Sonatas and folk dances

"Ehnes gives a stunning account of the Solo Sonata. The impression is that he's simply following all Bartok's meticulous direction ... and adding nothing extra. If this seems boring, the effect is anything but: clarity of articulation, beauty of sound, the ease with which he surmounts the technical challenges, and deep understanding of the work's structure and character; all these combine to make a performance that's exciting and enthralling".

"This second instalment of James Ehnes's traversal through Bartók's published works for violin and piano amply continues the high standard of its predecessor ... Vibrantly partnered by Andrew Armstrong, Ehnes give a consummate account of a piece that, for all its shortcomings, deserves to be more fully appreciated as a formative statement of intent [Violin Sonata in E minor] ... Although others have demonstrated how these might be made to 'sound' in context, Ehnes's approach unarguably enhances the virtues of his performance overall".