‘There is something thrilling about the textures that emerge, and the challenges of co-ordination that are thrown up, on this thoroughly enjoyable compendium of first recordings … Liszt’s expansion of Schubert’s 'Wanderer' Fantasy … is the biggest piece on the disc, not just in duration but scope. It’s a big beast, played with authority and adventure by Tomer Lev and Berenika Glixman. They capture the melodic eloquence of Schubert and the 'look-at-me' show-offiness of Liszt, with Ivor Bolton and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin negotiating the intricate orchestral part with little fuss … [this album] has led me to discover their earlier album of Mozart’s multi-player concertos [on Hyperion CDA68367], which is also recommended’ (TheArtsDesk.com)

‘Ten years after Brüggen’s death, it’s [his] achievement as an instrumentalist that is celebrated on Lucie Horsch’s disc … for once it’s the instruments that matter more than the music; anyone remotely interested in recorder playing will find it fascinating, and get a reminder of just what an extraordinary musician Brüggen was’ (The Guardian)

‘These are some of my favourite works by Bach and it's a delight to hear a really top-notch new recording of them’ (Presto Classical)» More

‘As always, the singing of the Brabants is simply beyond reproach: their creamy ensemble tone, their intonation, and their perfectly balanced expressiveness are a pure joy to hear’ (CD Hotlist, USA)

‘There are a myriad recordings dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas, whether as couplings or in complete cycles. Many are very memorable regarding performance and presentation, but every now and then there comes along an issue that rouses a certain amount of interest for some reason or other. This disc is such a case … Marc-André Hamelin is one of the finest pianists around. Renowned for his musical insight and technical wizardry, Hamelin never resorts to unnecessary showmanship or emotional ambiguity; indeed, he possesses a deep sense of obedience to the composer's score, playing every note with unmitigated precision and fastidious attention to tempo markings. Fascinating and powerful Beethoven in inspirational performances overflowing with arresting pianism. Highly recommended’ (Classical Music Daily)

‘With this exceptionally lovely collection of concertos and chamber music, cellist Steven Isserlis seeks to support his argument that composer Luigi Boccherini always sought 'to create for his players and listeners a sphere of ideal beauty, of sophisticated sentiments—and in that he succeeded like no other' … a powerful argument for Boccherini’s importance. Highly recommended’ (CD Hotlist, USA)

‘Why is the album called ‘Music of the Angels’? The sheer beauty and virtuosity of the music and the way, as Isserlis puts it, Boccherini’s 'ultra-light scoring'—sometimes with just cello and violins—leaves the cellist sharing the same stratosphere as they do. As he puts it, a 'remarkably translucent and ethereal’ effect; truly, music of the angels. It’s a lovely album’ (BBC Record Review)

‘The Brabant Ensemble is perhaps the premier group on the Renaissance scene presenting in-depth research in a way that is accessible to general audiences, and the group has done it again with the 2024 release A monk's life … the ensemble of nine or ten singers is of an ideal size, and Hyperion's sound from a chapel at Oxford is perfectly idiomatic. A must-have for lovers of Renaissance choral music’ (AllMusic, USA)

‘Mr Esfahani here presents expressive and imaginative readings of the so-called 'Little' Preludes, the Inventions, and the Sinfonias. Long-time readers know that I always complain when these works are played as if by a child; fortunately (and predictably), Esfahani gives them the same artistry and technical panache that has informed all his other recordings … this release will undoubtedly appear in my best-of list for 2024’ (American Record Guide)

‘Marc-André Hamelin launches into the Hammerklavier Sonata’s opening Allegro with both assertion and transparency. He intelligently scales his dynamics and times the silences to navigate and illuminate the music’s contrasting peaks and valleys most effectively … Hamelin’s masterful marshalling of small details reveals both the majesty and the inherent classicism of Beethoven’s architecture … excellent sound and insightful annotations by Beethoven scholar Barry Cooper bolster my warm recommendation’ (Gramophone)

„Fast hat man schon darauf gewartet, dass Hamelin sich auch dem Brocken von Opus 106 nähert. Und wie nur wenige kann er den 1. Satz in unter 11 Minuten bewältigen, ohne dabei auch nur ein Detail zu vernachlässigen … Dies kann nur ein Klavierexeget wie Hamelin bewältigen … Das ist ganz große Klavierkunst, die hier offenbart wird … Eine Beethoven-Einspielung, die man gehört haben muss“ (Piano News, Germany)» More

‘Name two works by Boccherini ..! OK, I know you can, but many people would rattle off the ubiquitous Minuet with ease and then rack their brains to find a second. Steven Isserlis is very aware of this, and his new recording ‘Music of the Angels’ with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment presents a selection of Boccherini’s works with cello in order to help round out the picture of this graceful, elegant composer. It’s a surprisingly chamber-oriented album, with even the two cello concertos inhabiting an astonishingly delicate, translucent sound-world … Steven Isserlis is a man with a wry sense of humour—his programme-notes are dotted with witty asides … he gets the last laugh on the listener by selecting as his encore the very same Minuet whose over-use he has earlier bemoaned. Although he probably gleefully expects everyone to be sick and tired of this piece, it’s actually a surprisingly refreshing note on which to end—and it’s particularly good to hear it contextualised by the preceding five full-scale works rather than just wheeled out in isolation’ (Presto Classical)» More