A splendid showcase for the musicians’ substantial gifts and for Mozart’s never-ending genius.

Geoff Brown, The Times ★★★★

This recording exhibits a distinct personality with its light, playful style. Each of the two performances has a chamber-music intimacy, sensitive or lightly playful as the music demands.

Richard Fairman, Financial Times ★★★★

The players are unafraid to reveal the modernity of the writing. A psychological modernity, perhaps, as this is one of Mozart’s most profound utterances.
A fine disc, then: state-of-the-art recording quality meets youthful ebullience and emotional exploration. It won’t replace more hallowed versions of these pieces; instead it creates a viable modern alternative.

Colin Clarke, Classical Explorer

The sense of total harmony and integration among all four players is complete. The quartet present an altogether bolder, more audacious view, one that as you hanging on every note and phrase.

Bryce Morrison, International Piano

These are clearly talented players, and if only they had allowed the music to speak for itself their performances would have been a good deal more satisfying.

Misha Donat, BBC Music Magazine ★★

Rising soloists combine elegance and eloquence, character and grace in Mozart’s innovative quartets. The playing is imaginative and detailed; repeated sections are never done the same way twice, and the four play off each other in adding the odd ornament or decoration. There’s no real star: this is real chamber music.

Erica Jeal, The Guardian ★★★★

Powerfully characterful performances, full of panache. Perceptive interpretations that are convincingly paced, stylish, eloquently shaped and tastefully embellished.

Robin Stowell, The Strad

Their detailed interpretations present a nicely paced, expressive, and sophisticated performance with wonderful tone and superb passagework.

Andrew Palmer, Yorkshire Times

Following a highly successful series of concerts in Italy in the summer of 2022, Francesca Dego, Timothy Ridout, Laura van der Heijden and Federico Colli headed into the studio to record this album of Mozart's two Piano Quartets.
The confluence of four distinguished solo musicians in a quartet configuration always carries an air of prestige. The cohesion of Francesca Dego, a virtuoso violinist, Timothy Ridout, an accomplished viola-player, Laura van der Heijden, a masterful cellist and Federico Colli, a pianist of repute, materialized in a resplendent rendition of Mozart’s two piano quartets.
While recorded performances typically adhere to a constrained scope of interpretation, the present rendition boasts an unmistakable individuality. Each of the two performances emanates an aura of chamber-music intimacy, astutely navigating between sensitivity and a light-hearted playfulness that mirrors the essence of the compositions.
The amalgamation of a lighter stylistic touch with deft artistry enhances the interpretative landscape of Mozart’s timeless compositions. The collaboration between Dego, Ridout, Van der Heijden, and Colli not only breathes new life into these piano quartets but also accentuates their significance in the pantheon of classical music.

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