Artistic Quality 10            Sound Quality 10

"After hearing the excellent Book 3 in this series from Marco Longhini and his Delitiae Musicae, I had to go back and hear the recording of Book 2—and just like its successor, this one is another winner. You have only to hear the opening two-part Non si levav’ancor l’alba novella to understand how a work in this genre could be called a masterpiece. And while the singing on this disc and in these madrigals is sometimes more aggressive and emphatic than in Book 3, some of this can be attributed to the engineering (and perhaps the different venue), with its closer perspective and higher recording level. The rest is simply due to the different character of the music, which the ensemble captures with nothing less than exemplary style and captivating, scintillating vocalism. These unusual all-male Monteverdi madrigal performances are turning out to be the versions of choice—definitely worth serious attention ".

"Judging this release on its own, one might report "modified rapture", in WS Gilbert's phrase. Book 1 was published in 1587 when Monteverdi was not yet 20. Representing his first ventures into the established idiom of the five-voice madrigal, it shows him with a sharp eye for worthy texts and an accomplished skill in setting them...As the only current recording of Book 1, this release will appeal to the earnest Monteverdi collector."

“... The Monteverdi disc is important for filling in nearly all of the remaining unrecorded items in the composer’s discography…the performances are so winning is a necessary part of the choice… “

"...Strings and voices are all finely focused... Ornamentation sounds spontaneous, and the central "ballo" is highly stylised... Combattimento...contains some sparklingly fast patter as Tancredi fights Clorinda, hi beloved, in disguise."

" ...this is among the most convincing performance of these works I have heard"

“A fresh take on the sacred works of a 20th-century French master by one of England's finest. “  ★★★★½ 

“.A lovingly curated and recorded triptych by a senior Brit master. “  *****

"... this is one of the most charming and delightful double CDs you will ever encounter. Light and jolly salon music of the very highest quality ..."

 “... the SACD sound accorded these performances sets new standards in the recording of Ives’s orchestral music....”   ****

 

Album of the Week

“... he [Gardner] coaxes playing of special splendour here from the brass and strings, which reveal richer sonorities in the saturated textures and brilliant contrapuntal writing... “

Artistic Judgement: Good

Technical Assesment: Excellent

Artistic Judgement: Exceptional

Technical Assesment: Excellent/Exceptional

Dynamics: 5    Timbre: 4     Soundstage: 5      Detail: 4

Artistic Judgement:  Excellent/Exceptional

Technical Assesment: Excellent

Artistic Judgement: Excellent/Exceptional

Technical Assesment: Excellent/Exceptional

Dynamics: 5       Timbre: 4      Soundstage: 5      Detail: 5

Artistic Judgement: Excellent/Exceptional 

Technical Assesment: Excellent/Exceptional  

Dynamics: 5     Timbre: 4    Soundstage: 5     Detail: 5

****