"Recording of the month: There's some extraordinary playing on this beautifully recorded disc. The Armenian-born American pianist exhibits a profound empathy for Rachmaninov's music, revelling in its richness of sonority, its contrasting moods of elation and melancholy, and its structural fluidity ... What really binds this recital into an utterly compelling musical experience is the sheer range and tonal variety of his pianism"

"Sergei Babayans Rachmaninow ist ein feinsinniger Lyriker, in dessen Musik die Kantilene unangefochten regiert ... Das zweite und sechste der 'Moments musicaux', gemeinhin wahre pianistische Likörbomben, entfalten sich in einer Leichthändigkeit, die man kaum für realisierbar gehalten hat ... Es überrascht kaum, dass langsame, sangbare Miniaturen in seiner Auswahl dominieren ... Dieses zauberhafte Klavierspiel hat in seiner weichen, zart-organischen Art etwas geradezu Vegetabiles"

"This intimately personal anthology comes from another world, telling fireside stories through a haze of Balkan Sobranie and crème de menthe. The surprise is that it's apparently waited eleven years for release ... Nothing is rushed, everything is caressed from deep within. An impeccable masterclass, his way with time, delay and deeply grounded tone needs to be heard ... He projects this music gloriously, his legato more finely spun, more breath-taking to behold, than the finest mulberry silk. Wonderfully layered tapestries ... Magnificent"

"There are certainly no doubts about the fluency of Babayan's playing, nor about his affinity with Rachmaninov, even if that is rather over-egged in the gushing liner notes. There's a sense of cool refinement about everything he does, keeping plenty in reserve in even the most technically demanding passages, but the impression his playing leaves is often a rather neutral one, with little sense of a musical personality behind it"

"... a glance at the booklet shows that these recordings were made over a decade ago, in Hamburg in 2009. It's a pity they've taken so long to see the light of day, for this is a very impressive recital. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I'd rather hear Babayan play Rachmaninov than Trifonov, for his playing has a naturalness that is very telling"

"Recording of the month: How fascinating to hear Sergei Babayan ... in exquisite performances of Rachmaninov! This is music that requires a master's hand, most importantly to avoid unnecessary schmaltz, not to mention grandstanding. Babayan is steeped in the Russian tradition ... Hearing the flow of the C minor Étude-tableau Op. 39/1 reveals just what depth of intelligence and imagination is at work here ... This is Babayan's first solo album for the Yellow Label, and what an unalloyed success it is ... Babayan's superlative Rachmaninov recital is presented in perfect piano sound"