This month brings you another bumper crop of great reviews from the leading music magazines, quality dailies and online review sites. There’s no doubt about it: Naxos releases and distributes some of the best music and audiovisual albums!
‘A great achievement. Do watch it.’
– Gramophone
‘Jakubiak’s captivatingly nuanced playing, [and] her versatile, richly coloured soprano shines’
– Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (German Record Critics’ Award)
‘This is undeniably a work well worth encountering and it could hardly be delivered more convincingly than it is here.’
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★★
‘With this Francesca da Rimini, the Berlin Opera reaches an unattained level of quality.’
– ConcertoNet.com ★★★★
‘I have nothing but praise for the cast.’
– American Record Guide
‘…A remarkable musical empathy as they trade solos in their emotional, atmospheric compositions’
– Songlines ★★★★★
‘Catrin and Seckou create fabulous, heady notes that not only champions their exquisite instruments but blends delicious fragments from the Western classical, celtic, folk and contemporary genres and West African griot and song traditions.’
– FolkWales Online Magazine ★★★★★
‘The playing is top notch, and there is often charm and subtlety in the rejigged orchestral parts.’
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★
‘What a surprising delight this recording is.’
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★
‘Mezzo-soprano Sarah Beaty, violinist Mari Sato and pianist Wang bring these narratives [Declaration (2005)] to vibrant life.’
– Gramophone
‘The Toccata is a wild romp that will keep the listener (and performer) on the edge of the seat. Worth acquiring…’
– American Record Guide
‘As before, Butterfield makes stylish work of capturing Leclair’s famed taste, neatness, sweetness and dance feel. Equally as before, he’s matched at every step by cellist Sarah McMahon and harpsichordist Silas Wollston.’
– Gramophone
‘This truly is one of the nicest sets that I have ever reviewed—enjoy.’
– Classical Music Daily
‘Interpretation is superb.’
– The Asahi Shimbun
‘The scherzos offer plenty of rhythmic kinks to keep everyone alert, and the crispness of the orchestra’s response can only provoke admiration.’
– ClassicsToday.com
‘Both artists do a splendid job here. There is wonderful variety in these songs, and I was captivated by them.’
– American Record Guide
‘An immense achievement from Naxos that took twenty-one years to complete, but boy, was it worth it. Unhesitatingly recommended.’
– Classical Music Daily
‘A very enjoyable mix.’
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★
‘Overall, the Magnificat character of the two works is optimally captured.’
– Pizzicato
‘This set is a triumph for all concerned and essential listening for anyone interested in the music of the second half of the last century.’
– MusicWeb International
‘I enjoyed every minute of this remarkable immersion in sound.’
– American Record Guide
‘A superbly performed selection of Dohnányi works from players entirely immersed in his musical voice, led by a conductor who inspires them all the way.’
– Gramophone
‘One of the most sparkling and inspired interpretations of Variations On A Nursery Tune I have heard.’
– Pizzicato ★★★★★
‘The music-making is simply breathtaking.’
– Classical CD Reviews
‘A super-sleek performance, with the orchestra sounding like a composite virtuoso instrument.’
– Opera News
‘A splendidly feisty performance of Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto… Erkin’s equally fiery Piano Concerto is also well worth discovering.’
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★
‘This remarkable collection amply shows how the growing universe of female compositions, so rich and so symbolic, is essential. An eloquent and exciting demonstration.’
– Crescendo
‘A joyful and thrilling performance that can only be warmly welcomed and recommended.’
– Pizzicato
‘Vogt uncovers levels of emotional depth untapped in other performances.’
– AllMusic.com ★★★★★
‘Vogt is impressively unfazed and dazzlingly understated.’
– Gramophone
‘Christian Thielemann sharply delineates each of the work’s crazy-quilt strands while weaving them together into an integral whole.’
– Opera News
‘A superb set of beautifully judged performances.’
– The WholeNote
‘This recording is one of the best compilations of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s chamber music and definitely worth hearing.’
– American Record Guide
‘Wonderful music on a simply outstanding and beautifully recorded set.’
– The WholeNote
‘The cast is truly exquisite. Each singer etches a strikingly individual portrayal that projects the story with perfect clarity, enhanced by impeccable diction.’
– American Record Guide
‘The artistic level of this collaborative recital is of a very high order.’
– Fanfare
‘The artistry with which the piece is tackled…the richness of tone, expressive subtlety and sense of style…is just what is needed.’
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★
‘A musically excellent Fidelio married to a thought-provoking, challenging production.’
– Gramophone
‘The story of doomed lovers transcends despair to capture the imagination, thanks to Sims’s energetic and appealing deep voice.’
– AudioFile