Ludwig van Beethoven

“[van Immerseel's] progress from the Baroque via the classical to the early Romantic eras is evident in these elegant performances, which are more for the historical purist than the full-on romanticist. The tempi are measured, the playing delicate, painting a portrait more of Beethoven the master craftsman than the fiery visionary.” The Observer, 20th April 2008

“Indeed, from the first bristling chords, Anima Eterna's playing held me on the edge of my seat. ” Gramophone Magazine, June 2008

“…appropriately enough this final volume ends with the last sonata triptych of Opp. 109-111. Lewis plays all three works with characteristic warmth and beauty of tone, and you're not likely to hear them more sensitively and intelligently done.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2008 ****

“Only an extended essay could do justice to the fourth and final volume of Paul Lewis's Beethoven sonata cycle… You may well cherish your beloved sets by Schnabel, Kempff and Brendel (to name but three), but Lewis surely gives you the best of all possible worlds; one devoid of idiosyncrasy yet of a deeply personal musicianship.
Where else can you hear Op 10 No 2's madcap finale given with such unfaltering lucidity and precision? Try Op 28's finale for an ultimate pianistic and musical finesse or the opening Allegro where Lewis makes you conscious of how the music's gracious and mellifluous unfolding is momentarily clouded by mystery and energised by drama. In such hands the final pages of Op 111 do indeed become 'a drift towards the shores of Paradise' (Edward Sackville-West) and throughout all these performances you sense how 'the great effort of interpretation' (Michael Tippett) is resolved in playing of a haunting poetic commitment and devotion. Such playing is hardly for lovers of histrionics or inflated rhetoric, but rather for those in search of other deeper, more refreshing attributes, for Beethoven's inner light and spirit.
Somehow Lewis's quiet and distinctive voice can lift even the most familiar phrase on to another sphere and his playing throughout, shorn of accretion, makes all these sonatas shine with their first radiance and eloquence. Admirably recorded, this three-disc set is crowned with a scholarly and illuminating essay by Jean-Paul Montagnier.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Every one of Paul Lewis’s now-complete Beethoven Sonatas series has been selected as an Editor’s Choice. Deservedly so. This final instalment boasts all the virtues of its predecessors – a pianist nimble of mind and fingers, penetrating interpretations delivered with just the right lightness of touch and bold imaginative leaps that can leave the listener staggered.” Gramophone Magazine

“Somehow, Lewis's quiet and distinctive voice can lift even the most familiar phrase on to another sphere.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2008

“Paul Lewis ends his Beethoven sonata cycle for Harmonia Mundi with another wide-ranging collection; like its predecessors, it contains some outstanding performances and some that do not quite reach the same exalted standard. The major disappointments here come in two of the best known sonatas. Op 81a, Les Adieux, seems far less crisp and precise than one would expect, while, after a suitably pellucid opening, the E major Op 109 becomes unexpectedly feisty and never quite regains its poise. To set against that are a beautifully paced and unfolded account of Op 28 in D, the so-called Pastorale, and impressively thoughtful performances of the two most challenging works here: the A flat Op 110 and C minor Op 111. In Op 110, Lewis creates a glowing soundworld out of which every element seems to take shape perfectly naturally, while in Op 111, he plays down the drama of the first movement to integrate it more completely with the transcendental variations that follow. The transition from one to the other is perfectly managed so that they become a seamless whole, and a perfect finale to the entire enterprise.” The Guardian, 2nd May 2008 ****

“ At times in the towering final sonatas Lewis perhaps holds too much in reserve. Greater firepower could only enhance Beethoven’s visionary thinking, even when the marking for No 30’s finale indicates “mezza voce”, a half-voice. But this reserve also leads to masterful moments. There’s No 15’s balm and calm, plus the fluent grace in the Op 49 duo – pedagogic trifles for which any overkill would be fatal...buy Lewis’s Beethoven with confidence, and listen and explore for many years to come.” The Times, 2nd May 2008 ****

“Schumann's Arabeske is played with a tender simplicity that entrances. Of the Chopin group, the B major Nocturne is an outstanding example of Horszowski's long-breathed cantabile…” Gramophone Magazine, August 2008

“…in Schumann's Träumerei - the perfect encore - Horszowski demonstrates why he was so revered by Murray Perahia and András Schiff.” BBC Music Magazine, Proms 2008 ****

“Almost violent dynamic contrasts are frequent, but Ohlsson takes them as far as is idiomatic but no further. Even more important, there are no 'bridge passages' in these performances, everything is melodic or dramatic.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2008 *****

“exquisite playing wedded to a deep understanding of this music. Ohlsson's concentration and dynamic control are mesmerizing...and it is beautifully recorded.” Fanfare

“Tan's playing has a flair and poetic feeling that are rather special and this partnership with Norrington...has great spontaneity. Tan's individuality comesover unforcedly without unwanted wilfulness” Penguin Guide, 2010 edition ***

“He may be hoping that more of his personally selected live performances will yet appear, but there are already quite a few previously unpublished Brendel treats in this compendium. Schubert performances from Snape and London are a joy.” Gramophone Magazine, January 2009

“In the slow movement of the Fourth Symphony the fairly brisk tempo combined with broad phrasing… makes for ravishing results. Indeed, the Fourth is a great success in all respects. The Seventh sometimes sounds more like a compromise, but is full of interesting details.” BBC Music Magazine, July 2008

“Biting, buoyant and very athletic - Järvi's Beethoven really bounds along…” Gramophone Magazine, August 2008