Mark Brown, The National
“The passionate commitment of the songs demands great dexterity, both of singers and musicians, and the Dunedin Consort has that virtuosic agility in spades.”
Read the full review here.
★★★★
Rowena Smith, The Guardian
“… an interesting, imaginative programme brought to life in a vivid performance from the singers and instrumentalists of the Dunedin Consort.”
Read the full review here.
BBC Radio 3 Record Review
The standard of solo singing is outstanding, beautifully ornamented.
The Herald
Stripped back performances under John Butt that are fresh and luminous, lithe and alive.
Kate Molleson, Top 20 Classical Albums of 2017
Observer
The recording sounds fresh and clear, emphasising transparency without a big reverberant acoustic.
Financial Times
Informed by a judicious weighing-up of current scholarship, Butt’s performance is often one voice to a part, giving the music an intimate feel … a virtuoso display of individual talents.
Mail on Sunday *****
Any recording by Butt is an event. And this one, recorded with a small, hand-picked choir of ten voices, is special even by his elevated standards.
Sunday Times
The Dunedin Consort’s 10 voices combine to make a magnificent choral sound.
Gramophone
With so many Vespers recordings out there, this one joins the ranks of those with both a character of its own and something to say.
BBC Music Magazine
This compelling and insightful album is an outstanding contribution to Monteverdi’s 450th anniversary … Particularly effective is the coloristic sonority of the organ which, by employing the Hauptwerk system, reproduces the sound of an early Venetian instrument.
Early Music Review *****
Given the outstandingly tuned singing and ensemble, the result is to expose Monteverdi’s often dazzling counterpoint in rare detail and clarity … a finely conceived and splendidly executed achievement.
This is a first-rate recording … the sounds of the Dunedin’s strings and His Majestys Sagbuts and Cornetts are exceptionally well-blended and beautifully captured in this intelligent and well-produced recording.
The Scotsman *****
[Butt] brought an astonishing richness and smoothness to his Dunedin forces’ sound… By the walls of sound in the closing Magnificat, the Vespers felt overwhelming in their grandeur, but there was something to savour in every moment. It is hard to imagine a more exquisite, deeply felt performance.
The Herald *****
This richness and variety shone through in this superbly stylish and joyful performance from Dunedin Consort and His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts directed from the organ by John Butt. The Vespers is a lengthy work, but here delivered with the Consort’s trademark energy, the momentum was never allowed to falter… All told this was an exhilarating performance and it was rapturously received by the capacity audience in St Mary’s.
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