Future Releases

“The most exciting violin recital this listener has heard in quite some time. Mr. Markov's playing is marked by a Romantic effusion that comes so naturally it never seems vulgar or affected. He seems to have stepped directly out the past: although he is a young man - he plays like an old 78 recording come to life, without the pop and sizzle of shellac. Mr. Markov scoops and slides with an emotional intensity that has all but vanished from contemporary violin playing. Somewhere Mischa Elman is smiling.” New York Times

“Argerich hits the D minor Concerto like a tornado. It is all very exciting: her lightning tempos for the outer movements, her precipitate attack, the thunderous bass, the high dramatic contrasts in the Romanze, the force and brilliance of her touch throughout.” Gramophone Magazine

“Nagano has proved himself wonderfully alive to the iridescent splendours of Stravinsky's instrumentation. This allowed him to balance the wealth of exotic colour and narrative details while awakening a sense of wonder and fantasy in the audience.” Sunday Telegraph

“There’s no denying that both these performances exude class… Virtually ideal intonation, matching of timbres and solidity of tone are the hallmarks of the Borodin’s Death and the Maiden… Recording quality is outstanding: rich, yet clear and believable.” Gramophone Magazine

“…enjoyment of the disc came from Barenboim’s richly imaginative, very personally committed response to the composer’s overflowing romanticism. He leaves us in no doubt that every note sprang from an acutely susceptible heart… technical supremacy pales into insignificance alongside his musical insight, and nowhere more so than in the moonlit poetry of the Andante and the nostalgic Ruckblick, both exquisitely nuanced and shaded within an unbroken liquid flow. As for the finale, he finds unity in its diversity before a masterly revelation of Brahms’s contrapuntal cunning in the triumphant home-coming.” Gramophone Magazine

“Dedicated, strong performances, digitally remastered in 1998, spearheaded by the legendary cellist Anner Bylsma… the historic analog performance of Concerto Amsterdam is in a class by itself.” Gramophone Magazine

“The trump card in Harnoncourt’s recording is soprano Luba Orgonasova: a thrilling voice with a dark Slavonic glint, comfortably able to ride the ensemble at key moments, yet capable of real delicacy and tenderness.” Gramophone Magazine

“Harnoncourt describes these works as the “greatest, most important and artistically significant attempts to come to terms with the Christian liturgy”… Artistic significance oozes out of every pore in performances which have a depth of beauty, a range of expression and sense of awe… The mixed choir and soloists sing with a polish and blend which makes the choral parts immensely rewarding and the full, rich-toned soloists balance to perfection… Harnoncourt’s devotional approach pays handsome dividends. This is a performance that finds drama, passion and beauty in full measure and is captured in a most atmospheric and attractive recording.” Gramophone Magazine