Reviews

Editor's Choice: 'In short, a distinguished and moving performance that is more successful as an interpretation and recording that Rattle’s recent LSO album. This is a performance that warrants repeated listening.'

'Bach’s contrapuntal achievements sparkle in the hands of Phantasm as much here as on their first recording.'

'Imbued with urgency, resolutely theatrical and dramatic, Eschenbach gives a powerful, martial reading of it, scandalized by thundering timpani and twirling strings contrasting with the softness of the woodwinds.'

'The slinking polyrhythmic groove of “Transformations” is laced with an elegant post-bop horn line, shimmering vibraphone, and twangy strings, with ElSaffar delivering a haunting vocal incantation.'

'In fact, the Contrapunctus X rocks us in another world. We follow with a growing fascination the conduct of the phrases of the pianist'

Editor's Choice: 'Soprano Véronique Gens’ voice is characterfully strong, with a purity and light vibrato. She skillfully executes ornaments, maintaining the melodic line. Across her entire tessitura, she has uniform clarity and color, while her coloratura is vivid and bright, with real security to her intonation.'

2021 Top 40 #33: 'With a new recording of Debussy's symbolist opera Pelleás et Mélisande, Dumoussaud immediately takes a shot at the top.'

Recommended: 'The recorded sound is flawless, offering a perfect balance between the voice and the piano – or, in the case of both the Jongen song and Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle, the piano and the excellent string quartet of soloists from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.'

'... brimming with charm ... bursting forth with boldness and expressiveness ...'