"...the Kansas City Symphony sets its sights on another with a second all-English concert for multiple Grammy-winner Reference Recordings, featuring a revelatory Enigma Variations. From the outset, Michael Stern and his world-class band bypass the riddle by treating the theme with such spare, noble sentiment that the music takes on a transcendent air that honours the deep personal connections Elgar felt for the subjects of his variations ... For audiophiles, not only is the recording full of demonstration passages but the way Stern keeps stretching the climaxes such as the ones in 'Troyte' will show just how much a system will take. It's one of those satisfying instances where the recording engineers have caught perfectly the sound and sense of being there...with the sheer presence and weight that real sound possesses." — Laurence Vittes, Gramophone
Labels: Elgar and Vaughan Williams, Gramophone Magazine, Kansas City Symphony, Michael Stern, Review