The Peasant Girl

“The programme, which initially looked bitty, adds up to a coherent sequence...All of the performance have energy and imagination, and even though Kodaly's Duo, passionately played by Mullova and Barley, might seem at a tangent to the rest, it makes perfect sense as the culmination of a beautifully recorded album.” --BBC Music Magazine, September 2011 *****

“[this disc] mingles gypsy-influenced jazz compositions by the Modern Jazz Quartet and Weather Report with several of Bartók's folk-derived pieces and Zoltan Kodály's three-part "Duo for violin and cello". The latter's astringent, bare-wire tonalities are the standout here, aptly described by Barley as not so much classical influenced by gypsy music, as gypsy music with a smart set of clothes.” --The Independent, 24th June 2011 ***

“sit back and enjoy the brilliant, imaginative playing, with its interesting dialogue between the performance styles of jazz and classical music...[Mullova] certainly sounds spontaneous but retains a disciplined polish from her classical training...all in all this is a very stimulating programme, performed with flair and finesse.” --Gramophone Magazine, October 2011