A very fine and enjoyable set...just delightful—a balm to your soul.Julia Fischer and Martin Helmchen’s interpretation of Schubert’s music for violin and piano has been highly successful...

A very fine and enjoyable set...just delightful—a balm to your soul.

Julia Fischer and Martin Helmchen’s interpretation of Schubert’s music for violin and piano has been highly successful from the onset, and now returns in an affordable stereo re-issue. The release uniquely features Fischer as a pianist in the Fantasia for Piano Duet D. 940. She had previously performed as a pianist in concert, but this was her recording debut. Julia Fischer and Martin Helmchen are among the most outstanding instrumentalists of their generation, and both have a vast Pentatone discography.

-- ClassicsToday.com (David Hurwitz)

Julia Fischer and Martin Helmchen’s interpretation of Schubert’s music for violin and piano has been highly successful from the onset, and now returns in an affordable stereo re-issue. The release uniquely features Fischer as a pianist in the Fantasia for Piano Duet D. 940. She had previously performed as a pianist in concert, but this was her recording debut. Julia Fischer and Martin Helmchen are among the most outstanding instrumentalists of their generation, and both have a vast Pentatone discography.

REVIEWS:

German-Slovak Julia Fischer, who nearly opted for a career as a pianist, now shines in the constellation of top young violinists. She and her gifted pianist, Martin Helmchen, capture the sunny nature of the three youthful sonatinas, where the challenge is not primarily technical but musical: how to maintain their buoyant charm. The late Rondo Brillant D895, on the contrary, has a dark portentousness in the opening andante, while the exuberant, somewhat repetitive allegro presents a greater virtuosic challenge. These outstanding players respond with persuasive vigour and freshness.

-- The Guardian

On Vol. 1:

Helmchen is adept at pinpointing the crucial harmonies… and his touch is unusually sensitive… Fischer similarly manages to combine restraint with warm expression, and the occasional moments where she plays with more abandon - as in her dramatic first entry in D385 and the ebullient Minute of D403 - stand out the more effectively.

-- Gramophone

On Vol. 2:

☆☆☆☆☆  A magnificent account of this inspired work [the F major Fantasy]...It's a challenging piece...yet Fischer and Helmchen present as fine as any account on disc...They are a marvellous team, evidently giving each other ideas as they go along.

-- BBC Music Magazine

Characteristic Schubert, played with penetrating subtlety by the two young Germans Fischer and Helmchen...The CD ends with the D940 Fantasia for piano duet, with Fischer partnering in a powerful performance: one moment fiery, the next caressing. And all such heavenly music.

-- The Times of London