“But we also have the disarming, twinkling simplicity of Reger’s ‘Des Kindes Gebet’, as well as Adolf Strauss’s suave ‘Ich weiss bestimmt’, presented with a gentle pathos and sophistication that quietly underlines the tragedy of its having been composed in Terezín – here, as throughout, the piano-playing of James Baillieu is superb.”
Hugo Shirley, Gramophone, 2017
“Accompanying Appl- who responds to texts and their implications with ease – is pianist James Baillieu. His way with Schubert’s Seligkeit is exemplary, he captures the bitter-sweet tinge of Reger’s Des Kindes Gebet to perfection and provides a wonderful bed of sound for Schreker’s astonishing Waldeinsamkeit. Throughout, Baillieu provides himself in harmonically elusive textures, his Schubert Nachstuck finds him spinning a carpet of twilight. A real winner.”
International Piano Magazine, July 2017
“His Schubert, Brahms and Wolf are impressive, thanks partly to James Baillieu’s finely judged piano playing…”
Erica Jeal, The Guardian, 9 March 2017
“…but mostly these performances are mellow in sound, engagingly expressive and skilfully accompanied by James Baillieu.”
Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 10 March 2017
“Baillieu is an imaginative and insightful partner, and the recording does full justice to a winning project.”
Guy Weatherall, Rheingold, 24 March 2017
“Saluons en revanche la prestation du pianiste James Baillieu. De son toucher léger et élégant, il répond à merveille au chant nuancé du baryton créant ainsi un superbe climat d’intimité et de complicité.”
“We welcome the performance of the pianist James Baillieu. His light and elegant touch perfectly matches with the nuanced singing of the baritone. He creates a perfect intimate and complicity atmosphere.”
Andreas Laska, Res Musica, 29 May 2017
“Ein eindringliches Recital gleichwohl, auch dank des exzellent Klavier-Partners James Baillieu.”
“An impressive recital, also thanks to the excellent piano partner James Baillieu.”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 15 May 2017
“Dennoch gelingen Benjamin Appl und Begleiter James Baillieu Äußerst intensive interpretationen, beispielweise mit ‘Ich weiß bestimmit, ich werd’disch wiedersehen’ …”
“Nevertheless, Benjamin Appl and his companion James Baillieu succeeded in the extremely intense interpretations, in particular in ‘Ich weiß bestimmit, ich werd’disch wiedersehen’…”
Die Rheinpfalz, 14 March 2017