»...a very happy listening experience. 9/9.«

- Jens F. Laurson, CLASSICS TODAY, 03/2021

»Listen straight through and you move from a clear-sighted extract from Bach’s Musical Offering, each strand perfectly balanced, to Knussen’s “Prayer Bell Sketch”, Sostmann balances each chord to perfection.«

- Graham Rickson, 'The Arts Desk', 02/2021

»The intellect and emotion strike an ideal balance in Sostmann’s playing – this is the art of the piano at its finest! Listening to this record in one go is an exhilarating journey through very different musical worlds. The assurance with which Alexandra Sostmann navigates in this kaleidoscope is astonishing. Her playing is always compellingly clear, colourful and rhythmically precise. She is a first-class interpreter outside the mainstream – unconventional and persuasive. «

Radio Bremen, Wilfried Schäper, 8/2020

»Despite the constant changes in styles and moods – from a resonant meditative calm to jazzy agitation – the pianist creates a unifying whole, moulded not least by her eloquent playing with painstaking finesse and intellectual permeation. «

Fono Forum, 09/2020

»...Sensitivity is one thing, but a structured, clearly analytical interpretation is another. Alexandra Sostmann has and is capable of both. «

Hans Jörg Wangner, Stuttgarter Zeitung

KLASSIK HEUTE RECOMMENDATION! 10-10-10
»In her programme, Alexandra Sostmann opens up new horizons of experience, which also entails freeing the musical present from its elitist preserves, releasing musical messages from the temporal context in general. Impressive. «

Stefan Pieper, KLASSIK HEUTE, 3.7.2020

»A very fine, indeed transformative recital. «

Musicweb International, 8/2020

»Alexandra Sostmann's interpretation is extremely convincing; if the reading of Bach's pages and those concerning Elizabethan composers highlights not only an appropriate rhythmic scan that comes to terms with the polyphonic structure without the first or second taking over the other, it is also true that this rhythmicity lies in the contemplative fabric of the two Ricercar (especially valid the 6-voice one), as well as the embellishments and ornaments present in the pages of Byrd and Gibbons do not tend to weigh down or worse to debase the exciting and delicate structure on which they stand, thus giving life to a key of interpretation that differs from the famous one given by Glenn Gould in his recording made between 1967 and 1971, based on a phrasing that is too "pianistic", while on the contrary Sostmann renders the pages of Lord Salisbury never losing sight of the tension of the polyphonic construct and without falling into a coldly objective executive restitution. «

Andrea Bedetti, Musicvoice Italia, 8.7.2020

»A spirited album for connoisseurs and enthusiasts. «

Frank Armbruster, Concerti, 2.7.2020

»As it turns out, music by William Byrd (1542-1623) and Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625), embedded in minimalism from John Tavener or John Adams, sounds almost progressive. Especially when an interpreter like Sostmann can elicit veritable ethereal chimes from her piano when it matters. Her art of clearly separating individual notes from one another while still tracing melodic lines has echoes of the harpsichord here and there, but makes virtuosic use of the extended scope for chromatic differentiation... «

Wilhelm Sinkovicz, Vienna’s daily newspaper “Die Presse”, 09.06.2020

»...She brings forth levels of refinement, although these emerge with great composure and entirely free of fuss. Contemplation and spirituality come together in a certain sense, and this is something that calls for exceptional pianistic skill. Sostmann does indeed have incredible pianistic resources at her disposal, as well as remarkable pianistic and stylistic agility, extending even into the realms of jazz... A very exciting album. «

Jörg Armbrüster, MDR Kultur, 8.6.2020

»… just music …. nothing else … how refreshing….«

Kerstin Gebel, SWR 2, 30.05.2020

»...Her touch is crystal clear, almost sober, thoughtful and transparent, free of pathos, but full of poetry. When the Hamburg-based musician plays John Adams, the cascades of sound become a curtain concealing a deeper truth behind them. And when she plays the two great fugues from Bach’s Musical Offering, one can follow each individual voice or simply let oneself be comforted by the transcendent serenity. ... This is where courtly dance music of the Renaissance becomes tonal philosophy. And when Bach returns at the end in his detached melancholy, you have to take your hat off to a pianist whose abundance of nuances is in no way inferior to that of the star performers.” «

Dr Thorsten Preuss, BR KLASSIK 17.6.2020

»…Alexandra Sostmann manages to fully transfer the bright, silvery flow of the harpsichord’s timbre to today's piano, ornamenting the repeats so elegantly and joyfully that it’s fun to spot all those snub-nosed trills, freckly mordents and curly slides between the artfully interlaced garlands of Bach's dances..., ‘Bach – Chopin’ is the utterly unassuming title of the CD (TYXart). Quietly luminous, it is a pleasure to listen to it again and again"«

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Jan Brachmann (11/2017)

»FOR RELAXATION: Bach: French Suites, Chopin: Mazurkas. Alexandra Sostmann (TYXart). Chopin revered Bach because in the latter’s music one will search in vain for superfluous lines. Framed by two French Suites, Chopin's Mazurkas also sound simply essential. A clarifying combination.«

RECOMMENDED BY TAGESSPIEGEL CRITICS: The best CDs this autumn / Ulrich Amling

»… the pianist's masterful serenity – a serenity that means not passivity but precisely the opposite: far removed from any showy gestures, Sostmann succeeds in carefully unlocking the poetic interiors of each piece...« Music and sound: excellent

FONO FORUM, Frank Siebert (12/2017)

»…Bravo!«

Stuttgarter Zeitung, Hans Jörg Wagner (10/2017)

»…‘delicatissimo’ could be the telling title of the CD as a whole. Delicacy, subtlety, tasteful sensibilities, an always brilliant tone: all this marks the pianist's playing, giving you the comforting feeling that this is how this music must be played and must sound. A singing, enticing, targeted legato, crystal-clear diction, a ‘clean’, pathos-free and hence ‘unmuddied’ style convey a sense of legitimized transparency ... references to music history that heighten the intensity of listening pleasure.«

Klassik Heute, Rainer W. Janka (9/2017)
Klassik Heute recommendation - CD of the week – highest ranking in all categories

»[...] a perfect interpretation of Igor Stravinsky. [...] this music was a gift of God!«

"La Capital", Mar del Plata (10/2016)

»Amazing affinities - Alexandra Sostmann combines Bach and contemporary music Bach or not Bach – that is the question on this intelligently compiled CD recorded by Alexandra Sostmann. The Frankfurt pianist combines piano music written by the "Thomaskantor" with contemporary music inspired by Bach or at least showing structural similarities. Occasionally, these similarities are so strong that the boundaries between old and new, between Bach and contemporary music, become blurred – an intriguing listening experience. [...] It is magical moments like these that make this CD a fascinating voyage of discovery into the expanses of time.«

BR Klassik, Dr. Thorsten Preuß (01/2014)

»The pianist Alexandra Sostmann, internationally successful both as a soloist and chamber musician, had the idea of contrasting Bach works with modern piano pieces on a CD.[...] a multifaceted, colourful panorama, superbly interpreted both technically and musically, of the sustained impact and power of Johann Sebastian Bach as a timeless model... Ranking: 5 stars!«

KulturNews.de (02/2014)

»CD tip!«

Recommended by hr2 kultur Broadcast Corporation (02/2014)

»[...] This intelligent program constellation is what makes this TYXArt CD so attractive, because it unfolds the many and varied interrelations between baroque and contemporary music. The pianist underlines the import of her concept with her momentous play, whose bell-like sound has been wonderfully captured by the microphones. Anyone who is looking for that really special piano CD will find it here.«

pizzicato - Journal about Classical Music - Remy Franck (03/2014)

»[...] this is an intriguing recital [...] Shostakovich’s concentrated fugue builds to a passionate climax in Sostmann’s hands, providing an intense finale. [...] If you look at the versions for piano, there are many fine competitors; Angela Hewitt, Murray Perahia, Vladimir Feltsman and Robert Levin offer the English Suites in contrasting performances. Alexandra Sostmann’s performance of the A minor suite shows up well in that company; athletic, clear and well-articulated, as is her account of the D minor prelude and fugue. [...] the sound recording is clear and spacious. Certainly well worth a listen.«

MusicWeb-International (04/2014)

»[...] Sostmann captures the specific character of these compositions with fine sensitivity and polished pianism [...] In between, she delights the listener with wonderfully relaxed Bach interpretations that testify to an intimate familiarity with the material. All in all a very successful CD production, which brings a new light to an important chapter of 20th century music history. Interpretation: 5/6, sound: 6/6, repertoire value: 5/6«

PianoNEWS Magazin (03/2014)

»CD tip!«

Frankenpost (03/2014)

»CD Review & Recommendation! [...] Sostmann performs lovingly. [...] Given the thought of programming and the performances themselves, this release is a winner. The way that Sostmann moulds Bach’s music to suit its surrounding is exceptional.«

Fanfare Magazine USA (06/2014)

»Music and Sound: very good!«

FONO FORUM (07/2014)

»Piano delights at the very height of perfection.«

HR Klassik

»...without any hectic, free, natural, flowing«

Dresdner Neue Nachrichten

»A celebration on the piano«

Hamburger Abendblatt

»…enthusiastic musicians … a superbly interpreted program«

American Record Guide