Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

“These are strong and purposeful readings of the Mendelssohn and Bruch First Concertos, which Itzhak Perlman plays with brilliance, ease and assurance. The recording of the Bruch Second Concerto is of the very highest quality, enjoyable and superbly played.” Gramophone Magazine

“in Tianwa Yang...we find an artist of exceptional technique and musicianship. Above all, her tone, particularly at the extremes, on the G and E strings, is heart-meltingly beautiful, so that even what look on the page to be the dullest of scales and arpeggios take on a luminous glow...The E minor Concerto is unreservedly splendid” BBC Music Magazine, March 2013 *****

“Yang manages to reveal the early work neither as merely a disposable confection by a precocious child nor as a masterpiece in its own right...Where the concertos showcase Yang's presence of sound and lyrical grace on a grand scale, the sonata offers her fluid phrasing a more intimate though less interesting canvas.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2013

“Ibragimova, with her wonderfully full, malleable tone, sinewy agility and deft expressiveness, proves a compelling exponent of this brilliant teenage score, combining it on this disc with an equally ear-catching performance of the later E minor Concerto...Ibragimova here adopts a style that goes hand in glove with the OAE’s, sparing with vibrato, lithe in articulation but at the same time appealingly reflective in the slow central movement.” The Telegraph, 28th September 2012 ****

“Ibragimova's playing combines verve, brilliance and imaginative intelligence. Mendelssohn's dynamics are scrupulously observed...But if listeners that they are hearing an approximation of an 1840s performance, they should think again. No one could accuse Ibragimova of vibrating excessively, yet she uses vibrato on the modern way, to aid tone production and projection.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2012

“what was the thinking behind teaming together a soloist who uses vibrato, albeit tastefully, and a string band who don't? Not that I necessarily object to the result...Ibragimova's sensitive playing wins the day, with some superlative quiet moments and at all times a loyal adherence to the composer's markings and a sure sense of the music's phrasing and architecture.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2012 *****

“At first sight Mendelssohn might not seem an Ibragimova composer, though he’s never been far from her fingers...She returns to [the D minor Concerto] here, now burnished with the mature musician’s chameleon grasp of colours and modes of attack, and knack for febrile excitements. The same gifts keep the warhorse Concerto in E minor continually fresh.” The Times, 5th October 2012 ****

“her subtle changes of colour and prodigious range of articulation are things to wonder at. The outer movements of the E minor Concerto are dazzling: Ibragimova sets off at a fearsome pace in the finale and not only sustains it, but keeps every detail of her phrasing crystal clear in the process” The Guardian, 18th October 2012 ****

“Her absolute unanimity with the woodwind, which joins her in the scampering main theme, is breathtaking, and her occasional discrete use of portamento feels completely apt. This is a delightful, compelling performance from beginning to end, the equal of any in the catalogue.” bbc.co.uk, 29th October 2012

“Ibragimova’s performance suggests she perceives Mendelssohn as a pure classicalist. She and conductor Jurowski downplays any aspect of the music that might suggest Mendelssohn harbored any Romantic inclinations. The performance uses very little rubato, and Jurowski urges the orchestra ever forward” MusicWeb International, March 2013

“The Mendelssohn is distinguished by any standards, coming up as fresh as paint – the withdrawn, yet eloquent simplicity of the slow movement followed by an unhurried finale that allows a real chamber-music ensemble with the orchestra (the original Philharmonia at its most distinguished).” Gramophone Magazine

“It's easy to see why Sony have snapped [Chen] up for star treatment. His tone is silken, his technique faultless, his musicianship persuasive as well as controlled and poetic. He can also handle the grand, febrile romanticism of these two mainstream works...We'll hear a lot more of Ray Chen.” The Observer, 4th March 2012

“Magnificent technique, of course; the trickiest passages can seem like child's play to him. But what impresses most is Chen's musicianship - he's able to make the listener aware of the emotional import of each phrase, apparently spontaneously, as though he's only just considered playing it that way...In his hands, the music is like a living thing; one senses that each performance will have its own individual character...All in all, a most impressive release.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2012

“Chen's debut CDs were a real tonic, marrying effortless virtuosity with musicianship of the highest order, and I'm delighted to report that his first concerto recording maintains his high standards. Both he and Daniel Harding understand the differences between these two masterpieces...A completely captivating issue.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2012

“[Tetzlaff] brings both urgency and a compelling sense of purpose to the violin writing, so that its weaknesses, its sometimes blunt phrasing and routine figuration, are entirely transcended. It's a remarkable piece of musical alchemy, but then his way of presenting the Mendelssohn concerto as if it were a new discovery is exceptional, too.” The Guardian, 18th December 2011 ****

“If I describe the Mendelssohn performance as meticulous, this is not to suggest a lack of spontaneity or awareness of the broader picture but rather a situation in which a determination to follow the composer's instructions has led to an account of unusual depth and subtlety...Tetzlaff takes us right to the intimate heart of the [Schumann] slow movement.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2012

“Tetzlaff uses quite a bit of rubato in the opening [of the Mendelssohn], giving a few moments of doubtful ensemble...But he shapes dynamics and phrases sensitively, and the slow movement is less febrile and more poised...Tetzlaff treats [the Fantasy] with affection and virtuosity in turn. In the [Schumann] concerto, Jarvi's powerful delivery of the dramatic introduction grabs the attention, as does Tetzlaff's first entry.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2012 ***

“Tetzlaff and Jarvi are as one, the 'give and take' being almost as chamber music, writ large. It is also a wholly Romantic performance [of the Mendelssohn], a yielding choice of tempos that permit flexibility without losing sight of the underlying forward momentum...This uncommonly interesting CD is well worth the attention of the genuine lover of echt-Romantic repertoire” International Record Review, January 2012