and present. The five compositions on this new album are inspired by the lives and works of five women from history: a wonderfully atmospheric Lady Frankenstein, the ethereal Maria Restituta, the lovely Historia Gullielmae, a Felliniesque Viva la vida and the dramatic Ecstasy (La transverberazione di Teresa d’Avila). Highly recommended.

The Way to Olympus is a complex, thoughtful and ultimately satisfying symphony. If it had a chance, I believe it could be one of the ‘great’ examples of this genre for our time. [Gurian Hymn] is memorable and moving. The CD has been well-remastered from the original Melodiya recordings; for example, the clarity is, for me, perfect. This CD is an interesting musical exploration that is both compelling and satisfying.