Winner of the Orchestral category
60th Record Academy Awards (Japan) 2022
The 10 best classical records of 2022
6. “The conductor John Wilson’s attention to detail and character suits Ravel’s glistening clarity to perfection, while his “hand-picked” Sinfonia of London struts its magnificent stuff with pride. La Valse is tense with frissons of dread; Alborada del gracioso virtually bounces Spanish sunshine off the Alhambra tiles; and Boléro, in its original ballet version, even had me tapping my feet to this work, which is rare. Irresistible.”
Jessica Duchen – The Sunday Times – 11 December 2022
“… I’ve heard no more characterful orchestral performances this year than in the Sinfonia of London’s recording of Ravel’s Bolero with conductor John Wilson. An overwhelming experience." – James McCarthy
Gramophone magazine Critics’ Choice 2022 – December 2022
Winner of the Spatial Audio category
Edward Seckerson
Gramophone Awards 2022
Coup de cœur
Jacques Bonnaure – Classica magazine (France) – June 2022
“Here is Ravel that sounds luxurious and luminous, sensuous and sleek. Brilliantly recorded by the Chandos team, this dazzling orchestral program is painted in full technicolour – and is set apart from comparable Ravel albums thanks to its premieres of the original ballet scores for Boléro and Ma Mère l’Oye.” *****
Rebecca Franks – Limelight.com.au – 31 March 2022
Editor’s Choice – Orchestral
“… what really shines here is the illumination of so many colouristic permutations, sounding for all the world as if Ravel had just in this moment heard them….”
Edward Seckerson – Gramophone magazine – March 2022
Recommended
“John Wilson, the Sinfonia of London, and Chandos’ atmospheric SACD engineering make a formidable package.”
Roy Westbrook – MusicWeb-International.com – 4 March 2022
“… the eloquence of Wilson’s performances – subtly nuanced in the more reflective pieces and rhythmically incisive elsewhere – are unmissable. Another absolute winner for these artists.”
Graham Williams – cdchoice.co.uk – 24 February 2022
“… performances of technical excellence, emotional commitment, and splendid audio.”
David A McConnell – theclassicreview.com – 16 February 2022
“… surely the record of the year 2022 with Bolero (in the original and unreleased version ballet 1928) which is extraordinary and alone justifies the purchase of this album. We take full ears for nearly fifteen minutes, a real invitation to dance that will not leave anyone stoic. We want more!”
Crescendo magazine (Belgium) - February 2022
Classical Album of the Week
“… Wilson’s crack, handpicked orchestra responds to his refined, meticulous baton with playing of ravishing textural beauty, rhythmic elan and, in the repeated refrain of Boléro, cumulative power. An outstanding collection leaving the listener wanting more.” ****
Hugh Canning – The Sunday Times (Culture magazine) – 20 February 2022
Performance **** Recording *****
“… this superbly played and sumptuously recorded disc from the Sinfonia of London and John Wilson amply demonstrates the profound benefits of trusting Ravel. Has Ma mère l’Oye ever sounded more gorgeous or affecting? Every nuance of ‘Laideronnette’ is carefully crafted with no sense of fussiness, while the easing into the final shimmering climax of the fairy garden is judged perfectly, the spacious surround sound giving lustre to the iridescent colours…”
Christopher Dingle – BBC Music magazine – March 2022
“… This disc has many virtues including the superlative playing and the very fine engineering… The very generous running time is another significant bonus and I can imagine this disc proving popular with music and hi-fi collectors alike.”
Nick Barnard – MusicWeb-International.com – 17 February 2022
“… Ma Mère l’Oye and the Boléro are performed in new versions corrected by John Wilson. And one can definitely hear the difference, not only in Ma Mère l’Oye, but especially in the Boléro. But if I recommend this CD, it is primarily for the interpretations of the Sinfonia of London, which under John Wilson’s judicious and inspiring direction presents a quasi-acoustic 3-D scan of the music…” *****
Remy Franck – Pizzicato.lu – 2 February 2022
“There’s no shortage of action or Frenchness in John Wilson’s Ravel album, comprising many of the composer’s top orchestral hits (Mother Goose, Bolero, La Valse etc), superbly well played by the Sinfonia of London…” ***
Geoff Brown – The Times – 2 February 2022
“… This is fleet and lithe music-making of just the kind we know Ravel liked.” ****
Richard Fairman – The Financial Times - 28 January 2022
Recording of the Week
“… for me the highlight of the album has to be La valse, offering a dizzying kaleidoscope of shifting moods and colours. From complicated string harmonics to flutter-tongued flutes and raucous brass, it's a fiendishly difficult work to perform, and yet with this ensemble it comes across as nothing other than deftly effortless…”
James Longstaffe – Prestomusic.com – 28 January 2022
Performance ***** Sonics (Multichannel) *****
“… As expected the Chandos engineering is excellent throughout, with the acoustic of the Church of St. Augustine, Kilburn bringing clarity, spaciousness and depth of image in equal measures to the recorded sound. Comparisons with any of the countless other recordings of these ever popular pieces, all of which are already well represented on SACD, are superfluous and while one or more of them will be found already in the libraries of Ravel aficionados, the eloquence of Wilson’s performances – subtly nuanced in the more reflective pieces and rhythmically incisive elsewhere – are unmissable. Another absolute winner for these artists.”
Graham Williams – HR Audio.net – 26 January 2022
“I started with Boléro … Steady tempo, well-taken solos, well-built crescendo … Pavane pour une infante défunte (track ten) is nicely done … gently expressive, and Alborada del gracioso (track nine; orchestrated from the piano cycle Miroirs) is impressively played – there are many tricky corners to negotiate, not least for the trumpeter … The recorded sound is alluring – spacious, detailed and dynamic …”
Colin Anderson – ColinsColumn.com – 23 January 2022
“… The ballet version [Bolero], with beautifully taken solos, is, for me, the major discovery here. This is a truly captivating album, particularly when the sound is of such demonstration quality. A great issue. I’m only giving it five stars because I’m not allowed to award ten.” *****
David Mellor – The Daily Mail (Event section) – 22 January 2022
My Wish List
