Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

‘What more could you want in these works than a soloist who places every note with joyous precision, moves from one to another so cleanly, and demonstrates at every turn such intelligent but unfussy musicianship? This is a sunny and unpretentious disc which deserves to be among the successes of the Mozart year’ (Gramophone)

“Though clearly designed as a showcase for a young British singer who seems to be getting better by the minute – the presence of a number of excerpts and a double-tracked duet are evidence of that – it is nevertheless strongly focused on Mozart's Salzburg church music, offering in addition to some of the usual suspects a few relative rarities. It is also a reminder of how, even in works which make no attempts at great depth, the young composer was a marvel of fluency, grace and freshness. There are times in his teenage music when you can really feel the enjoyment he took in his own ability; on this disc you can sense it being transferred to the performances.
Emma Kirkby recording some of these pieces a few years back (likewise doing Exsultate, jubilate in the alternative 'flute' version), and while Carolyn Sampson's singing does not sound like Kirkby's, her rounder voice gives the listener much the same kind of pleasure. What more could you want in these works than a soloist who places every note with joyous precision, moves from one to another so cleanly, and demonstrates at every turn such intelligent but unfussy musicianship? She also has wonderful control of dynamics, beautifully demonstrated in the restrained cadenza of Exsultate's slow middle section, or the hushed reprise of the Agnus Dei from the Coronation Mass.
The orchestral accompaniments are ably conducted by Robert King, and if the choral singing is not the most polished you will hear, its lusty commitment certainly adds to the honest pleasure of the performances. This is a sunny and unpretentious disc which deserves to be among the successes of the Mozart year.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Robert King and his choral and orchestral forces give clean and direct performances in sound that is nicely balanced and benefits from the mellow acoustic of London's Cadogan Hall. The soprano focus of interest is Carolyn Sampson, whose musical sensibility and personality are exceptional. Unreservedly recommended.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2006 *****

“What more could you want in these works than a soloist who places every note with joyous precision, moves from one to another so cleanly, and demonstrates at every turn such intelligent but unfussy musicianship? She also has wonderful control of dynamics, beautifully demonstrated in the restrained cadenza of Exsultate's slow middle section, or the hushed reprise of the Agnus Dei from the Coronation Mass. ... a sunny and unpretentious disc which deserves to be among the successes of the Mozart year.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2006

“The slow movements in particular are performed with much warmth and affection, and the recorded sound is admirably lifelike.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2006 ****

“if you want the complete Mozart trios, this new set matches the classic Beaux Arts in polish and sensitivity, and surpasses it in beauty of violin tone and, inevitably, in quality of recording.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2006

“Haydn is given his own voice. You cannot expect anything less from Alfred Brendel who rarely fails to make you listen, think and feel - as indeed he does. An elite musician.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2006

“Pavarotti has the natural magnetism of the superstar...On balance this is the not only the most heroic and the most beatutiful but also the best controlled performance of this demanding role that we have on record” The Penguin Guide to Opera

“Jansons may linger a little overmuch in Josef Strauss's Frauenherz (a tribute to the fact that the VPO now has female members?) but there is grace in his waltzes, fire in his marches and galops, and a welcome touch of humour in Eduard Strauss's Telephone Polka and the Bandits Galop. Altogether Jansons keeps the music bubbling along and the instrumental textures emerging with extreme clarity and refinement.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2006