REVIEWS
"Finghin Collins brought both the most extroverted panache of his concerto style and the sensitivity of his chamber style to these works for which Mozart intended either orchestral or - as here - string quartet accompaniment. This happy balance which he found with regard to his own delivery matched that between piano and the ConTempo Quartet who together achieved an ideal dynamic level, nicely suited to the Gallery's small scale. The five players seemed to think as one...."
Michael Dungan, The Irish Times, December 20th 2006
"The real highlights of the night [Ireland's Finest in Concert at the National Concert Hall] were the classical musicians. Finghin Collins's fleeting Flight of the Bumblebee was a divine experiment in artistic minimalism, a master class in letting the music talk for itself."
Siobhan Long, The Irish Times, November 14th 2006
"The triumph of Collins's playing is that he realizes this dichotomy [Schumann's Eusebius / Florestan] marvellously, in playing of great poetic warmth twinned with necessary outbursts of Sturm und Drang, and whimsy and poignancy and melancholy and much else.. ...Quite apart from the comparisons listed above [Richter / Arrau], I have also checked out some of my other Schumann recordings, and I feel that Collins has little to fear from other pianists, including the best. . . .On the second disc, Kinderszenen has just that quality of inner restraint, almost self-communion, that only the best Schumann players achieve. . . .This is a fine new release, and all Schumann enthusiasts should sit up and take notice of a rare talent."
Piers Burton-Page, International Record Review, July / August 2006
"In any case, the Irishman... confirmed on the stage of the Ferme St-Maurice the qualities already witnessed on his recent recording, completely devoted to Schumann (Claves). Firstly the Humoreske, whose seven pieces displayed the sensitivity of his touch (very beautiful "Einfach" and "Einfach und zart") and a maturity which nourished all of the changes of mood and of register which characterize this work. ....Finghin Collins, lanky and shy though he seemed, let rip with precise, earthy playing [Liszt B minor Sonata] and, with surprising ease, he mastered all of the structural challenges of the piece."
Rocco Zacheo, Le Temps, Geneva, July 13th 2006
"The performance [Penderecki Sextet] packed a real punch, with Collins, on the top of his form, serving as a potent driving force..."
The Irish Times, July 4th 2006
"Playing in chamber music style, the Philharmonic Orchestra players tiptoed with feathered feet behind a wonderful Mozart soloist - Finghin Collins. The smart Irishman allowed the notes to sound utterly effortlessly, without ever forgetting to underline the sudden profound questions and tearful smiles that are so Mozartian. The Larghetto was the highlight of the concert..."
Kieler Nachrichten, Germany, June 26th 2006
"The opening bars signalled a roller-coaster performance, with Collins taking risks that threatened to break barriers of taste and speed, but never did. He coaxed meaning from the leanest textures and delivered Shostakovitch's range of parody - from Beethoven to honky-tonk - with panache"
South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, June 6th 2006
"Finghin Collins was impressive and director-soloist in K459, bringing out interest in the orchestral writing as well as creating a lovely serenade in the slow movement."
Manchester Evening News , March 23rd 2006
"Intimacy is a word that captures Finghin Collins' approach to Concerto No. 27, which he performed with intense concentration and a velvet touch".
Belfast Newsletter, January 31st 2006
"But in the last of the 27 piano concertos, Finghin Collins was a valuable asset in revealing the poignancy of its opening, the fragile delicacy of its central larghetto and the bouncing gaiety of its finale."
Pat O'Kelly, Irish Independent, January 30th 2006
