“Sweelinck begins in that sort of wandering, loved by some, made of ruptures and apparently arbitrary suspensions which are, however, quickly justified: Mark Edwards brings the listener to new and unpredictable regions, using all the resources of his instrument […], of his virtuosity and of his imagination, with the stamp–in the sweep of his playing–of the organist he also is. The Bach was even more edifying, benefiting from an excellent choice of instrument and carried with a sovereign authority. Ovation.” (Trans.)
M. Mergeay, “Révolution au concours de Bruges,”La Libre Belgique, 11 August, 2012.
“It is rare for a mixed-recital harpsichord album to supply an overwhelming emotional experience. This is one that does… Studying Kuhnau’s and Reincken’s keyboard music elsewhere, I had never got the sense that they were much more than competent provincial craftsmen. These performances make them sound like important composers, largely through carefully-graded changes of tempo to provoke emotional responses…
Bach’s piece is the mighty Chaconne for solo violin, transposed from D minor to A minor and thoroughly elaborated by Edwards. He even brings in some ideas from Liszt and Busoni. This is the most turbulent performance of the piece that I have ever heard, on any instrument, and the middle section’s switch to A major is beyond words. The previous hour of music has built inexorably to that point… Anything can happen in a performance this great, and it does.”
B. Lehman, CD Review of Orpheus Descending, American Record Guide, May/June 2017, p. 165.
“[…] Harpsichordist Mark Edwards played two pieces by Rameau from 1724 depicting clouds of swirling dust and the figures known as Cyclops, the Greek mythological makers of thunder. These were no casual bits of incidental music. These were brilliant, virtuoso showpieces, and Edwards made swift, compelling work of them. Indeed, Edwards functioned as a kind of Cyclops himself, fashioning and throwing down one shocking bolt after another. It was just the element the program needed: the element of surprise.”
Zachary Lewis of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “Les Delices whips up potent musical concoction with ‘The Elements’ season finale,” Cleveland.com, 8 April 2019.
“Rameau’s superior music stood head and shoulders above his lesser contemporaries. Edwards shone in the Troisième Concert from the composer’s Pièces de Clavecin en concerts, giving sparkle and lucidity to the complex harpsichord part.”
C. Downey, “A Delicious Taste of French Indulgence,” WashingtonClassical.com, 5 November, 2018.
“Playing [the Goldberg Variations] from memory, Edwards shaped a reading both lyrical and virtuosic, assisted by a harpsichord that sang beautifully into Kulas Hall. The crowd called for an encore, and Edwards gave them a delectable Forqueray chaconne.”
D. Hathaway. “Oberlin BPI: Week 2, Day 2” ClevelandClassical.com, 3 July 2017.
“Tuesday afternoon at First Lutheran Church, the 25-year-old Canadian harpsichordist Mark Edwards presented a program that traced the evolution of Bach’s music from youth to maturity. Edwards handled Bach’s lavish flourishes and showy runs with confidence […]. He especially dazzled with his own florid transcription of the famous chaconne from the D-minor violin partita.”
Longaker, M. “Rising Stars in Boston,”Early Music America, Fall 2013 Issue (Volume 19, Number 3).