Donald Satz wrote in defence of Hogwood as...

>...one of the better period instrument orchestra directors.

This was with reference to Hogwood's treatment of Mozart, at least.  I'd
also like to put in my bit for Hogwood, albeit in repertoire that's unusual
for him.

His Martinu disc on London (D 101395) is a wonderful collection -- worthy
of Martinu diehards like myself as well as a fine introduction to his
music.  While it's a fairly 'buttoned up,' never-let-it-rip approach to
Martinu, this is one of those near-perfect CDs where just about every track
stands up well.

Under Hogwood, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra -- which I'd never heard
of before, or since -- carves out a sharp 'La Revue de Cuisine,' showing a
clear grasp of this unique chamber masterpiece.  No mean feat this, since
to my mind it's very frequently butchered ...when it's not being played
indifferently or with total incomprehension.

Whatever possessed Hogwood to take this curious turn in his career, it also
yielded a fine version of Martinu's delightful Sinfonietta La Jolla.  As if
that weren't enough, the rest of the disk's 77+ minutes of music is at
least compelling...

Bert Bailey, in Ottawa