Palestrina earns ***** from BBC Music Magazine
Few efforts will be better than these extremely nuanced and structurally aware performances by the vocal group Stile Antico.
Anthony Pryer, BBC Music Magazine (20 February, 2025)
Reviews
Palestrina in the NYT
Stile Antico sings this complex yet elegantly polished music with the group’s usual combination of lushness and focus, stillness and energy, bringing expression and nuance to what can sometimes slip into coolly uniform gorgeousness.
Zachary Woolfe, New York Times (30 January, 2025)
Palestrina reviewed in The Times
No matter how elaborate the counterpoint, there are no hesitations, no rough edges.
Geoff Brown, The Times (14 January, 2025)
***** from BBC Music Magazine.
“Byrd will never sound better than this… the singers capture perfectly the sheer beauty of Byrd’s musical vision.”
Anthony Pryer, BBC Music Magazine (March 2023)
Gramophone Editor’s Choice
Retire my soul [has] a fond, Werther’s Original hue that goes on to infuse the whole programme… a deeply moving performance of his Mass for Four Voices… some of the richest singing I have heard from this ensemble.
Ed Breen, Gramophone (March 2023)
Up to De Standaard
Stile Antico tackles the sophisticated counterpoint with the flawless technique we have come to expect… with constantly changing colour and intensity which lend the prayers a deeply human urgency.
De Standaard (25 January, 2023)
Byrd in Le Soir
One of the great interpreters… The disc explores the music of Byrd’s last years with purity, clarity, and a beautiful balance.
Gaëlle Moury, Le Soir (18 January, 2023)
Byrd praised by NYT
Outstanding… sung with Stile Antico’s familiar blend of warmth, clarity and responsiveness to text.
David Weininger, New York Times (26 January, 2023)
Byrd praised in FT
As a wide-ranging introduction to one of the greatest of English composers, this starts Byrd’s anniversary year in some style.
Richard Fairmann, Financial Times (13 January, 2023)
The Times hails new album
Stile Antico splendidly showcase Byrd’s intense imagination, exuberance and general magnificence… tonal variety, expressive warmth and terrific ensemble panache.
Geoff Brown, The Times (11 January, 2023)
Sequenza 21 enjoys The Golden Renaissance
Two laments on the death of Josquin… provide a fitting and stirring conclusion to this compelling recording.
Christian Carey, Sequenza 21 (26 March, 2021)
A great introduction for the Josquin novice… In a nice touch, Stile has also included two motets by the composer’s contemporaries – emotive musical homages, both – giving some sense of his extraordinary legacy.
Alexandra Coghlan, The Tablet (4 February, 2021)