More honourable than the cherubim

"Recording of the month: Nearly all the works in More Honourable than the Cherubim are new to me, but, as I soon discovered, there's so much to enjoy here ... After just a few tracks, it's clear this is an exceptional release. Gorbik is at once intuitive and inspired, the music-making as finely calibrated as it was in 'Teach Me Thy Statutes' ... The soloist, bass-baritone Mikhail Davydov, is haunting, his voice rising above the choir in fervent prayer ... In each and every piece, I found myself marvelling at the versatility of this choir ... A magnificent release, beautifully conducted, flawlessly sung and incredibly well recorded; indeed, it's sure to be one of my Recordings of the Year".

Læs anmeldelse

"For those who love Rachmaninov's Vespers (All-Night Vigil) and regularly reflect in wonderment at the depth and resonance of Russian basses, this album will prove to be a banquet of delights ... A compendium of sacred pieces by a dozen composers glorifying the Most Holy Lady Theotokos, ie the Virgin Mary ... The most substantial work on the disc is Rachmaninov's silken 'The Theotokos', which lifts to an ecstatic climax ... As with the rest of this outstanding programme, the singing is marvellous and the interpretations probably definitive".