CD: Vladimir Jurowski conducts Britten

'This neat assemblage of early Britten contains wonderful things. The LPO responds marvellously to Vladimir Jurowski, and the depth of tone and fluency in the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge are remarkable for a live recording, while soprano Sally Matthews produces lusciously seductive sounds in the Rimbaud settings of Les Illuminations … The Double Concerto for violin and viola … fares best of the three, parading its slightly brittle anticipations of the later composer with the right mix of youthful brilliance and intimacy.'
Andrew Clements, The Guardian, 27 February 2009

'Pieter Schoeman and Alexander Zemtsov, leader and principal violist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra respectively, give a lithe and nuanced performance of the work, and get the balance between tonal individuality and blend just right … Under Vladimir Jurowski’s perceptive direction, the LPO strings given a robustly characterful account of the Frank Bridge Variations and add plenty of atmosphere to Sally Matthew’s visceral performance of the song cycle Les Illuminations.'
The Strad, June 2009

‘The LPO version [of the Double Concerto] is up close and personal, but this brings across the wiry threads of the solo writing and adds a sharper bite to the strings.’
Ben Hogwood, 'Good Morning Britten' blog, 10 July 2013