Reviews

Showcasing Liz Dilnot Johnson’s diverse choral music, the disc celebrates her relationship with Ex Cathedral who are powerful advocates for her highly effective music

I would go as far as to say this is one of the great piano cycles, and is certainly one of the most significant piano statements of the 21st century so far.

suitably majestic…haunting and beautiful. A…listenable album…one I will continue to play.

James Cook’s compositions… [are] cloaked in mystical, dark, shimmering timbres. Kevin Bowyer orchestrates… with great sensitivity, constantly striving to build tension and break through the twilight with brilliant clarity… [using] bright colors that fade like a fine shadow toward the end.

This new disc is most welcome and is comprehensively recommended…a splendid portrait of an excellent and admirable composer…some quite outstanding music.

Frederick Paul Naftel’s new album showcases his eclectic compositional style through a diverse collection of works. This is a completely fascinating CD; the music is entertaining and skilfully composed in varied styles. I am really pleased that I have had the opportunity to get to know it better.

diverse in terms of styles and formats, moods and atmospheres… [Naftel’s] music is the unmistakable contemporary voice that reveals itself in its eccentricity and individuality… The various performers give the music an individual character with their committed interpretations.

…his music keeps you on the edge of your seat…a very interesting and individualistic figure, one worth checking out.

68 minutes of most enjoyable music…5-star recording!

Overall, this is a most engaging collection of ambient pieces, offering the listener an opportunity to withdraw, reflect, and unwind to music that is sensitively performed and intelligently curated.

Enger’s project could have been titled  Das Lied von der Erde had Mahler not beat her to it 115 years ago. She’s received deserved acclaim for her playing and the sincerity with which her deeply felt interpretations are presented, and certainly the reputation she’s built as a performer and recording artist is significantly enhanced by Resonating Earth.

a fascinating…engrossing listen.

Thank goodness for discs like these…In an over-consuming world that feeds us “easy” music, recitals like this are surely vital: To remind us of what music is capable of, what musicians are capable of and, as listeners, what we ourselves are capable of. The music enshrined here has the capacity to open up whole new vistas, if we let it. Recommended.

There can be no denying the brilliance of the Kreutzer Quartet’s performances or the excellence of the recorded sound.

Dibble’s music has the ability to penetrate the classical music mainstream…Kempf’s performances sound definitive.

I very much enjoyed this disc and look forward to exploring more music by Kakabadse. The combination of spirituality and earthy joy in these pieces is quite special. All of the performances are excellent, as is the recorded sound.

…Ex Cathedra’s performances of these pieces under Jeffrey Skidmore are beyond reproach. The recorded sound too is very pleasing…This recording represents a significant achievement, and I shall seek out other recordings of this composer’s music.

The Pleyel Ensemble…bring great understanding and warmth to Pitfield’s music. Pitfield would surely have been very pleased with this disc. It will add to the continuing rediscovery of his music.

…the set has introduced me to no fewer than twelve new composers…all hugely talented, whose music is outstanding…The sound is beautifully clear…All the players are exemplary in their musicianship…Altogether, it is a fascinating and rewarding set and a suitable tribute to polymath Thomas Pitfield as well as his many friends and contemporaries with an appropriately inspired selection of works that illustrate their brilliant compositional skills.

this is the first time all 35 sonatas have been recorded by a woman pianist… Honma’s performances add to our understanding and appreciation of these great works… Her sensitivity, power, pin-sharp clarity and all-consuming commitment to this music would surely earn five stars from Beethoven.… It grabs the attention in a very Beethoven-like way… a truly admirable and musical account of these monumental works.