Diapason
“… we hear a refined timbre, lightness of touch and subtle palette of nuances and elegance of style … the slender phrasing breathes naturally … a splendid album”

BBC Music Magazine (*****)
“Like three good friends enjoying a glass of wine and a natter, the Sitkovetsky Trio sparkle with conviviality in this pairing of early and middle-period Beethoven. It’s wonderfully uplifting.”

Gramophone Magazine
“Admired in these columns for their Mendelssohn, Smetana, Dvorák et al, the Sitkovetsky Trio are equally impressive in Beethoven … they combine a sense of dialectical urgency, crucial in this work, with a natural conversational intimacy. Pianist Wu Qian, first among equals in this music, has a limpid, sparkling touch, using the pedal sparingly … Marrying polish and imaginative flair, minutely attentive to what the composer wrote, the Sitkovetsky’s Beethoven stands up well in a crowded field and whets the appetite for future installments.”

BBC Radio 3 Record Review
“Incredibly well matched, this is an established trio and you can tell how much they trust each other. There’s a wonderful mixture of buoyancy, particularly the pianist Wu Qian has the most formidably clear technique when it comes to some of the more taxing writing in the faster movements … It’s a lovely recorded sound as well.”

The Whole Note
“The Sitkovetsky Trio attracts attention with their elegant interpretations of carefully selected Beethoven piano trios and the creation of a particular sound that is very much their own. I was charmed by the lovely blend of the instrumental colours and the finely detailed and thoughtful work that went into directing and following the tides of these notable compositions … Much appreciated is the Sitkovetsky Trio’s ability to stay within the bounds of traditional chamber music-making while adding the intensity and vitality of their own understanding. A noble companion to contemplative times.”

Music Web International
“Pianist Wu Qian always plays with great verve and brilliance … [her] highly assured pianism stands out, as she dispatches all manner of runs and figurations with all the panache and aplomb of the young Beethoven … The Sitkovetskys are very effective in bringing off this almost tongue-in-cheek denouement … this release has much going for it in a crowded field.”

HR2
“A peaceful exhilaration exudes the Sitkovetsky Trio … The music flows and dances with great naturalness and lightness. The Sitkovetsky Trio shows that it dominates Beethoven’s entire range of expression.”

Fanfare
“… I found myself quite excited—riveted really—by the Sitkovetsky’s readings … The intense drive and nervous energy in the performance keep the listener on edge with fast tempos, fierce accents, and ferocious, clipped chords …This is a very encouraging start to a new survey of Beethoven’s piano trios.”

Several Instruments
“The Sitkovetsky Trio usher us into a completely different soundscape with their performance of the second Piano Trio of Beethoven’s op. 70 set … Here again is evidence of the sensitivity and musicality of the Sitkovetsky Trio. This entire program is remarkable, and bodes well for future volumes.”