MONTEVERDI Vespers of 1610

“This recording is stunningly different from the norm. That’s because Sorrell knows that ‘authentic performances’ do not guarantee ‘authentic experiences’ – we are not just like 17th-c. Italians but with iPhones. Hence, she constructs a simulacrum of their religious fervor in the explosive presentation of Dixit Dominus, and their sincere reverence in Ave Maris Stella. The real understanding of style is everywhere. Fluttering lines become the beating wings of angels [in Duo Seraphim] and in the startling echo duet of the Gloria Patri (from the Magnificat) we feel the ricochet from the very stones of Monteverdi’s church.”
– BBC Music Magazine (“30 Must-Have Recordings of Our Lifetime,” 2022)

“Resplendent and deeply moving… holds its own against any rivals. Exultant… instrumental colours blaze brilliantly.”
– The Sunday Times, London

“A stunning achievement…. Wins out handily over William Christie’s versions and other recent issues.”
–FANFARE Record Magazine

“Sorrell and her fine young choir lavish attention on every phrase and inflexion. The exhilaration and sense of discovery is utterly infectious… an unanticipated delight.”
–International Record Review (UK)

“A resplendent account, brilliantly motivated by Sorrell and performed with vibrant attention to dramatic detail. In short, a thriller from first note to last.”
–The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Ecstatic abandon… never a dull moment. Thoroughly festive… an impressive combination of dignity and fervour. There is rapt contemplation and exultant singing.”
– MusicWeb International