Bartok / Penderecki / Carter / Kurtag / Benjamin: Soli – Waley-Cohen

   in Classical Music (Jun, 2015)
It’s brave for a young artist to settle on a seemingly hardcore programme of solo repertoire, but it’s a measure of Waley-Cohen’s commitment and energy (not to mention prodigious technique) that it succeeds utterly. Bartok’s sonata is as fine as any on record, cogent and genuinely moving; Penderecki’s substantial cadenza proves a gripping ten-minute masterpiece; and miniatures by George Benjamin, Elliott Carter and (especially) Gyorgy Kurtag are valuable rarities. Recorded sound and presentation are of an equally impressive standard. …