8.559622-23 Bernstein: Mass IRR OUTSTANDING AWARD
“Marin Alsop has done her mentor proud…from the start, Alsop conducts with inspiring rhythmic energy…her pacing is superb…the result is not only a welcome opportunity to revisit Mass but also an experience that is both thrilling and moving….This outstanding performance comes with the benefit of excellent sound…from every point of view, this can be counted a triumphant success.” -Nigel Simeone, International Record Review July/August issue
EDITORS CHOICE
“Happy times a go-go for fans of Bernstein’s Mass… the extraordinary baritone Jubilant Sykes takes the central role of the celebrant,… Alsop also relishes the stylistic smorgasbord, from which flows an incisive dramatic whole.” -Philip Clark, Classic FM Magazine, October issue
“This magnificent new recording combines youthful energy and vital experience… [Alsop] conducts with a fervent belief in the blazing variety and validity of the score. The result betters the composer’s own recording and makes a bold and persuasive claim for Mass.” -Michael Quinn, Choir and Organ, November/December issue
CD OF THE MONTH
“Alsop’s Jubilant Sykes is the best of all possible celebrants… Sykes was born to play this part…. Alsop is at the root of everything, of course, and her Baltimore players surge ever forward… Alsop and co have probed so deeply, it is not at all assured that the old doubts will not resurface at some point. Blistering.” -Philip Clark, Gramophone, September issue
BBC CHORAL CHOICE
“This Naxos issue is a virtual triumph from beginning to end…. In terms of technical achievement it trumps all…the Baltimore Symphony plays most eloquently, particularly in the many lyrical woodwind passages. Engineering is superb, as is [the] booklet essay… Alsop’s tight-knit, symphonic pacing delineates the structure of the work without diluting its exuberant eclecticism or softening its hard road towards spiritual awakening.” -Howard Goldstein, BBC Music Magazine, September issue
“[Mass] demands total belief from its performances if its theatrical power is to conquer its self-referential zaniness. Alsop obliges. Conducting the BSO and massed choirs, she inspires a reading of joyous finesse.” -Andrew Clark, Financial Times, 18 July 2009
CLASSICAL CD OF THE WEEK
“Alsop directs a performance that attests not only to her admiration for the piece, but also to the way she can tap the music’s colour and spirit… enthusiasts need look no further for a first rate recording.” -Geoffrey Norris, The Daily Telegraph, 1 August 2009
8.572025 Martinu: Piano Music Vol. 7
“[This music] is as evocative of its composer as it is easy on the ear and Czech-born Koukl is a most persuasive advocate.” -Andrew Clark, Financial Times, 25 July 2009
8.572151 Gurney: Songs
“Susan Bickley and iain Burnside have put together a well-balanced recital of the inward-looking, the tender and the effervescent…. This is subtly and winningly executed by both artists.” -John T Hughes, IRR, September issue
“What’s wonderful about this performance is the way singer and pianist respond so sensitively to Gurney’s word-painting and musical inflections. Susan Bickley colours every long-breathed phrase imaginatively and Ian Burnside’s accompaniment is subtle and thoughtful.” -Emma Baker, Classic FM Magazine, September issue
All Naxos Historical, Naxos Classical Archives, Naxos Jazz, Folk and Rock Legends and Naxos Nostalgia titles are not available in the United States and some titles may not be available in Australia and Singapore because these countries have copyright laws that provide or may provide for terms of protection for sound recordings that differ from the rest of the world.
