"Selecting a single disc of music from such a rich treasury is a real challenge ... But then, the Arts Flo series never set out to be comprehensive; it's more a celebration of the joyous range and variety of Monteverdi's madrigals as they evolved over six decades ... The typical refinement of Les Arts Florissants and the scrupulous way voices and instruments complement each other are a treat in themselves".
"There is fine singing here, particularly from the bass Lisandro Abadie in Altri canti d'Amour (great richness and clarity) and the contralto Lucile Richardot in Lettera Amorosa (with some stylish decoration and meaningful projection of the words) ... The accomplished instrumentalists give us stylish dance music ... A judicious and musically compelling introduction to Monteverdi's secular works".
Fono Forum
2017 Juni
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Reinmar Emans
2017 Juni
"Mit der dritten CD beendet Paul Agnew seinen Streifzug durch die Madrigalwelt Claudio Monteverdis. Aus den berühmten Madrigalbüchern op. 7 und 8 pickt er natürlich vor allem die Highlights heraus, doch werden auch ein paar eher unscheinbare Stücke geboten. Agnew hat verstanden, dass der Schlüssel zu Monteverdis Musik die Affektdarstellung ist und nicht die unbedingte Perfektion ... Eine emotional berührende Umsetzung ... [auch] durch die Intensität der sängerischen Darstellung".
The gramophone
2017 April
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Edward Breen
2017 April
"This third and final disc from Les Arts Florissants' cycle of madrigals by Claude Monteverdi is, in every way, a fitting end to their journey ... And what a journey! Just compare the opening of this album to that of Vol 1 to grasp how far Monteverdi's dense, intense textures have expanded, and how the singers have grown with them".