What the critics say

"Once again Konstanze Eickhorst is at the keyboard. In the players of the Linos Ensemble she has found a degree of commitment equal to her own. The sound they produce is both full-bodied and brilliant, their phrasing is eloquent, and the recording has a convincing dynamic impetus and balance." Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 9 May 2009 [cpo, Louise Farrenc, vol. 2]

"The Linos Ensemble now has another outstanding recording to its credit." www.klassik.com, May 2009 [cpo, Louise Farrenc, vol. 2]

"L'excellent Ensemble Linos lève le voile sur deux pièces révélatrices de Francis Poulenc, dont l'atmosphère par moments nostalgique et sombre apporte un contraste avec les mélodies charmantes et les traits volubiles et presque clownesques qui peuplent les mouvements rapides. ... Tous les instruments se donnent la réplique à l'aide d'une panoplie de thèmes nostalgiques et de trucages sonores particulièrement réussis. Un tour de force d'équilibre que le Linos Ensemble signe avec brio."
pizzicato, 10/2007 [Poulenc/Françaix, Capriccio 67191]

"... Konstanze Eickhorst making the most of her concerto-style opportunities to shine in Ries's intricate and genial piano parts. Warmly recommended." International Record Review, 10/2005 [Ries, cpo 999 937-2]

"With its flamboyant-heroic piano part and the enemble of violin, viola, cello, double bass, clarinet, horn and bassoon playing an orchestral role, this work is a genuine solo concerto; its opening recalling Beethoven's Emporer concerto. The Linos-Ensemble play with polish and plenty of dynamic contrast."
Sunday Times, 21.8.2005 [Ries, cpo 999 937-2]

"... Konstanze Eickhorst is a wonderful guide through these variations. Rather than wow us with brilliant technical displays, she uses an ample tonal palette to illuminate the realtionship of each to the theme. ... Eickhorst plays these sensitively, using rubato that seems to develop naturally - it's never intrusive: on the contrary, it helps to focus the ear on what is essential in the music. Eickhorst is a very effective champion of these pieces .."
American Record Guide, May/June 2004 [Farrenc, cpo 999 879-2]

" ... A ces oeuvres, il fallait une interprète qui, elle aussi, réunirait le brillant de la virtuosité et le raffinement d'une musicalité éprouvée. A cet égard, Louise Farrenc ne pouvait être mieux servie que par la pianiste Konstanze Eickhorst."
Le Monde de la Musique, 4/2004 [Farrenc, cpo 999 879-2]

" ... Konstanze Eickhorst obviously believes in this music, and plays it as such." International Record Review, 4/2004 [Farrenc, cpo 999 879-2]

"... Konstanze Eickhorst, a Clara Haskil Competition winner who has previously recorded Farrenc's piano quintets and also Clara Schumann piano music for CPO, has dear sympathy with the material and takes it sometimes considerable technical challenges in her stride. ... her eloquent and sensitive shaping of Farrenc's beautiful Op. 49 Nocturne redeems any excess of enthusiasm elsewhere."
BBC Music Magazine 4/2004 [Farrenc, cpo 999 879-2]

" ... Konstanze Eickhorst poursuit son exploration de l'oeuvre de la compositrice - on se souvient des beaux Quintettes avec piano et contrebasse. Elle maîtrise parfaitement la technique de ce répertoire eigeant; son jeu est virtuose, brillant, expressif, mais sans ostentation."
Diapason, 3/2004 [Farrenc, cpo 999 879-2]

"Konstanze Eickhorst spielt sie [Farrenc] mit hörbarem Engagement, prägnant, flüssig und mit bemerkenswerter Klarheit."
pizzicato, 1/2004 [Farrenc, cpo 999 879-2]

"Vielerlei Überraschungen hält Konstanze Eickhorst in ihrem Querschnitt durch das pianistische Schaffen der Französin Louise Farrenc-Dumont bereit: Genialistisches wie in den kraftvoll inspirierten Etudes op. 26 wechselt mit unverbindlicher Salonmusik (Nocturne, Valse brillante) und gefälligen Bravourvariationen ab."
Musik & Theater, 5/2004 [Farrenc, cpo 999 879-2]

"Superbe Klangqualität."
Fanfare 3/1994 [Farrenc, Quintets, cpo 999 194-2]

" ... Konstanze Eickhorst, however, is clearly an artist with an unusual depth of poetic response as well as a superb technician. Not only was her reading practically note-perfect, leonine in strength and convincingly thoughtful, it also exhibited a maturity of emotional conviction."
Richard Perry, The Whig Standard, Ontario/Canada

"Konstanze Eickhorst is a consummate musician. It was a privilege to hear her play in Nelson."
Nelson Mail, Nelson (NZ), 3/2002

"Then came one of Schubert's last three piano sonatas, in C minor. In second-rate hands a dominant impression of Schubert can be the repeats, but Ms Eickhorst brought such variety and impulsive exultation to it, with such illuminating phrasing and attention to inner voices that the music sounded fresh and original."
The Evening Post, Wellington (NZ) - 3/2002

" ... The Piano quintet owes more to Reinecke's other great Leipzig exemplar, Schumann, and is harmonically wider ranging. ... His excellence as a pianist was widely attested (he even made some piano rolls in old age), and one can believe this from the nature of the writing, to which Konstanze Eickhorst rises with infectious enthusiasm. ..."
Gramophone, 6/2002 [Reinecke, cpo 999 618-2]

" ... The Piano Quintet – an acknowledged masterpiece among Reinecke aficionados – goes a step further, its mysterious, tonally ambiguous opening showing that the lessons of Wagner and even of early Schoenberg had been fully assimilated. The Linos ensemble gives this fine music all the care it deserves in ist passionate, clean performances."
BBC Music Magazine, 7/2002 [Reinecke, cpo 999 618-2]

" ... L'Ensemble Linos les joue avec la verve et le brio nécessaires, piano volubile et cordes généreuses, parvenant même à leur conférer par moments des élans schumanniens ..."
Diapason, 6/2002 [Reinecke, cpo 999 618-2]

" ... Las versiones del Linos-Ensemble, son, por lo general, muy elocuentes y equilibradas, con un sentido del fraseo y una cohesión admirables, y hacen que este álbum un excelente punto de partida para conocer la producción camerística de un compositor a tener en mayor consideración y aprecio."
CD Compact, 7-8/2002 [Reinecke, cpo 999 618-2]

" ... On this excellently produced CPO recording the Linos Ensemble does its utmost to represent these works as music deserving to be heard. ... Being a virtuoso pianist himself, Fesca produced pieces that are in effect piano concertos in miniature, so there's plenty of showy passagework ..."
Classics Today, 11/2001 [Fesca, cpo 999 617-2]

" ... Almost entirely unrepresented on disc, it's helpful to have some examples of Fesca's music available, and these capable accounts of his two Septets from the Linos Ensemble make out an unexpectedly strong case for these neglected works. ..."
BBC Music Magazine, 1/2002 [Fesca, cpo 999 617-2]

" ... The music itself is a delight – constantly inventive, melodically generous, rhythmically alert, good-natured and outward-going, full of feeling nonetheless. ... I am delighted to have discovered them, particularly since the Linos Ensemble give them such sparkling performances."
Fanfare, 5-6/2002 [Fesca, cpo 999 617-2]