Larrocha in Mozart, whether the sonatas or concertos, has always attracted high praise. “it would be a strange person indeed who did not submit to such warm-hearted, unmannered Mozart....Larrocha's pearly toned, lightly pedalled touch and the wa…
When he dedicated a set of six quartets to Haydn in 1785, Mozart was acknowledging the latter's supremacy in this genre. However, Mozart did more than just imitate him; he integrated Haydn's innovations into his own style, thereby producing …
“Sidorova here demonstrates the remarkable potential of the accordion, not an instrument generally appreciated in classical circles...[The Bach] is fascinating, with Sidorova making the accordion sound like a miniature organ...An attractive and unus…
“Using a modern sound, the orchestra simply establishes a spruce, finely tailored context for the solo line [in the C Major Oboe Concerto]...The playing here is of an equally polished, characterful, spirited quality.” --Gramophone Magazine, Septembe…
Divertimento (diversion, recreation): rarely has the title of a piece of music been more explicit. Closely related to genres such as the serenade, cassation, notturno, Nachtmusik, partita and Felmusik, all of which were intended to serve as entertai…
"The famous recording of Mozart's Concerto in C K. 299 for flute and harp was made in 1962. Zöller is joined by the Spanish harp virtuoso Nicanor Zabaleta and the Berlin Philharmonic under Ernst Märzendorfer. In this disarmingly plangent an…
The essence of a concerto is the contrast and combination of a solo instrument with a larger instrumental ensemble. Having developed out of the Baroque concept of concerto grosso, the concerto genre was fully established in the eighteenth century, a…
“Clarity prevails, and animation. These are the kind of performances that make it difficult for the listener to sit still. One is impelled to pace or even dance around, to gesture and nod...when you are in a get-up-and-go frame of mind, Mackerras is…
“Mackerras doesn't short-change us on the tenderness and often painful lyricism… nor is he afraid to relax the tempo as a festive or belligerent motif gives way to a gentler one, with the strings… ravishing us with their tone.” --BBC Music Magaz…
'For freshness, insight and sheer beauty of tone and phrase, this new disc takes the palm … it's pure joy from first to last and I urge you to add it to your shelves' --BBC Music Magazine 'Listening to these brand new Hyperion perfor…
"Gallois and Prinz give us Mozart performances that are graceful without the “kid gloves” treatment. I don’t find this playing held back or forced; it sounds natural, so is it ever beguiling! Balm for whatever in life has brought you down. I ca…
“Each disc brings together a middle-period symphony and a contemporaneous Serenade. The sound recording has a sharpness of focus and sense of presence more often associated with the finest analogue recordings of the 1960s and 1970s. It's surpris…
The very first operas were performed in Florence in the mid-1590s. Since then, musical styles have blossomed and evolved out of all recognition, yet opera continues to be heavily influenced by the political, social and cultural contexts surrounding …
". . . el sonido purísimo y único de la Deutsche y la multidimensionalidad de la Filarmónica de Berlin comparten espacio con grabaciones de cortar la respiración, pertenecientes a los dominios que mejor conocía el director." --Record Revie…
"Concerto Köln has a distinctive timbre and never-flagging excitement that are sometimes referred to as the 'Cologne sound'. These are qualities found in abundance in this recital. The ferocious account of the first work on the disc, th…
"Pires has always been something of a Mozart specialist, and her playing is tasteful and cleanly articulated, the lyrical melodies sensitively shaped, the passage work fluent and even. Nothing she does is ever harsh or graceless." --Gramop…
“The instrument is precisely focused and the fineness of her playing shows her to be a musician of cultivated taste and sensibility...Geoghegan arrests attention immediately.” --Gramophone Magazine, November 2010 “Geoghegan delivers phenomenal brill…
"The box set Great Piano Concertos has been produced to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Naxos and draws on their extensive catalogue of concerto recordings. The recording quality varies from the older 1980’s recordings but there are some good…