“…with bold sound and detailed booklet-notes this would be a thrilling investment at any price. Let’s not forget the singers’ fresh-sounding contribution. Alexander Vinogradov…is one of those Russian basses whose rich, sepulchral tones, easily produced, belie a boyish frame. Gal James…throws herself into the proceedings with striking commitment. Strongly recommended.” --Gramophone, June 2014
“Vinogradov is the genuine bass article but his pitches can be approximate...Orchestral double basses, though, have terrific impact.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2014 ***
“this performance demonstrates Petrenko's and the Liverpool orchestra's fine grasp of the composer's evolving idiom, with the result that this is a deeply impressive issue all round... Gal James's timbre might be considered a shade (no more than that) light...but her intonation and diction are fine and her phrasing is excellent...Vinogradov is also most impressive.” --International Record Review, May 2014
"This is a sensational performance, the first that truly vies with the classic Rostropovich/Vishnevskaya/Reshetin for supremacy. Vasily Petrenko enjoys the distinct advantage of two absolutely fabulous young soloists. …Petrenko is more than gripping. …Petrenko captures every mood, from the feverish waltz of Malagueña, to the urgent yearning of O Delvig, Delvig! In Petrenko’s hands, we become supremely conscious of how Shostakovich achieves moments of exquisite beauty using the simplest of means—a wandering string line in De profundis or The Death of the Poet—or passages of sardonic humor with the militant rhythm of the tom-toms in On Watch." --ClassicsToday.com, April 2014
