Gramophone Choice - August 2013 

'Katherine Bryan and the RSNO capture the fluctuating moods of the music superbly in this performance, by turns lyrical, playful, sinister and violent.

Bryan certainly has complete mastery of the technical and expressive demands... exquisitely eloquent.'

'...Bryan plays with brilliance, dexterity and sensitivity, fully matching the demands and responses placed upon the soloist.' International Record Review 'A follow-up disc that is every bit as charming, lively and challenging as the first...[and] offer[s] up a delicious cocktail of rare and beautiful music. Bryan's wistful performances do every one of them justice. The Scotsman '...captured in Linn's sonic splendour, [it's] simply amazing to hear...Highly recommended!' Maestro Steve Booklet notes The flute concerto originates from the Baroque era, when it was pioneered by the likes of Antonio Vivaldi and Georg Philipp Telemann. It was later taken up by many of the best-loved composers of the classical era, although the popularity of the flute as a solo instrument began to decline towards the end of the 18th century. Mozart once complained in a letter to his father that he became ‘quite powerless whenever I am obliged to write for an instrument which I cannot bear', although he did write three very popular flute concertos - and, of course, the opera The Magic Flute. It was not until the late 19th century, when Fauré, Debussy and Ravel revolutionised flute music with their pioneering take on Impressionism that the instrument again began to enjoy mainstream popularity. In the early 20th century, the flute was popularised further by the French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal, who toured around the world performing concertos by composers from Bach and Vivaldi to Gershwin and Ravi Shankar. More recently, flute concertos have been among the most successful works of many late 20th-century composers. The concertos of Carl Nielsen, Jacques Ibert, Aram Khachaturian (a violin concerto arranged for flute by Rampal), Malcolm Arnold and Kalevi Aho are among many regulars on the concert circuit.


Maestro Steve

'Highly recommended!'
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Daily Telegraph

‘...appealingly liquid timbre, fluency and pearly articulacy...'


Pizzicato
‘Bryans kristalliner Ton schwebt durch den Raum und macht die intimen Momente der music zu einem besonderen Erlebnis.’
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Fanfare
‘The recording catches Bryan’s full clear tone beautifully, in perfect balance with the orchestra.’
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American Record Guide
‘Energy and intensity is the key to a performance of the Ballade by Swiss composer Frank Martin (1890–1974), and Bryan doesn’t let up.’
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MusicWeb International
‘...a fine performance...'
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International Record Review
'...Bryan plays with brilliance, dexterity and sensitivity, fully matching the demands and responses placed upon the soloist.'
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Gramophone
Choice: '...exquisitely eloquent...'
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BBC Radio 3 'CD Review'
'...an interesting programme'
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Maestro Steve
‘…captured in Linn’s sonic splendour, [it’s] simply amazing to hear…Highly recommended!’
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McAlister Matheson Music
'Bryan offers effortless, impeccable performances…’
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The Scotsman
Interview & Review: 'A follow-up disc that is every bit as charming, lively and challenging as the first...[and] offer[s] up a delicious cocktail of rare and beautiful music. Bryan's wistful performances do every one of them justice.'
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AllMusic.com
'An immensely satisfying flute-and-orchestra recital.'
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HighResMac.com
'Bryan überbrückt den Spagat zwischen moderner Atonalität und harmonischer Auflösung mit feinem, warmem Ton und zeigt, warum sie als eine der besten Flötistinnen Britanniens gilt.'
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Hi Res Mac
‘Das wird der munteren, spielfreudigen und sehr genauen Interpretation nur gerecht.’
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Classical Daily
‘Young flautist Katherine Bryan is rapidly establishing her place as one of Britain’s bright musical stars of the future.’


Dagogo
‘Katherine has chosen a program that places maximum demands on her and the RSNO but one that delivers maximum pleasure for the listener… astonishing pyrotechnics from both the flute and the orchestra’
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