"Berry and Valenzuela brought this piece to life with a depth and brilliance that was jarring… Berry was everywhere at once, showing how this instrument, with such an ensemble, can be more powerful than a modern piano. Her solo lines weaved through transparent textures in a way not possible with the massive orchestras of later generations… Valenzuela’s and Berry’s version combined a regard for the concerto’s solemnity and an understanding of its humor.”
— Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune
“Sylvia Berry's recital opened with the quiet, searching adagio of Mozart's Sonata in E-flat Major, K. 282, a gutsy gambit that revealed a poetic sensibility and a willingness to draw listeners in with spaces to pause and reflect. These qualities contrasted nicely with up-tempo movements, which were handled with verve."
— Benjamin Dunham, Early Music America
"Berry's performances abound with wit and surprise . . . utterly delicious."
— Michael Weiss, Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America
"Her splendid playing took her up and down the keyboard in lightning-fast scales and passagework, and her thrilling full-voiced chords allowed the fortepiano to assert itself as a real solo instrument."
— Daniel Hathaway, ClevelandClassical.com
“Berry’s playing is technically impressive and demonstrates a high level of artistry throughout. The disc is recorded in a clear, live sound, with enough ambient reverberation to approximate a concert-hall experience. This recital would be a welcome addition to any listener’s library.”
— Myron Silberstein, Fanfare
“Berry played with expressive charm . . . responding to lyrical gestures in the strings with elaborate filigree. The large audience responded to the splendid playing during this well-planned, 90-minute travelogue with a long ovation. “
— Daniel Hathaway, ClevelandClassical.com
"Special applause for continuo fortepianist Sylvia Berry, [who played] as if she were one of the actors."
— Lloyd Schwartz, Boston Phoenix
“To say that Berry plays these works with vim, vigor, verve, and vitality, is actually a bit of an understatement, for she also understands the innovative aspect of this music and conveys it through her playing with keen attentiveness to the scores’ dynamic markings… I will return to this disc often when I’m in the mood for Haydn’s piano sonatas, and I’m sure you will too if you heed my recommendation to buy it.”
— Jerry Dubins, Fanfare
“Boston-based fortepianist Sylvia Berry has chosen an 1806 Broadwood grand . . . and the instrument is the right tool for this job. Berry is a complete master of the rhetoric throughout, whether in the driving passagework of the allegros or the cantabile adagios. A wonderful debut that augurs more wonders to a come.”
—Tom Moore, Early Music America
"The Mozart concertos (K. 246 and K. 414) were sprightly and delightful. Sylvia Berry is a spirited and nuanced performer whose performance drew an amazing range of energy and expression from the delicate instrument (which itself provide a rich palette of tone colors)."
— Liane Curtis, Boston Musical Intelligencer