"Enthusiastically recommended"
"Sisterhood is powerful. The Birringers project the radiant joy of the Grieg Sonata, shadowed by Liszt’s moving introspection, and a justly proportioned, elegantly standout performance of
Franck’s evergreen Violin Sonata. [...] Chez the Birringer sisters one has the sensation of hearing it for the first time. Apart from a smiling sweetness in phrasing, a fluent alertness to
melody, the Birringers share a certain punctilio, a keenness of touch—a crisp articulation—on the keyboard met by dead-center intonation on the violin making for a scintillance which eschews all
slurring, smudging, or impatient approximations. These virtues loom up close and palpable in immediate, detailed sound, though the violin is, of course, primus inter pares. Here are performances
satisfying, gratifying, to live with and enthusiastically recommended."
Fanfare Magazine, Issue July/August 2018
"With passionate temperament"
"The sisters from the Saarland interpret a well-balanced programme with passionate temperament and delicate musical harmony. In the Grieg Sonata, the juxtaposition of academic forms and
folkloristic tones is assessed with precision and balance. In the exuberant fin-de-siècle romanticism of the Franck Sonata [...] the cyclical elements of form are elaborated with rare
clarity. The ascetic sound world of the late Liszt is beautifully captured and forms an effective contrast between the two weighty main works."
Fono Forum, July 2018
"A keeper"
"An intelligent program and fine performances make this ['Lifelines'; note from the author] an attractive proposition even in a highly competitive field. [...] Even in such a crowded field, with
so many great performances of the Grieg and especially the Franck to choose from, the shrewdly programmed Liszt makes this album a keeper for me."
Audiophile Audition, 31 May 2018
"Fireworks"
"With elegance and dedication, the duo interpret a piece of Grieg’s, which we follow enthralled, as if hooked on a crime thriller. […] Even though the sisters have already delighted listeners
with their recently released album Lifelines, live they now take their performance up a notch. In the Birringer family, romanticism doesn’t mean to radiate bliss, but to show what a piece
is actually all about. Esther wonderfully lets off steam on the piano, while Lea seemingly casually unleashes fireworks on the violin. […] In any case, the audience are blown away."
O-Ton, 15 May 2018
"Invigorating performance"
"The sisters Lea Birringer, violin and Esther Birringer, piano, provided emphases that must be taken seriously."
Lübecker Nachrichten, 13 May 2018
"Terrific, engaging release"
"In Grieg’s F-major Violin Sonata no. 1, the duo’s exacting technical control is paired with a strong, collective poetic sensibility that gamely draws out the music’s sometimes halting, often
dissimilar personalities. Their playing is full of character, especially in the folk-like sections: the trio of the middle movement is full of vigor and the many Scandinavian fiddle gestures of
the finale hold nothing back.
The Franck Violin Sonata that closes the album is similarly all-in. This is an interpretation that’s fully attuned to the score’s turbulent passions – the middle movements, with their wild
contrasts and shifts of mood, color, and textures, burn particularly hot – but one that always manages to keep a cool head about itself. Textures are clear (a big plus in this busy piece), the
score’s transforming structure clearly delineated, tempos consistently well-judged, and the playing pulsing with rhythmic energy.
Overall, this is a terrific, engaging release that offers the excitement of a live performance with the perfection of execution and acoustic you only get from a studio recording; in other words,
the best of both worlds. Don’t miss it."
The Arts Fuse, 26 April 2018
"Characterful, if idiosyncratic, artists"
"The Liszt pieces are not exactly over-recorded, and the pair (Lea and Esther Birringer) approach them with style and the full-blooded commitment they bring to the entire disc. They sound
like instinctive, physical players, and they’re very evidently on the same wavelength as regards the music’s ebb and flow. There’s a winning freshness about the way they tackle the Grieg in
particular, bending into the sweep of a melody. Violinist Lea has an enjoyably springy way with a dance rhythm."
Gramophone, April 2018
"Infectious musicianship"
With works by Grieg, Liszt and Franck, the sisters Lea and Esther Birringer play a seemingly conventional programme. But nevertheless, there is much to discover! A smart selection, according to
Jörg Lengersdorf.
"Even simple airs boast stunningly inspired moments of chamber music interplay. […] Yet many chamber music fans may well still have a space on their CD shelves, and this one is definitely worth
discovering."
WDR3, 15 March 2018
"Magical"
"Luckily, sisters Lea and Esther Birringer do not count among those musicians who are exclusively fixated on flawless notes. They seek personal, human access to these three composers. The most
jubilant is their encounter with Grieg’s youthfully passionate sonata, whose zest for life and joie de vivre are clear from the very first note. The opening sparkles like the first rays of
sunshine of the day, and the leisurely buildup is completely natural and unforced. The middle movement is also magical […] Liszt sounds mature and reserved, but no less expressive and oppressive
too."
The New Listener, 10 March 2018
"To describe them as a team sworn to each other would be an understatement. […] But what impresses is not just the harmony, but above all their musical and technical skill."
Saarbrücker Zeitung, 05 March 2018
"With the greatest degree of precision"
"Worthy of especial praise are their intimate manner of playing and the tonal beauty. And of course it goes without saying that the whole is sustained with the greatest degree of
precision."
SWR2, 03 March 2018
"A musical force to be reckoned with"
"Anyone as good-looking as Lea and Esther Birringer might occasionally encounter reservations in the classical music scene, which is becoming increasingly focused on outward appearances. These
reservations are wholly unjustified, of course, because the two beautiful sisters from Saarland are a musical force to be reckoned with. Both of them also perform as soloists, but it is precisely
as a duo that they captivate audiences with their technical ability, profound musicality and – above all – perfect harmony. Atmospherically dense, they play the two rarely heard Liszt Elegies,
which form the centrepiece of their new CD. And they also artfully make the other two pieces, Edvard Grieg’s First Sonata and César Franck’s famous Sonata in A Major, their own: Their Grieg is
poetic and subtle, and their rendition of Franck shows a real fire burning within them."
Concerti, 26 February 2018
"Interpretational Moments of Bliss"
"On this CD, the sisters Lea and Esther Birringer show just how vivaciously, excitingly, spontaneously and at the same time delightfully, homogeneously and artistically chamber music can be
performed. I have to admit that I have never heard Grieg’s First Violin Sonata rendered so beautifully, in such dialogue and so full of atmosphere as on this recording. Lea and Esther Birringer
prove to be an ideal team, as first-rate musical partners.
Their dialogues flow with such wonderful naturalness and the virtuosity resulting from this naturalness is captivating, but never excessive. The two Elegies by Franz Liszt are also perfectly
balanced and show the Birringers to be very clever and above all highly competent musicians.
The atmospheric density and simply wonderful playing make Franck’s Violin Sonata a real jewel. At each point, the listener has the feeling that the music just has to sound like this and that Lea
and Esther Birringer’s rendition is the only possible interpretation. In addition to these interpretational moments of bliss, the two performers also display a breathtaking technique that makes
listening a real pleasure, especially as the excellent recording technique presents Lea and Esther Birringer’s interpretations and musical talent in an optimal light. This musical adventure is an
absolute must for any chamber music aficionado."
Pizzicato, 26 February 2018
"Without a hint of routine"
"The true musical stars of the evening were the Birringer sisters: [...] the ace up their sleeve was the intimate dialogue between violin and piano: an almost blind faith, fantastically
expressive in their interaction, without a hint of routine."
Ostsee-Zeitung, 16 October 2017
"A wonderful performance to experience"
"In the expressive piano part she satisfies the highest expectations with her powerful virtuosity and immaculate playing - performing as an equal partner to the orchestra, full of inner lyricism
and sparkling fluency."
Vorarlberger Nachrichten, 29 September 2017
"Aural delight through and through"
"'Lifelines' gathers highly dramatic and deeply romantic pieces from Grieg, Liszt and Franck, and was also recorded at Saarländische Rundfunk. It is an aural delight through and through."
Saarbrücker Zeitung, 19 September 2017
"Rapturous applause at the end of the season"
"In Franz Liszt’s two elegies, fragile lightness alternated with passionate, gloomy emotions. The piano often sounded as clear and vitreous as a harp. Lea Birringer played in a smoky-sonorous
manner on her violin, then again bright, immaculate tones, which seemed to caress the piano."
Oberbayerisches Volksblatt, 12 September 2017