Mendelssohn: Symphony No 3 'Scottish' [download]

Gramofon’s Foreign Classical Compact Disc of the Year

Gramphone’s Editor’s Choice
‘Gardiner brilliantly delineates orchestral textures and proves a perfect collaborative partner for Pires.’

Sverige Radio’s Record of the Week
'A resounding cheer for this album!'

Classic FM Drive’s Featured Album
‘As you might expect, Sir John brings his love of authentic performance into his approach - the LSO strings sound bright and breezy as they evoke Mendelssohn's Scotland in both the Scottish Symphony and his Hebrides Overture.’

Performance: ***** Recording: ***** ‘A dense, eventful performance, as one wishes Schumann performances to be more often.’
Fono Forum

Performance: ***** Recording: ****½ ‘The sound quality on these discs is amongst the best that I have heard from LSO Live. The piano is very well balanced with the orchestra and the shortcomings of the Barbican acoustic are minimal… Highly recommended.’
SA-CD.net

***** ‘This album is, in short, perfection in a nutshell.’
Cutting Edge

***** ‘Top sound quality… the orchestra plays at its best, a truly magnificent recording.’
Neue Presse

‘Playing and balance throughout are exemplary… [Pires] has the enviable ability to make everything sound fresh but natural, and her tone is enchanting.’
BBC Music Magazine

‘A wise, intelligent performance. Praise too for LSO Live's engineers – this is among the best-sounding recordings from this source.’
The Arts Desk

‘If I had to pick my record of the year, there would be a queue. Leading that queue, and ticking every box, is the stunning, revelatory new recording of Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony and Hebrides Overture, with, to my taste, one of the finest performances of Schumann's Piano Concerto that I have ever heard. The whole thing is absolutely wonderful, and an education.’
The Herald Scotland