“Sol Gabetta spielt das Werk zusammen mit der Amsterdam Sinfonietta mit atemberaubender Verve und gibt auch den darstellerischen Momenten, in denen sie indirekt Kontakt mit der Protagonistin des Films aufnimmt, eine große Selbstverständlichkeit. Sehens- und hörenswert.”
Read the review (German, scan)

Rondo Magazine gave the DVD a positive 4 star review as well.
Read the review (German)

Read the review (scan, German)

This rave review follows others elsewhere in Europe. The Dutch magazine ‘Luister’ has also given the disc a perfect 10 out of 10, and the German web magazine Klassik.com wrote a five-star review earlier this year, praising the work, its interpretation and recording quality.

Watch a trailer or purchase a copy (hard copy or download) here.

Read the ‘Luister’ and ‘Gramophone’ reviews here (scan)

Read review (scan, Chech)

Read review

“The strangest, most haunting of the opera DVDs which have come my way this year…It’s baffling, but chilling; and it’s remarkable to witness how brilliantly Hannigan performs alongside her video double. The final minutes, as Hannigan’s elderly self delivers a brief soliloquy, are terrifying.

Van der Aa’s music, punctuated by the crackle of snapping twigs, eloquently melds electronica and acoustic sounds. Watch this in a dark room, late at night and on a laptop, and you’ll have uneasy dreams.”

Read the full review

You can read the text here (German).

Click ‘read more’ for translations of the reviews of De Volkskrant, NRC, Parool and PlatoMania, or order your copy of ‘Up-close’ in our web-store

“A cross between a cello concerto and a songless film opera… The organic entwining of acoustic music, electronics, film and theatre is a feature of many of Van der Aa’s decidedly original scores… Van der Aa brilliantly succeeds in making image and sound clash and blend as independent media. With astute editing and suggestive mirroring, the video is much more than a mere depiction of the music, Gabetta is moreover the ideal soloist: her rendering of the cello part, which sometimes sounds detached but is nevertheless extremely nostalgic, is agile and accurate.” (★★★★)
- NRC

“‘Up-close’ shows how film can heighten the pull of a first-class score” (★★★★)
- de Volkskrant

“‘Up-close’ begins like an ordinary work for cello, although the wrenching, unrelentingly taut opening minutes of the solo, played by the outstanding Sol Gabetta, are anything but ordinary… Film and music continually give way to one another. Reality on the stage blends increasingly with images of the film… Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Gabetta were very good.”
- Het Parool

“To see and hear is to believe: Van der Aa personifies the future of classical music.”
- PlatoMania

Order your copy of ‘Up-close’ in our web-store

During its premiere tour in March this year, critics in six countries described it as ‘brilliant, sensuous and virtuosic’, ‘riveting’, and ‘hautingly beautiful’.

‘Up-Close’ has been released on DVD and HD movie download, and is available to order from your local record shop, or from our web-store.

“A perfect synthesis of all components…a phenomenal performance”

Read review (scan)