‘These performances are technically assured, warm-toned, beautifully blended and ideally balanced. The Tinalley’s approach to articulation is especially striking: the players separate some notes that are normally syncopated in the finale of no.1 and ignore much ‘traditional’ slurring. They characterise Haydn’s differing moods with sharp insights (especially in the cheeky finale of no.4), relish his developing dramatic language, occasionally add ornamentation in repeats, and make telling use of silence as an expressive device (finale of no.3). They draw full value from his digressions to remote keys and his excursion into folk music (in no.4’s extrovert Menuetto alla zingarese) and communicate detail vividly, yet bring to the music breadth, control and cohesiveness (as in the Affettuoso of no.1).’
– ‘Recommended Listening’ – The Strad Magazine‘The Quartet has been mentored by many of the world’s finest ensembles including the St. Lawrence, Keller and Takács quartets and like these bands, have attained that all too rare balance of intellectual enquiry and technical virtuosity which sets apart the finest quartets in the field. And here are the quartets with which Tinalley are most conversant having played them often in recital both here and overseas.
Here’s a disc which can hold its own amongst other newcomers. Australian music-making at truly a world level.’
– Limelight Magazine‘From first note to last, the four musicians hit all the right buttons… it is perhaps invidious to single out any one player because all four are clearly as one in revealing the essence of whatever they essay. It’s a rare pleasure to listen to playing that is so committed to musicianship at its highest.’
– OzArts Review‘This new recording, canvassing half of the epochal Op. 20 quartets, makes a superb contribution to the discography of the Haydn string quartets, and marks another major achievement in the life of this quartet.’
– The Music Trust