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2010
“Holloway's initial prompt for these stunning two-piano transcriptions of Bach's Goldbergs, was his frustration as a single pianist at his 'inability to clarify the close-weave canons or manage the more fiendish hand-crossing numbers so idiomatic on a two-manual harpsichord'. So far, so pleasurable – but then inevitably the full artistic implication of what he was doing struck home. It was only later, after much agonised self-questioning, that he decided to 'go for the gilding and lose the guilt!' Bach's original is thrown in at the deep centre of a swelling harmonic sea, sometimes as a moment of ineffable calm (Variation 18, a 'canon in sixths'), at other times more like an oncoming tidal wave (Variation 29, 'Toccata with clusters'). The use of modulation is often alarming but always musically effective and never more so than in an ingenious re-working of the closing 'Quodlibet' (Variation 30), which traverses 'all 12 keys', ending in D. Holloway's ear for nuance, and the ingenuity of his invention, will leave you openmouthed with admiration. Whatever your CD priorities to date, this one surely has to fly straight to the top of your wants list.”
Editor's Choice
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“Sensuality bordering on lusciousness with Botstein compelling as the LSO fire on all cylinders” Gramophone
“Recognisably breathing the same air as Stravinsky's Firebird, Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy and Suk's Asrael Symphony, Glière's Il'ya Mouromets makes up in lusciousness and sweep what it slightly lacks in individuality, offering a superb vehicle for the modern orchestra and, indeed, for state-of-the-art hi-fi systems. The LSO and Leon Botstein have the edge in almost every respect over rival performances. Comparable to Downes in his tempos, albeit with a rather fleeter-footed finale, Botstein is less insistent in his accentuation and more emotionally generous with his phrasing, so the overall effect is less strenuous, more sensuously appealing, with the climaxes standing in higher relief. The LSO, on terrific form, command a slighter wider range of nuance, and Telarc's recording is a degree or two more spacious, without ever feeling overblown. Altogether, a very collectable disc.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010
“even for those who have a Te Deum or two in their collection, Niquet's reading of it is another…as limpid and lithe a performance of the piece as you are likely to hear. Good recorded sound and balance make this a disc to have.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2002
"(…) possessed of the technique most others can dream of (…) they may well become world-beaters." Gramophone
“The best of the established guitar duos have consisted of players who are/were either married or blood-related – favourable conditions for in-built empathy. Presti-Lagoya set the pace in the 1960s, one which has still to be fully matched. Now we have the Hungarian duo of the Katona twins, possessed of a technique most others can only dream of. Their needlesharp unanimity of thought and attack is such that listening 'blind' you might wonder how a player could possibly have so many digits. Rodrigo wrote only two works for two guitars, the Tonadilla and (with orchestra) the Conciertomadrigal. Neither has been better recorded than here. In the latter the recorded balance often tips slightly in favour of the orchestra, but this is a minor quibble. In order to flesh out the aprogramme the Katonas have made admirable arrangements of six piano pieces written between 1931 and 1981, and these magnificently played versions for two guitars should keep Rodrigo aficionados happy enough. The Katonas have yet to parallel the emotional depth and warmth of Presti-Lagoya, but they have youth on their side and, being in total command of every other necessary 'tools', they may well become world-beaters. This is a stunning disc, to which the orchestra and recording engineers have made fitting contributions.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010
Penguin Guide
