Crusell · Clarinet Concertos · Forgotten Treasures Vol. 1

"Hoeprich’s interpretations are aglow with tonal beauty and rich in understanding that transcend the printed page. The expected stylistic conventions are employed and when added to the high quality playing of Kölner Akademie under the capable direction of Michael Alexander Willens, the result is a set of historically informed readings that will appeal to the most selective of listeners." --Fanfare

Finnish-born composer Bernhard Hendrik Crusell (1775-1838) became famous as one of the greatest clarinet virtuosos of his time, playing both his own compositions and those of contemporaries Krommer, Mozart, Beethoven and Lebrun. He was said to have had a beautiful cantabile tone and a particularly soft pianissimo. He spent most of his life in Sweden, and was considered to be the most important Swedish composer of Beethoven’s age.

Naturally, Crusell is especially renowned for his clarinet compositions, notably the three delightful concertos and the three clarinet quartets. His elegant, thematically rich style, of great charm and technical skill, was influenced by Mozart, Beethoven and some of his French contemporaries, blending Viennese classicism with elements of French opera.The Clarinet Concert No.2 in F minor is generally considered the finest of the concertos, and perhaps Crusell’s greatest work in any form. The finely-worked out first movement has dazzling virtuoso passages, but also a quality of drama and poignancy that relates more to the dawning Romantic period than the waning Classical era.

The clarinet concertos are perhaps less demanding for the performers, but are equally charming. In all three works the clarinet is the principal instrument, with the violin, viola and cello providing accompaniment. --Emma Johnson is “Britain’s Favourite Clarinettist” (The Times).

MP3 320 · 160 MB

Romantic Flute Concertos

France and the flute are inseparably associated. The connection is nothing new, but one with clear historical roots. It was at the beginning of the eighteenth Century that nearly all instruments began to undergo rapid technical development. This set in train an evolution that was to continue well into the next century, the technical changes leading to a marked increase in expressive potential. Instrumental music naturally underwent a similar development.

Paris Conservatoire had, from its beginnings in the days of the French Revolution, a strong tradition of flute classes, with teachers whose names are still familiar. Even today, we can still speak of a French flute school of composition and performance, analogous to the French violin school that assumed its first great importance in the nineteenth century. 

Mozart · Piano Concertos Nos. 19 & 23 · Ch'io mi scordi di te?... Non temer, amato bene, K505

This album marks two 'firsts' for Hélène Grimaud - her first live DG recording and her first ever Mozart concerto recording – the Piano Concertos Nos. 19 in F, and 23 in A. Hélène Grimaud considers the concerto in A major "probably the most sublime concerto Mozart ever wrote", with a slow movement that is "an extremely deep and painful expression of longing, where you find the real Mozart." 

The concerto in F major K459 is less well-known, but with a very special vitality and a virtuosic finale that is for Grimaud, "pure pianistic pleasure". As well as the two concertos, the album includes the beautiful concert aria for orchestra, soprano and piano 'Ch'io mi scordi di te', sung by Mojca Erdmann. The aria was Mozart's declaration of love to the soprano Nancy Storace, his Susanna in the world premiere of "Le nozze di Figaro".

MP3 320 · 147 MB

J. C. Bach, J. C. F. Bach · Keyboard Concertos

The booklet notes to this release make interesting reading. American fortepianist Susan Alexander-Max reveals that this was initially intended to be an album dedicated to the music of Johann Christian Bach. J.C. Bach was the youngest of J.S. Bach's surviving sons and was probably more famous and popularly successful than the rest of his brothers put together. After extending his education in Italy he established himself as “the London Bach”. He won fame throughout Europe as a leading exponent of the new and fashionable gallant style of music, sweeping aside the fussiness of the Baroque period with a sleek new Classicism. It helped that he was also a keyboard virtuoso – hardly surprising given that he would have heard his clan of older siblings playing the 48 while he was still in utero.

However, as The Music Collection rehearsed what had always been thought to be two of J.C. Bach's Op.7 concertos for keyboard for the recording, doubts began to set in about their provenance. Putting aside the difference in instrumentation – the addition of a viola which is absent in the Op.13 concertos – there was something about the music that “did not feel or sound like Johann Christian”. A little digging revealed that these two concertos have been recently and reliably attributed to a different Bach: to Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, three years J.C. Bach's senior and, like their older half brother Carl Philipp Emanuel, a court musician in Germany.

The Music Collection – founded by Alexander-Max for the promotion of 18th and early 19th Century fortepiano repertoire – recorded the J.C.F. Bach concertos anyway; they bookend the J.C. Bach concertos, making for an attractive program of contrasting styles. All four concertos are certainly pleasing. Much of the interest in each piece comes from the keyboard's elaboration of thematic material stated by the strings, and it is the way in which this is handled that marks the difference between the brothers' styles. When their concertos are played one after the other the greater liquidity of the London Bach's melodic invention, his lighter touch and his more winning charm are evident.

In all four pieces the scoring is very economical with only one instrument per part in the tiny, eminently practical “orchestra” that accompanies the soloist - though the J.C. Bach concertos allow for optional winds which are not employed here. To prevent textures thinning out, the fortepiano provides a continuo when not spinning the solo line.

The performances are commendable, bringing the scores to life with due observance of period performance practice. Susan Alexander-Max shapes her solo lines with grace, ease and intelligence. I enjoyed her recent Clementi disc immensely, and her playing is just as magical here. I would be interested in hearing a bit about her instrument. It sounds like a modern replica fortepiano – sweet-toned and supple. The warm and intimate Naxos recording certainly presents it and the accompanying strings in their best light. A delightful disc. --Tim Perry, MusicWeb International

Grieg · Holberg Suite · Music for Strings

Here's an easy call: these are stunning performances of music that you'd have to be either deaf or dead not to love. Yes, there are zillions of performances of the Holberg Suite out there, many of them excellent, but Ruud's version is so compelling that it simply makes you forget about any other. It has freshness and poetry in abundance, and he gets the strings of the Bergen Philharmonic to do exactly what so many string sections find all but impossible: achieve sharp rhythmic accuracy without compromising tone quality. This is most evident in the Prelude and final Rigaudon, but on a more subtle level this keenness of rhythm, allied to shapely phrasing, also helps to float the melodies of the gentler inner movements, particularly the Air, which is just gorgeous.

The remaining pieces might be termed "minor Grieg" were they not so inherently beautiful. In fact, the Two Nordic Melodies Op. 63 is a pretty substantial work, with an opening number running longer than seven minutes. In any case, it doesn't matter if you use this disc primarily for "quiet listening" so long as you also can pay attention and come away with a renewed admiration for Grieg's music. In stereo the engineering is outstanding, but in SACD surround format you can really wallow in the rich, warm sounds that Ruud draws from his players. This series has ranged from good to fabulous, and there's no question that this disc belongs firmly in the latter category. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Mendelssohn · Schumann · Violin Concertos

An outstanding version of an apt and rare coupling.

The lightness and resilience of Renaud Capuçon’s playing at the very start of the Mendelssohn, matched by the transparent textures of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Daniel Harding, instantly establishes the distinctive character of this latest version of a much-recorded concerto. The urgency of the main Allegro still allows for Capuçon’s crystalline precision in rapid passagework, leading to a flexible account of the second subject.

Both Kyung-Wha Chung and Joshua Bell are more conventionally rich of tone, particularly Bell, who is markedly slower in the first movement, but Capuçon’s formidable virtuosity ensures that there is no feeling of a small-scale performance. His Andante is fresh and songful; the finale is clear and brilliant without any hint of rush.

The coupling with the Schumann is welcome. It now seems extraordinary that on the advice of Clara Schumann, Brahms and Joseph Joachim, for whom it was written in 1853, this fine if flawed work was locked away until 1937. Philippe Mougeot’s booklet-note attributes its ‘resurrection’ in part to the desire of the Nazi authorities to replace the Mendelssohn concerto which they had banned. Certainly they insisted that the première be given in Germany, yet within months it won its first Jewish interpreter, when Yehudi Menuhin performed it with Barbirolli and the New York Philharmonic.

This performance is also marked by its transparency, not least in the crisp attacks of the accompaniment. Menuhin may vary the tempo less and Gidon Kremer use a wider tonal range, but Capuçon is equally convincing, not just in the first movement but in the hymn-like melody of the slow movement. He is more measured in the finale than either Kremer or Menuhin, articulating the semiquavers of the central episode with utmost clarity. Aided by Harding, the rhythmic resilience of the sharply dotted rhythms prevents any feeling of sluggishness. Vienna’s Jugendstilltheater is the venue for a free and open recording. -- Edward Greenfield, Gramophone

The Oscar Peterson Trio · We Get Requests

The repertoire, of this 1964 studio session,  is mostly pop songs of the day, including bossa nova tunes and film themes, and the treatments are fairly brief, with emphasis placed squarely on the melodies. Even in their lightest moments, though, the group demonstrates some of the qualities that made it among the most influential piano trios in jazz, a group that could generate tremendous rhythmic energy and a sense of developing musical detail. This is undemanding, tuneful music best suited for casual listening, but it still sparkles with the trio's customary élan.

Rodrigo · Concierto de Aranjuez · Villa-Lobos · Castelnuovo-Tedesco Guitar Concertos

An excellent account from Norbert Kraft, spontaneous and catching well the music’s colour atmosphere. If it is not quite as individual as bream’s version, it is has the advantage of vivid, well-balanced, modern, digital recording and excellent couplings. Another genuine Naxos bargain.

On Naxos a first-class version of this slight but attractive concerto, which is well suited by the relatively intimate scale of the performance. The recording is well balanced and vivid, and the soloist, Norbert Kraft, has plenty of personality; and the accompaniment is fresh and polished. Typically excellent Naxos value. --Penguin Guide ***

Norbert Kraft is not yet a household name but if his publicity ever matches his quality he certainly should attain that status. --Gramophone

Kraft proves himself excellent at conveying a sense of enjoyment and fun…At budget price…this disc is certainly a real bargain: it makes you wonder whether it really is worth the extra for full and mid-price discs. --Classic CD

Rachmaninov · Suites pour Pianos

“Jos van Immerseel and Claire Chevalier are the first pianists to record these hugely challenging works on authentic instruments - in this case a pair of Pleyel pianos dating from around the turn of the 20th century… The magical, bell-like sonorities these hugely experienced players conjure up is perhaps reason enough to invest in this fine disc, especially as the recording quality is so richly detailed yet luxuriously opulent.” --BBC Music Magazine ****

Bonbons: Geminiani · Pachelbel · Purcell · Marcello · J.S. Bach

Musicians fondly think of some works as bonbons or candy, for they are as agreeable to play as they are to listen to; everybody likes them. Their melodies are engraved in our memories and run through our heads, as the makers of movies and ads know so well. Some, such as the Aria from Bach’s Suite in D major or Pachelbel’s Canon, cause us to shed tears at weddings or funerals. How can the popularity of these particular and apparently immortal works be explained, when their composers—with the exception of Corelli—have written so many other more elaborate masterpieces? Is it because, in their simplicity, these little jewels pierce straight into the hearts of their listeners? For ATMA and Les Violons du Roy the answer is yes.

 





MP3 320 · 139 MB

Rosseti · Basson Concertos

Eckhart Hübner trained with the famous German bassoonist Klaus Thunemann, and he has played with a variety of orchestras, including the SWR Symphony Orchestra. Chamber music and teaching also occupy his time. This is his first recording as both soloist and conductor, and everything goes well, although the engineers have balanced him too prominently. The German Chamber Academy of Neuss on the Rhine is about twenty-five years old, and its musicians accompany Hübner suavely.

This isn't terribly important music, but it goes down smoothly like a cool glass of Rhenish wine. --classical.net

Franck · Sonate · Chausson · Concerto

In the Franck sonata it is remarkable how Amoyal and Rogé allow themselves greater freedom over rhythm and tempo without ever seeming undisciplined. So the opening Allegretto even more than usual emerges as a dreamy meditation, a happy preparation for more serious arguments later. With speeds in all four movements generally a degree broader, this is a reading full of fantasy, giving the impression of music emerging spontaneously on the moment.

This is certainly so in the finale, with its opening theme in canon between piano and violin, and the coda brings at the end a winning rush for the post,a far more marked accelerando than in the Chung or Perlman versions, speaking not of poor discipline but of sheer joy.


The full and immediate recording helps, and so it does in the Chausson, which receives just as warmly spontaneous-sounding a performance. --Gramophone

Mendelssohn · The Piano Conciertos · Rondo Brilliant

“The outer movements of the concertos fizz and sparkle as they should yet Helmchen finds time to sculpt phrase-endings without any loss of momentum, heightening the drama in the process. The piano is centre stage in the sound picture - and how Helmchen can make it sing!...his burnished, singing tone bring[s] an unusual depth to this life-enhancing music.” --Gramophone Magazine

“the Rondo brillant was never meant to be anything more than what it says...and Martin Helmchen has just the youthful energy and dazzling technique to make the most of it. Everything is kept light and good-humoured, and this is really also the right manner for the concertos” --International Record Review

I was introduced to these two delightful concertos by Murray Perahia and Neville Marriner in their 1975 CBS (Sony) release, and these quicksilver performances are still what I hear in my head when I think of these works. Perahia’s performances remain in the catalog, and despite brightly lit analog sound, are very much in the running for finest recording of these lighthearted showpieces. I was equally taken with the Schiff/Dutoit versions when they made their appearance on CD in the early days of digital, Schiff being, if anything, even more brilliant and fleet of finger. Thibaudet’s (and Blomstedt’s) big-boned traversal of these scores was less pleasing at first, though the extra weight certainly does not come at the expense of dazzling passagework. Thibaudet’s Mendelssohn, played “as fast as possible provided that the notes can be heard” as the composer preferred, simply strikes me as a bit aloof, impressive as it is.

No one would ever call this new recording by the talented young (at 28) German pianist Martin Helmchen aloof. The 2001 Clara Haskil competition winner, an exclusive PentaTone artist, has now recorded seven releases with the Dutch label, including some very fine Schubert chamber and solo music, two Mozart concertos of notable lucidity, and an acclaimed release of the seldom-recorded Dvorák Piano Concerto. The delicacy of touch and graceful phrasing of the Mozart, in particular, promised an interesting outing with the Mendelssohn, and so it has turned out. Helmchen is not as flashy as Perahia or Schiff, preferring to emphasize warmth and expressiveness over precision and sheer velocity, though he lacks neither. There is an appealing geniality to the opening movement of the Concerto No. 1 that gives a good impression of the performances to come. The lovely but rather indulgent poetics of the Andante raise some concerns about fussiness, and the fanfare leading into the Presto finale—shades of A Midsummer Night’s Dream—could be more brilliant, but overall the soloist compensates with playing of sensitivity and, in the finale, dazzling energy.

As with the very different Thibaudet, though, it is the D-minor Concerto that responds best to this artist’s approach. The initial darkness is emphasized by Helmchen’s understated opening, but the proceedings don’t stay low-key for very long. Like the French pianist, he sees this as a much more substantial statement than anything in the rather frivolous G-Minor Concerto, so he and Herreweghe give it weight but refuse to drive the movement as hard as Thibaudet does. It and the following Adagio are lovingly shaped, with more rubato than either Schiff or Perahia allow themselves. Helmchen and company round things off with a Presto scherzando that, after the opening bars, is less about digital fireworks than amiable farewells. Nicely done. The seldom-heard Rondo brilliant is primarily about fireworks, however, and both soloist and orchestra indulge themselves enthusiastically.

Helmchen has the notable quirk of underlining quieter passages by exaggerating the dynamic and slowing the tempo, in a couple of instances almost to a stop. The effect borders on the precious, though I can’t say it ever crosses the line. Some will see it as exquisite, or spiritual, and I won’t argue. Some listeners may object to the orchestra’s restrained application of vibrato, and the hard sticks used on the timpani. Others may feel that the accompaniment is a little too discreet compared to Marriner or Blomstedt. Still, if Helmchen won’t displace Perahia and Schiff in the pantheon, he certainly can join them as a compelling alternative. And given the sound of this release—warm, detailed, nicely balanced, and with just the right amount of sharpness to the piano to make it sparkle—this may well be the audiophile’s first choice. --Ronald E. Grames, Fanfare

Tartini · Violin Concertos

'Toso plays impeccably, tempering tone and vibrato in extracting every drop of the essential character of each movement... a superb recording' -- Gramophone

Tartini’s understanding of the possibilities of 18th-century violin technique make his richly idiomatic music great fun to play. He also composed many concertos for his own instrument, five of which are included on this splendid recording from 1970.

Not even an Italian orchestra would play this music in quite such a Romantic way today, and yet of all Italian violinist-composers, Tartini’s music seems to suffer least from an anachronistically lush approach to the solo lines. Perhaps I was just won over by the eloquence of Piero Toso’s phrasing, which is especially delightful in the slow movements. --Stephen Maddock, BBC Music Magazine

Rosetti · Concertos for Two Horns · Notturno for 2 flutes, 2 horns & Strings

Klaus Wallendorf and Sarah Willis are members of the Berlin Philharmonic, and they play this technically difficult music with aplomb, teamwork, and sympathy. These are not "authentic" performances – modern valved horns are used by Wallendorf and Willis - but this hardly takes away from their achievement. The accompaniments by Moesus and the Bavarian Chamber Philharmonic are lively and well-nourished. Nice sound too, thanks to Bavarian Radio. --classical.net

This well-filled disc is a delight from start to finish. The engineers of Bayerisches Rundfunk have done a superlative job in capturing the vast range of pitch and volume of the solo horn parts and the recorded sound is clean and bright, without being top heavy or brittle. This is an undoubtedly joyous recording and is easily recommendable. No listener could be disappointed with music as engaging as this, performed as well as this is. --musicweb-international.com

Saint-Saëns · Violin Concertos 1 & 3 · Havanaise · Introduction et rondo capriccioso

 

Fluid, elegant, and lyric, violinist Kyung Wha Chung was the first Western-style classical virtuoso to emerge from Korea. Her musical career began at the age of three. Her fame in the seventies and eighties was at the top level. Chung later extended her repertoire in her interpretations of Romantic, Modern music, Baroque and Mozart.

Devienne · 4 Bassoon Concertos

A celebrated bassoonist and flutist in late seventeenth century France, François Devienne is remembered now for the several concertos he wrote for his own performance, although he also wrote a dozen operas and many chamber works.

A. Scarlatti · 6 Sinfonie di Concerto Grosso · 3 Concerti

Alessandro Scarlatti was among the most important Italian composers of opera from the late Baroque period. He is credited with establishing the Neapolitan school of opera in the eighteenth century, rapidly improving the predominantly provincial state of music in Naples into a sophisticated and enduring tradition. He composed over 600 cantatas, more than 100 operas, many oratorios, serenatas, sonatas, and other instrumental pieces.

Oddly, his historical position declined after his death and his reputation was not rehabilitated until the early twentieth century. His importance in music is further bolstered by the fact he was the father of Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), who in the keyboard realm was among the most individual and influential composers of his day. Another son, Pietro, also became a composer of some distinction. --allmusic.com

Yoshimatsu · Piano Concerto "Memo Flora"

"The style is international pastel: quiet, tonal, cool. Yoshimatsu’s concerto is delicately melodic and playful. Strongest are the elegiac And Birds Are Still, and While an Angel Falls into a Doze..., with Pärt-like textures..." --BBC Music Magazine

"...Excellent performances and sound engineering add to the beauty of this intriguing disc." --The Ottawa Citizens Week
Performance ****  Sound *****

"The more accesible end of contemporary, composition, with congenial performances." --Classic CD

"Manchester Camerata make their debut on the Chandos label with an interesting set of works by a living Japanese composer ... the real discovery is Yoshimatsu’s While An Angel Falls Into A Doze. Written this year, it’s a remarkable peice and reveals the Camerata at their best." --Manchester Evening News

Benda, J. A. · Sinfonias Nos. 7 to 12

"It makes one happy to know that the musical tradition of the bohemian Benda family continues without interruption until nowadays. A quality of execution more than excellent. The orchestra's vivacity in the first and last movements and its perfect soloists are exalting in the best way these symphonies." --CD Classica

Find Vol.1

Rosetti · Clarinet Concertos 1 & 2 · Concerto for Two Horns

All three works here date from the early 1780s and clearly demonstrate that there is more to this period than Mozart. The highlight of the disc is the double horn concerto, which is performed superbly. Dieter Klocker’s playing is brilliantly efficient but rather charmless. --BBC Music Magazine

Rachmaninov · Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3

This is a perfect example of "opposites attract," with the coolly elegant Pierre Entremont paired with the passionate Leonard Bernstein, but instead of clashing, these two complement and play off one another rather well. In terms of sheer sex appeal, this performance threatens to go off the charts, with Entremont's crystalline passagework in the first movement glimmering against Lenny's darkly smoldering New York strings.

Bach · Variations dans le style italien

Bach · Variations dans le style italien

“Tureck's artistry is without question extremely compelling...she makes a strong case for Bach played on the piano” --Fanfare

“Consummate artistry...She makes us feel that Bach's keyboard music could be played in no other way than this--the hallmark of a great artist” --Penguin Guide

Liszt · Les Préludes, etc · Smetana · Die Moldau

The revamped digital transfers enable Karajan’s irresistibly virtuosic performances of these Liszt tone poems (some, like Mazeppa . . . are by no means as familiar as they deserve to be) and other orchestral works . . . to register with an impact and brilliance unimaginable on the basis of the original LP releases. Les préludes, of course, was a longstanding Karajan staple; this stunning 1968 account is almost certainly definitive, and nor will you hear any finer versions of the [Rhapsody] included here. These are vintage Karajan offerings, and brightly lit, richly detailed remasterings . . .  -- Michael Jameson, BBC Music Magazine [reviewing the Liszt recordings]

Baroque Music of Bologna · Torelli · Franceschini · Jacchini · Gabrielli

"The St James's players respond well; articulation is crisp and accurate, the sound well balanced, and vibrato all but eliminated. Above all there is some spectacular trumpet playing, and the skeletal continuo indications have been realized with imagination and restraint. The result is an enjoyable and undemanding sequence of pieces." --IF. Gramophone

During the sixteenth century Bologna was comparatively unimportant as a musical centre; musical life was centred on the principal churches and monasteries, but even there there were few musicians of any real significance apart from Giovanni Spataro (a highly-respected theorist whose fascinating letters have just been published), the first maestro di cappella at the major church of the city, San Petronio. As with painting, the real change came in the seventeenth century when an orchestra was added to the forces available at San Petronio, and when the foundation of the famous Accademia Filarmonica encouraged a school of local composition.

This new record from Ivor Bolton and the St James's Baroque Players provides a fair sample of the Bolognese baroque manner, and particularly of the San Petronio cappella. Inaugurated by Maurizio Cazzati, whose music is not represented here, it culminates in the music of Giovanni Battista Vitali and Giuseppe Torelli. It is Torelli's music that is by far the most interesting on the record, harmonically more varied, with a greater sense of drama and altogether more lyrical.

The St James's players respond well; articulation is crisp and accurate, the sound well balanced, and vibrato all but eliminated. Above all there is some spectacular trumpet playing, and the skeletal continuo indications have been realized with imagination and restraint. The result is an enjoyable and undemanding sequence of pieces, at times a little dull perhaps (Franceschini's stereotyped triadic figures, endless scale passages and simpleminded fugato writing doesn't encourage one to rush for more), but always played with great style and musicality. --IF. Gramophone

Telemann · Complete Violin Concertos Vol. 3

Volume 3 of Telemann’s Complete Violin Concertos is performed by The Wallfisch Band; a band which consists of Elisabeth’s friends and students.

“...this is the third instalment of a very fine series. The best work is the Concerto in D, which has movement titles like Badinage and is wonderfully inventive...Wallfisch is joined by Susan Carpenter-Jacobs for some very elegant duetting.” --The Guardian ****

Telemann's violin concertos, for the most part, are genre-bending pieces that are apt to tie musicologists in knots. Most of them date from his years in Frankfurt (1712-1720), and were composed for gifted amateurs rather than professional virtuosi. The solo writing, consequently, isn't anything like as prominent as we find in Vivaldi, for instance, which explains why some violinists have turned their noses up at them.

Structurally, many of them take French dance suites as their models, which has led them to be awkwardly renamed Ouvertures en concert in French, or Overture Concertos in English. Undaunted by this confusion, Elizabeth Wallfisch and her band have been recording them for CPO: this is the third instalment of a very fine series.

The best work is the Concerto in D, which has movement titles like Badinage and is wonderfully inventive. The late Concerto in A was triggered by a trip to Paris in 1737, and is an example of how Telemann, chameleon-like, could absorb and reproduce another composer's style, in this case Rameau's. In the beautiful, more conventional Double Concerto in G, Wallfisch is joined by Susan Carpenter-Jacobs for some very elegant duetting. -- Tim Ashley, The Guardian

Fauré · Duruflé | Requiem

The best things are the ‘Pie Jesu’ solos: Popp sophisticated and secular, Te Kanawa warmer and franker. Otherwise, the Fauré turns slow, bland and bourgeois in an over-Anglican way, despite the professional chorus. Nimsgern sounds wobbly and wan. Davis is less inhibited nowadays but, even twenty years ago, the more innocent and expansive Duruflé loosened him up so that the big moments achieve their proper thrills, while the prevailing calmer moods remain tender, rather than chilly. -- BBC Music Magazine

The Fauré Requiem is a problematic work in that the composer left it in several versions, none of which is considered perfectly satisfactory. To this day performers assemble and re-orchestrate their own versions from the various manuscripts.

The Duruflé Requiem is an at once appealing work, strikingly original, tonal but modern in sound, endlessly fascinating. The "Sanctus* is tremendously exciting, the "Paradisum" gorgeously other-worldly. This chamber-sized performance, apparently arranged by the composer, for small choir and organ stresses the intimacy and integrity of the work and is quite successful.