Concertgebouw Orchestra

“Janson's account, though edited together from several concerts, feels genuinely live… The Scherzo is carefully characterised, the Adagietto something of a triumph. The finale goes splendidly too. Notwithstanding the sedate apotheosis of the chorale theme, it's difficult to remain unmoved by the maestro's absolute control as his players make their dash to the finishing-line.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2008

“A Jansons performance has all the comfort and security of travelling in a high-class limousine. There's still much to admire, of course, especially the woodwind playing in The Firebird, while The Rite is just a little too well manicured. If you didn't know the ballet, you'd hardly guess that this is a depiction of a pagan ritual that ends in a human sacrifice; one longs for something a bit more visceral, more dangerous.” The Guardian, 4th July 2008 ***

“The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has always traded on the subtleties of its instrumental sounds, which has made it ideal for interpreting such widely diverse music as Bruckner and Ravel. It puts this distinctive colour to good use in Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, reminding us that there is far more to the work than the crash, bang and wallop of its climactic dances.” The Telegraph, 12th July 2008

“The luminous colours and weightless harmonies of the Firebird sit more comfortably with the cultured Concertgebouw than the hard-edged primitivism of the Rite of Spring. The fragrance of the "Ronde des princesses" with its leading oboe and echoing cello and bassoon lines is exquisite.” Gramophone Magazine, September 2008

“[Sitkovetsky] cuts an assertive line through [Dutilleux's L'arbre des Songes]' dark dissonance like a Gallic philosopher illuming the absurd. Jansons's orchestra is delicious in swarming, weightless textures. On either side, more solid works appear. Debussy's heaving, salty La Mer surges vividly, although not always with the threatening undercurrents that awed the non-swimming composer. Ravel's La Valse careers deliriously with grotesque steps neatly played, a rumbustious contrast to Dutilleux's contemporary scintillations.” The Times, 17th May 2008 ****

“With excellent performances of Debussy's La mer, Ravel's La valse, and Henri Dutilleux' violin concerto L'arbre des songes, Jansons demonstrates that he can also hold his own in French repertoire.This is actually an understatement, since in La mer the briny seawater splashes in your face and you feel the swelling of the waves, the ebb and flow, and the thrusting flow of the tide in a way that rarely happens in other recordings. In La valse it is immediately the suggestive, secret mysterious opening bars that under Jansons' direction imperceptibly and gradually lead, first carefully but shortly thereafter irresisibtly, to a dancing waltz. The progression to the sinister dance of death in the last section becomes inevitable. Dmitry Sitkovetsky is the first-class soloist in Dutilleux' fantastic violin concerto-a modern masterpiece for which the strongest possible case is made. RCO 08001 is a high point in the entire catalog.” Erik Voermans, Parool, 4th March 2008

“...Jansons has the courage to explore the darkness behind the Gallic sophistication. So the fierceness of the spray is almost palpable in Debussy's La Mer, and there is menace in the way Ravel's La Valse whirls towards its conclusion. The Concertgebouw Orchestra has the subtlety of colouring to bring something of its own to the music, from the pastel-edged tints of its solo woodwind to the velvety warmth of its strings and the edge of its brass. Last but not least, Dmitry Sitkovetsky explores the dreamland of Dutilleux's "violin concerto" with insight to match the composer's glistening orchestral writing.” The Telegraph, 26th April 2008

“The magic of Jansons's conducting with the orchestra of which he is chief conductor could not be more compelling.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008

“as good as live performance on CD can get” BBC Music Magazine *****/*****

“this live recording of Mahler's First Symphony is probably the best you will ever hear…As to the tempi and dynamic changes, they are simply gorgeous. An inspired performance.” The Independent on Sunday

“Haitink handles the famous finale with authentic refinement…” Phillip Clark. Classic FM Magazine, July 2007

"The Concertgebouw plays as if possessed, the chorus sings in the same manner, and one listens to this performance feeling the impact of great music being performed with the deepest of emotional and intellectual conviction…There is an intensity here that is missing from his studio recording of the Ninth". Fanfare