Affetti amorosi : arie musicali, Firenze, 1630

"Le Banquet Celeste follow the strategy of a number of other recordings of the arie ... by selecting works from both books while also inserting a small number of contrasting instrumental works, which are here given slick and elegant performances. The general stylistic orientation of the arie is difficult to both categorise and perform persuasively. In the hands of Damien Guillon and his ensemble it is the settings for two and three voices that come off best; there is a good sense of ensemble, added ornamentation is discreet and the wide emotional range of this well-chosen selection effectively delineated".

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"I have to say immediately that there is much fine and very expressive singing here not least from Damien Guillon one of the finest counter-tenors I have heard for some time. There is the addition of a fine four part vocal ensemble and a continuo band consisting of cello, lute, harpsichord and harp ... The performances grew on me and do definitely offer a good grounding in an understanding of Frescobaldi and for that matter in the rise of the early baroque".

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