Verklärte Nacht Op. 4

"This is Zubin Mehta's second recorded version of these cornerstone works ... the new readings improve in depth and formal insight. Verklärte Nacht, played by a smaller string orchestra, has less momentary emotionalism than before and therefore conveys a truer, richer flow of feelings in the dialogue between the man and woman. But there is one moment in the score that must stand out emotionally--the glorious shift to C major, where unconditional love and forgiveness transfigures the bleak night. This release's flaw is that this moment is understated, costing the work some of its payoff. So while the very successful Chamber Symphony improves on its predecessor, I'd rather hear the Decca Verklärte Nacht".

" Sherry and his group catch that sense of boundless energy and exuberant experimentalism perfectly, while always keeping a firm grip on the piece's structure. They mould the string-sextet version of Verklärte Nacht equally artfully, with every instrumental line beautifully presented. These are top-quality performances at bargain price".

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"Koncertanmeldelse: Jansen's pick-up supergroup ... gave a wonderfully organic account of the Schoenberg. Some of the playing was absolutely breathtaking, from the dark gravity of the opening, potently played by Maintz, to the gossamer delicacy of the interplay between Jansen and Brovtsyn as the light of dawn begins to glimmer. But then came the ne plus ultra, the infinitely lyrical and endlessly serious quintet ... even the Schoenberg was overshadowed. Though the individual contributions were predictably striking ... it was the vivid ensemble interplay that most gripped the attention throughout, with the two cellos always anchoring the work's astonishingly varied inspiration in a darker world. This was a performance to last long years in the mind".

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"The Glass Chamber Players deliver a smooth performance of the sextet Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4; what it may lack in sheer guts it more than makes up for with rich textures and sustained momentum. Likewise, Glass lovers may be surprised by how well the Symphony No. 3 adapts to the chamber music medium".

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"Den 35-årige hollandske violinist Janine Jansen har på en ny cd samlet nogle strygerkolleger og byder på to mesterværker i den vægtige ende af skalaen ... Findes i et væld af fremragende indspilninger, men Janine og hendes venner hævder sig smukt selv blandt de bedste. Der er mere end 70 år mellem de to værker på denne skive, men de opleves i den grad som åndsbeslægtede".

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"Artemis forener poleret perfektion med en stærk fornemmelse for indre sammenhæng og konsekvens og for det dramatisk fortællende i musikken. Spændende, udtryksmættet og bedøvende smukt".

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"Tre vidunderlige stykker fra det 20. århundrede ... en virkelig god plade".

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"The individual strands of the chamber version make the music even more claustrophobic than it need be, so that by the end of the half-hour the feeling that you are in the sauna is overwhelming. This team makes sure that you share their efforts to the full".

"The concluding bars of the Honegger ... sound particularly thrilling in this performance which packs a mighty punch in the earlier disorientating and frenzied energy of the Finale. Leducq-Barôme and the Baltic Chamber Orchestra are also impressive in the more reflective moments of the Symphony".

"Greissle's arrangement [opus 24] ... actually works better than does the similarly-scored arrangement of Verklärte Nacht ... Webern's complete music for solo piano is very well played by Roland Pöntinen ... A fascinating and rewarding disc".

"This arrangement, made by the Artemis Quartet's violinist Heime Müller, works wonderfully well ... There's little doubt that the Artemis's interpretation must be regarded as one of the most compelling".