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Reviews
Review for France Revisited
The playing by Piano à Deux … is excellent. They have chosen a vibrant and imaginative programme, and have succeeded in introducing the listener to two works by the unjustly neglected George Onslow.
– 9 November 2017, John France (MusicWeb International)
Review for France Revisited
It’s all beautifully played … An album we have played a number of times without being able to decide what its main attraction is: sprightly air, nice atmosphere or the rather luxurious effect of having two pairs of hands playing. It’s an engrossing and entertaining album.
– 28 November 2017, Jeremy Condliffe (The Chronicle, Congleton, UK)
Review for France Revisited
Their new disc, France Revisited – Music by Onslow, Debussy and Poulenc (Divine Art dda 25132) is an example of piano four hands performance at its very best
– 29th November 2017
Review for France Revisited
I expect this to be the first in another long line of excellent piano duo recordings … Robert Stoodley and Linda Ang are clearly capable of filling the shoes of their predecessors … Goldstone and Clemmow … on Divine Art (record label)
– 21 Apr 2018, James Harrington (American Record Guide)
Review for France Revisited
The Stoodleys offer a winning performance of Debussy’s Petite Suite. Their tempos are more leisurely than the rather brisk ones chosen by Michel Béroff and Jean-Philippe Collard (EMI), especially in “Cortège” and “Ballet.” Their linearity, elasticity, gracefulness, and blended tonal palette contrast with the more percussive and détaché playing, textural clarity, and urgent forward pressure of Béroff and Collard. Although it’s hard to dispute the pedigree of those two eminent French pianists if forced to choose I would opt for the Stoodley performance as a more satisfying realization of this charming music.
– 13 Mar 2018, Daniel Morrison (Fanfare)
Review for Porgy, Preludes & Paris
The sheer delight that PORGY, PRELUDES & PARIS produces …comes with a very idiomatic , very American, very cool, very laid-back, very down-to-earth, very unpretentious, very….Gershwin way of playing Gershwin….
You cannot swing nor play stride piano unless you can counterbalance precision and meticulousness with an utterly relaxed approach to the keyboard.
The Stoodleys have it all and Divine Art has a winning ticket with these two artists.
More please!
– February 2019,
Rafael de Acha https://www.RafaelMusicNotes.com
Porgy, Preludes & Paris
Scenes from Porgy and Bess are excellent. This is really a well-developed fantasy that represents not only the main melodies of this American masterpiece, but also works in’ musical textures from the accompaniment and the chorus parts. As such, it is highly successful.
– 20 March 2019, Music Web International John France
