DSCH JOURNAL:
The First Sonata is the obvious showpiece of the disc. Clarke leaves no doubt that he possesses the dual requirements of a formidable technique and an attendant stamina to perform this work … Atmosphere is paramount in this work and Clarke’s interpretation is completely successful. Throughout the piece, and despite the precariousness of its very nature, there is never any doubt that the performer is in command. Neither is there any doubt about the amount of thought that has gone into Clarke’s preparation. Tempo and its modifications are well-chosen throughout. Some of the accelerando passages are quite hair-raising in their intensity. This work should be experienced on the edge of your seat, a state usually only achieved in the presence of a live performance. It is no mean feat that Clarke has succeeded in making this possible for the home listener … Clarke himself has a profound interest in Shostakovich and a highly developed understanding of his music. This CD is a worthy item for Shostakovich collectors and piano enthusiasts alike.
Rosemary Cordy

MUSICWEB:
This disc is an absolute winner, a real cracker. I have Shostakovich played by a myriad of pianists, including the ‘famous names’, but, after hearing Raymond Clarke’s performances, they can all be relegated into the second division. The recording sound is brilliant, close, vibrant and it has a very exciting attack. The performances are legendary and superlative. I do not want to hear anyone else play these pieces again. These are the definitive versions. I hesitate to say any more since I am limited as to what adjectives I can use to describe that which is of the highest quality.
David Wright

MUSICWEB (2):
This is a superbly played and intelligently planned disc which should bring pleasure to all lovers of the music of Shostakovich and admirers of fine pianism. The soloist constantly strikes the right balance between irony and deeply felt emotion in these bittersweet performances. Raymond Clarke’s breathtaking technique is absolutely at the service of the music … moods are captured perfectly in these exquisite readings which unselfconsciously present us with scrupulous attention to details of the score with the added bonus of characterful playing … this is musicianship with heart rarely encountered in the recording studio … the recording matches the piano playing on this CD: natural, well balanced and completely at the service of the composer. As if the playing were not enough Raymond Clarke himself provides extensive and thought-provoking notes for the booklet accompanying the disc as well. This could be my disc of the month – you will have to go far to find more characterful playing demonstrating such consummate musicianship.
Paul Conway

MUSICWEB (3):
Raymond Clarke is right up there with Berlioz, Schumann and Wagner when it comes to stylishly lucid prose and I warmly commend his copious analytical notes to all. His pianistic technique is both adroit and secure, but it is his insight and judgement as an interpreter which really gives this invaluable CD its impressive sense of authenticity … This is indeed a magnificent disc. Buy it!
John Veale

FANFARE (USA):
It is sheer good fortune that [he set of Ashkenazy playing Shostakovich] comes onto the market at the same time as a new recording by English pianist Raymond Clarke … Clarke is a very different pianist from Ashkenazy, as suits the very different music: Instead of the warm, calm tones we get from Ashkenazy, Clarke gives us clarity and percussive incision – the older man’s wisdom, the younger man’s passion … Clarke’s program note is astonishingly perceptive, both musically and historically; indeed, it’s perhaps the most insightful and best-informed booklet essay I have ever seen from a performing musician … Clarke’s playing is breathtakingly precise … His range of expression is enormous … Athene has given him just about the best piano sound I have heard on CD, with enormous presence and a striking sense of perspective. We mere listeners are extremely lucky that two such recordings are now available. Each offers not only electrifying pianism but that transcendental sense of a massive intellect penetrating and illuminating the thoughts of one of humanity’s giants. These releases are towering achievements – and mandatory acquisitions for anyone who cares about music.
Martin Anderson

GRAMOPHONE:
Unless you want the Preludes and Fugues in their entirety, this disc gives you all the major Shostakovich piano works. Clarke gives the tumultuous First Sonata its head, then seeks out its successor’s uneasy eloquence more completely than any other modern account. His perceptive approach to the Op.34 Preludes emphasizes continuity over character, while lacking nothing in personality … further evidence of Clarke’s wide-ranging sympathies.
Richard Whitehouse

AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE:
Don’t let the timid cover photo of the pianist fool you: Clarke is a powerhouse, and he takes the explosive First Sonata head-on … it’s exhilarating and heavy stuff, and yet another reminder of how very different the young composer was from his later, dissident, post-Stalin self. Clarke is perfect for the assignment … Clarke again brings great panache to each of the youthful miniatures in the Op.34 Preludes: the E major ‘Presto’ (Number 9) astonishes in his hands. That tips the scales in favor of the Athene disc, which certainly impresses when heard as an integral recital. I should also mention the pianist’s copious and very intelligent liner notes.
Arved Ashby

BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE:
This marks my first acquaintance with Raymond Clarke’s playing, though his name had reached me courtesy of several very glowing reviews by authoritative critics. And to judge from his playing here, he is indeed a musician-pianist who commands instant respect.
Jeremy Siepmann

PENGUIN GUIDE TO COMPACT DISCS:
Raymond Clarke generously couples the two sonatas with the aphoristic and witty Preludes, Op.34,and these new performances are a viable first choice for anyone coming to this repertoire afresh.   *** ("outstanding")