01-01-2019 Luister
"'His lyrical tenor had a youthful glow, he sang with moving beauty and penetrating insight,' wrote The New York Times on Christoph Prégardien. Tonight Prégardien sings the tenor parts, and he conducts the phenomenal singers of the Nederlandsche Bachvereniging. 26/02/2019."
23-12-2018 Klassiek Centraal
"A great singer together with a magical pianist, that produces an original CD to enjoy in twofold: song and piano transcription."
07-12-2018 Luister
"Many well-known titles, but also almost forgotten gems, all carefully and thoughtfully recited by the ever-impeccably singing Prégardien."
09-11-2018 Mania
"Both can work fine with these works that can give a nice effect in concert form."
07-09-2018 DAS ORCHESTER
"The fact that this CD is a matter of the heart of the three musicians cannot be overheard ... and the expectations ... are certainly fully fulfilled."
03-08-2018 OUVERTURE
"Tenor, horn and piano - that was a combination that was made for the Romantics!...a small but attractive selection."
19-01-2018 Luister
"Darbellay emphatically comes forward. The horn player sings a full-fledged song. I do not think that is a crazy choice. It gives an enormous power of expression. This without the horn dominating. Both Gees on the piano and tenor Prégardien offer more than enough counterweight."
22-08-2016 Musicweb
"The SACD sound is realistic, doing full justice to the piano as well as the voice, and the texts and translations are very clearly laid out."
02-08-2016 Basia Con Fuoco
"Michael Gees is definetely enjoying this as much as the singers. Just as the listeners. A lovely album!"
01-04-2016 Stereo
""To make every word clearly understandable is still a matter of course for this singer. The very well balanced proportion between grand piano and voice also contributes to this on this record. Not a millisecond of reverb too much spoils the concentration of the listener.""
01-03-2016 Fono Forum
""To make every word clearly understandable is still a matter of course for this singer. The very well balanced proportion between grand piano and voice also contributes to this on this record. Not a millisecond of reverb too much spoils the concentration of the listener.""
01-02-2016 Opernwelt
""Even if Prégardiens voice sounds a little autumnal by now and some tone comes out quite brittle, his interpretative skills remain impressive. Like only few other Lied singers he grasps the music as a medium for the words.""
20-11-2015 De Volkskrant
""The tenor is a storyteller who avoids mannerisms: no reverb, little vibrato, no preoccupation with nice sound. However, he is constantly audible, and he does not avoid the risk. In the highest registers he also has an astonishing resilience, as demonstrated in almost hummed encore Mondnacht. British accompanist Julius Drake showed a sensitive ear for detail. In the perlentränentröpfchen, the death coffin is nailed: they were all audible in the Steinway.""
15-07-2015 Limelight
""...an entertaining collection of curiosities and rearrangements of what some may consider to be sacred cows. (...) The disc's family chemistry makes for an convivial and highly enjoyable collection of songs."
3,5/5 stars"
01-06-2015 Luister
"Luister 10!
"The result is, apart from surprising and fresh, also breathtakingly beautiful.""
01-05-2015 BBC Music Magazine
"Performance 5*****
Recording 5*****
["].. This latest release from Christoph and Julian Prègardien, father and son, is a real treasure.""
27-04-2015 Musicweb
"'‘Father and Son’ features the great tenor Christoph Prégardien and his son Julian. They perform a generous selection of arrangements for two voices and piano of songs by some of the great lieder composers, and some by less familiar figures.'"
20-04-2015 NRC Handelsblad
"“Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willeke Alberti, Christa Ludwig - in all genres one will find singing parents with children singing as well. Christoph Prégardien also carried the torch to his son Julien (also a tenor) and it's a treat to hear how they handle Schubert's father-son ballad Erlkönig . The normal role sung by one singer is now a real dialogue between the feverish delirious son and the appeasing father - until death follows.
Not coincidentally, the accompanist and arranger here is pianist Michael Gees; one of the few 'free' classical musicians who conceive the Iron Repertoire in a flexible way. Gees deals with composed music as free as the composers themselves did, in a time where creation and performing were one.”"
01-04-2015 Music Web International
"["]..They perform a generous selection of arrangements for two voices and piano of songs by some of the great lieder composers, and some by less familiar figures.""
24-03-2015 Gramophone
"Both tenors display family traits of appealing mellifluousness and impeccable musicality. Together they communicate a sense of something homely, of improvisation and of singing for pure enjoyment."
23-03-2015 Fono Forum
"With stunning security for intonation and in perfect harmony with pianist Michael Gees. One wishes every father and son so much harmony."
01-03-2015 Gramophone
"["].. Prégardien père and fils have been performing together for several years and this disc of duets - some original most in arrangements - is often delightful.""
03-02-2015 Diapason
"5 tuning-forks (diapasons)!
"The trio breathes like one. Julian, Christoph and the faithful Michael Gees carve the details without freezing the spontaneity of the gesture.""
21-01-2015 Writteninmusic.com
"4 **** stars
"[...] that is sung by father and son in a very intimate and sober way[...]"
"This album is so much more than just pleasentness, more than just the joy of making music together at the homeof the Pregardien family.""
17-01-2015 BR.de
"This CD shows in a moving way how beautiful it can sound when father and son harmonize. Both lyrical tenors sing full of emotions, full of nuances, smooth and savouring the floating beauty, melancholy and dramatic art."
06-01-2015 WDR TonArt
"The intonation is flawless, they breath jointly and phrase neatly. A benefaction for the ears."
31-12-2014 De Volkskrant
"4**** stars
"Christoph and Julian make sure that sentiment never flows into sentimentality. But they do not hide the fact that they enjoy doing this very much, senior with his refined voice, junior with his very promising glow."
"
10-12-2014 SA-CD.net
"Performance: 5*****
Sonics: Stereo: 5 ***** en Multi-ch: 5*****
["].. it was inevitable that father and so would make recordings together, and here we have a remarkable programme which explores the possibilities of duets in Lieder.""
26-11-2014 Crescendo
"Interview - Striking is not only the same voice type but also the incredible similarity of the two voices"
03-03-2014 Luister
"Gees and Prégardien understand each other exactly in small liberties in tempo and dynamic accents"
01-11-2013 Pizzicato
"The quality of the musical recording and the video is distinguished, which is another advantage of this considerable recording. "
25-09-2013 www.opusklassiek.nl
""So sings Prégardien and so guides Gees. You can hear in each measure how they have grown together over the years. Deeply touched, tragic and at the same time an overwhelming authenticity""
02-09-2013 BBC Music Magazine
"5 out of five stars ***** for Recording and Performance
"Winterreise proves worth the wait"
"This Winterreise has a visionary quality that only the best achieve.""
02-09-2013 BBC Music Magazine
""Wether you find the close-ups of face and fingers distracting or deepen your appreciation is an entirely personal matter.Suffice is to say that the intense focus and concentration of both performers is confirmed visually."
5 out of five stars ***** for Performance
4 out of five stars**** for Sound&Picture and for Extras"
01-09-2013 BBC Music Magazine
"The Voice is in superb form, sensing out the underlying pulse and the minutest inflections of longing, delight, determination and soul-weariness within each lithe, live line of melody. Accompanying, Michael Gees has freshly reconsidered so much detail, too - possibly, it seems to me, with an ear to Schubert's late piano music."
01-08-2013 Early Music Review
"This is beautiful singing by a master of his craft [...]. Michael Gees is a perfect accompanist, and allows Prégardien and the music plenty of room to breathe. [...] I was immediately captivated by the sheer beauty of the singing, the quality of the vioce and especially by the feeling that this man just 'lives' Winterreise."
01-08-2013 Early Music Review
"This is beautiful singing by a master of his craft, and Prégardien brings to the cycle his early-music-specialisation qualities of precise diction, tuning and articulation"
17-06-2013 hdvdarts.com
""This Winterreise is, from the elitist point of view of this website, the best classical music recording ever produced outside of Japan. All you folks at Decca, DG, Sony, C Major, EuroArts, Accentus and the like---watch out. There may be more challenging video records coming soon to disrupt your markets! Grade: "A plus""
06-06-2013 Kulturradio am Mittag
"Three elements complete each other at this production in an almost perfect way: the piece of art, its congenial interpretation and the latest audio- and videotechnology, which supports the music in a professional and elegant way. "