Franz Peter Schubert

“Tempos are generally slow and the emotional atmosphere introspective, imbuing even something as superficially cheerful as Ständchen with melancholy. Occasionally, as in Der Atlas, one longs for more power and colour than Padmore’s light bright tenor can authentically provide, but this is a performance of undeniable musical integrity.” The Telegraph, 2nd September 2011 ****

“Padmore’s very English tenor voice, so clean in articulation, so carefully coloured, penetrates these songs of love’s despair with memorable clarity. Subtlety, too...More than before, singer and pianist seem joined at the hip in thought and deed...Lewis spins his own poetry, whispering with the breezes, trotting his hoofs, whatever words and music indicate.” The Times, 22nd September 2011 ****

“This is a wonderful recording, two supreme Schubertians working in perfect harmony. Odd as it might sound, I think that this disc is valuable above all for Paul Lewis's stupendous playing. Not only has he the technique - no mean feat, with some of Schubert's accompaniments - but he is also, with Mitsuko Uchida, one of the greatest Schubertians of our time. He has clearly immersed himself in these songs to an impressive degree” BBC Music Magazine, November 2011 ****

“Padmore's silvery, keen-edged tenor, grace of phrase and sensitivity to mood and verbal nuance are ideal [in Liebesbotschaft]; and how affectionately Lewis's left hand sings in gentle colloquy with the voice...In its fine balance of subtlety and devastating emotional directness, this is certainly a Schwanengesang in the Schreier-Schiff class, its attractions enhanced by the "bonus" items.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2011

“His feeling for words, their meaning and expression form the bedrock of this performance, as Schubert himself would have wanted. The intensity of communication here flows from the ideal marriage of verbal and musical articulation, complex and rich in their relationship, with singer and pianist united as selfless matchmakers between poetry and music” Classic FM Magazine, November 2011 *****

“This is a live recording made in the Wigmore Hall in February 2010, remarkable for its robustness, force and energy. Maltman is the most virile, bitterly impassioned and angry of wanderers, whose determination is evident from the first bars of Gute Nacht to the final black desolation of Der Leiermann.” The Telegraph, 18th August 2011 ****

“Maltman is a likeable singer, with an easy, communicative manner, excellent diction — even when his German is less than idiomatic — and scrupulously musical instincts.” Sunday Times, 21st August 2011 ***

“Maltman gives a bleak, steadily paced account of Winterreise which is at once weighty and intense. This suits his dark-hued voice compared to other excellent but more febrile accounts...The thundering anguish of "Rückblick", the ghostly whispers of "Irrlicht" and the schizophrenic light-dark dreams of spring in "Frühlingstraum" mix depression, frustration and tenderness. This is true soul-singing.” The Observer, 4th September 2011

“He gives a hard-hitting performance, and, as one might expect, it's exceptionally well characterised...Maltman roots his interpretation in the psychological specifics...Some of it is less than beautiful – as it should be...Graham Johnson is wonderful in this work. He follows every emotional utterance, beautifully illuminating Schubert's alignment of the winter landscape with the shifts and instabilities of the protagonist's psyche.” The Guardian, 8th September 2011 ****

“Maltman never gives a less than intelligent performance, and he skillfully dramatizes Schubert’s great song-cycle.” Financial Times, 22nd October 2011 ***

“If Maltman is sometimes better at communicating the tenderness in Winterreise than the torture, there are moments in this subtle, insightful account where he lays bare the composer’s own syphilitic deterioration.” classicalsource.com, October 2011

“There are many good things in this live Wigmore Hall recital, not least Maltman's characterisation of despair and alienation in 'Wasserflut' and 'Rast' and Johnson's eloquent pianism.” Classic FM Magazine, November 2011 ***

“When Maltman essays a mezza voce, his tone whitens; and sometimes, as in 'Die Nebensonnen', he sounds uncomfortable in the original key. But these drawbacks are outweighed by the beauty of Maltman's voice and his keen attention to the words...His crescendo on the last word of all, to match the forte phrase in the piano, is a brilliant touch. Admirable accompanist, excellent sound: well worth hearing.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2011

“Maxim Rysanov's version of the Tchaikovsky Rococo variations for cello is one of the most successful steals, not tampering with the orchestral score but simply shifting the solo part, sometimes up an octave to give its virtuosic writing brilliance and allure. Rysanov's viola sound is warm, lyrical but with an edge to it that suits Schubert's "Arpeggione" sonata” The Observer, 7th August 2011

“Max Bruch’s meltingly beautiful Romance makes for a serene envoi to this delectable disc...[Rysanov] makes [the Rococo's] viola transformation sound thoroughly idiomatic. His burgundy timbre brings lustre to the music; his transpositions of passages into higher registers capitalise on the viola’s own spectrum of sonority, and his agility and subtlety are a marvel.” The Telegraph, 11th August 2011 *****

“Rysanov makes the best possible case for hearing this version [of the Arpeggione], delivering a wonderfully poetic account of the solo part with subtle and sensitive accompaniment from the Swedish Chamber Orchestra...Rysanov's dazzilng performance [of the Rococos] makes us believe that the work was tailor-made for his instrument.” BBC Music Magazine, December 2011 *****

“His playing has his instrument sounding impressively like a cello, although some of the viola's capacity for subtle light and shade has been ironed out in this relentless quest for powerful tone. Max Bruch's Romance (a rare viola original) brings out a likeable, gentler streak in Rysanov's artistry.” Classic FM Magazine, November 2011 ****

“Needless to say, Rysanov plays with consummate artistry and stylish aplomb throughout. I can also confirm that he benefits from razor-sharp yet always warmly affectionate backing from an eager Swedish CO under the excellent Muhai Tang.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2011

“Wosner's performance, with its extremes of dynamics, glistening pianissimos followed by thunderous fortissimos, certainly projects [a] sense of something epic, while making a link to late Beethoven, and to his last sonata, Op 111, in particular.” The Guardian, 29th September 2011 ***

“His playing of the German Dances has a muscularity and a lovely transparency, while the Hungarian Melody has an exquisite soulfulness. But what strikes the listener from the first few bars of the Sonata which opens this recording...is the aristocratic grace of Wosner's tone, and his expressive shades of staccato.” BBC Music Magazine, December 2011 *****

“With this recital Shai Wosner declares himself a Schubertian of unfaltering authority and character. Entirely modern in style (tonally lean and sharply focused, never given to easy or sentimental options), he relishes every twist and turn in the so-called Reliquie Sonata...Wosner rivets your attention at every point. He also shows a high degree of charm and affection in the German Dances and the Hungarian Melody” Gramophone Magazine, January 2012