Natalie Clein, Julius Drake - Kodály: Solo Cello Sonata, Adagio, Sonatina, Epigrams, Romance lyrique (2010)

'The compelling reason for acquiring this disc … is Clein's magnificent account of the Solo Sonata, Op 8. One of the masterpieces of the cello repertory, it opens with massive, declamatory chords, and Clein's depth of tone makes an immediate impact on this well-engineered recording … A must-have disc' (BBC Music Magazine)
'I can remember first hearing the Kodály Solo Sonata, nearly 50 years ago, and being amazed at its scope and at the composer’s extraordinary resourcefulness. Something of this sense of wonderment returned on listening to Natalie Clein’s account; she produces an astonishing range of colours and evokes the widest variety of expressive styles. I find it admirable, too, how she’s able, in the recording studio, to maintain so much of the excitement and directness of live performance' (Gramophone)
'Magically deft, soaringly passionate, without any trace of self-indulgence, Clein conjures a full orchestra of colours from her precious Guadagnini cello … Julius Drake's piano accompaniments are expectedly delicate and caring. Hyperion's warm recording is another joy' (The Times)
'Kodály's Sonata for Solo Cello represents one of those daunting summits that cellists feel ineluctably drawn to conquer, and Natalie Clein does so with terrific passion, piquancy and technical accomplishment' (The Daily Telegraph)
'An imaginative and very persuasive performance of the magnificent Sonata for Solo Cello … Clein characterises this music extremely well - the sense of a developing musical argument is particularly well brought out in her account, which lacks nothing in virtuosity either' (International Record Review)
'[Sonata for solo cello] … Extremely impressive, both in the impassioned rhapsodies of the first two movements, and in the array of folk tunes that are paraded in the ferociously challenging finale' (The Guardian)
'[9 Epigrams] These short, folk-inspired works, originally composed as vocal exercises, are jewel-like. Clein and her pianist Julius Drake play them simply, with deep affection and not a hint of condescension. Thrilling, moving, and beautifully recorded' (TheArtsDesk.com)
'Her greatest achievement is the 1915 Sonata: a fusion of Baroque rigour, Romantic breadth and ancient folk melodies, with tangy scordatura, ululating trills and bitter pizzicato … Pianist Julius Drake shades the introduction to the 1922 Sonatina exquisitely. A bold recital in which Clein embraces a darker, wilder sound' (The Independent on Sunday)
'[Sonata for Solo Cello] Clein proves a more than worthy champion … She rises above the fearsome technical challenges, capturing the bravura nature of the piece in a way that makes it 'speak' like pure music' (The Finanical Times)