Ornstein: Piano Sonatas No. 4 & No. 7 / etc

Calum McDonald
BBC Music Magazine
"Janice Weber is an excellent guide to Ornstein's imaginative world...the growing clan of Ornstein fanciers will rightly want both discs for their wealth of stimulating and frequently astonishing music, ultimately unlike anyone else's."

Christopher Williams
Fanfare, May/June 2003
"The sound of this recording, made in a Toronto church, is warm and natural, suited to Weber's humanistic approach. If you are unfamiliar yet with the accessible yet challenging amalgam of turn- of-the-century and futurist styles that shapes Leo Ornstein's world, Naxos makes it easy to get acquainted."

Kevin Sutton
MusicWeb International
"Once again, we owe Naxos a huge debt of gratitude for giving us a splendid sample of a unique composer's piano music, heretofore consigned only to obscure and expensive discs. I was most anxious to receive this recording when I read of its pending release, and I was certainly not disappointed...Janice Weber is a pianist of considerable gifts. She brings this music to life with impeccable technique and loving sensitivity. She is a major talent, and I look forward to hearing her future projects.

This is a must-have for pianophiles. And what a great contribution to the repertory! This is a composer worthy of a place in the pantheon of greatness, and this is music that absolutely must be heard by a wider audience. I give this recording an unqualified recommendation, one that any lover of fine piano music and excellent piano playing will want to own. A winner on all sides, Naxos is to be praised again for their dedication to interesting music, quality performances and all at a fantastic price."

Daniel Felsenfeld
Andante.com
"Pianist Janice Weber is close to perfect in her interpretations, finding the calm amidst all those notes as best she can and drawing out of her piano both a sumptuous "French" quality and a punchy, cheekily dissonant tone as the music requires. She does not lose focus for a second, even when the music does. One could imagine different performances of this music, but it is hard to imagine better ones. Just because certain pieces of music aren't groundbreaking historically or towering achievements of art doesn't mean they are unimportant, and it takes a label with courage to see that. Once again Naxos offers, at the usual discount price, a chance to judge for yourself. Another installment of the label's admirable, always fascinating American Classics series, this disc is certainly a worthwhile - and low-risk - dip into Ornstein's music."