Penguin Rosettes, Romantic (era)

If Saint-Saëns's idiom once answered – and maybe still does – to qualities fundamental to the French musical character, it must be said straight away that Hough sounds the complete insider.... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010More…

Hickox and the London Symphony Orchestra have come up with a recording that you can cheerfully measure against most others in the catalogue, before you consider its unique extra charms! — John Armstrong, bbc.co.uk, 20th November 2002More…

The Gramophone Good CD Guide awarded this its highest accolade, denoting "an unrivalled version, a cornerstone of the catalogue", adding that "this is surely the greatest, certainly the richest... — Gramophone Magazine, October 2007More…

faster, fiercer, yet more freely expressive than his 1990 version. — Classic FM Magazine, February 2012More…

A real meeting of minds, these CDs capture perfectly the insight and poetry that de Larrocha brings to this quintessentially Hispanic music, and Decca's warm but not oppressively close recording... — BBC Music Magazine, August 2008, 5 out of 5 starsMore…

Paul Groves's sophisticated, elegant tenor is not ideally the sort that should be essaying this role. With Bryn Terfel… sounding a little frayed, Alice Coote makes the biggest impact. It's... — BBC Music Magazine, February 2009, 3 out of 5 starsMore…

Mordkovitch here transformed the elusive Elgar Violin Sonata. In rapt and concentrated playing she gives it new mystery, with the subtlest pointing and shading down to whispered pianissimos. — Penguin Guide, 2011 editionMore…

There have been a number of outstanding recordings of the Dvorák Concerto since this DG record was made, but none to match it for the warmth of lyrical feeling, the sheer strength of personality... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010More…

Songs of the Sea - which includes the long-popular 'Drake's Drum' and 'The Old Superb' - and the later, texturally richer and more thoughtful Songs of the Fleet are superb baritone vehicles... — BBC Music Magazine, July 2006, 4 out of 5 starsMore…