Samson – A Recording of the Year – Musicweb International
Simon Thompson, Musicweb International
A taught, exciting reading with the very finest performances and top notch sound…
Read the full review here.
Samson – AUDIO Magazine Review
Miquel Cabruja, AUDIO
★★★★★
The expressive and eloquently performed oratorio sounds as dramatic as a veritable opera.
Read the full review in the December edition of AUDIO magazine.
Samson – Musicweb International Review
Simon Thompson, Musicweb
In short, this is superb, the best Handel oratorio I’ve heard in years.
Read the full review here.
Samson – Shortlisted Recording of 2019 – Presto Classical
We were delighted to be included on Presto Classical’s shortlist of top recordings for 2019. Samson now joins earlier Dunedin projects like Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Monteverdi’s Vespers and Handel’s Esther as a Presto Classical recommended recording.
See the full shortlist here.
Samson – Baroque Vocal Nominee – ICMA 2020
We are delighted to announce that our latest recording, Handel’s Samson, has been nominated in the ‘Best Baroque Vocal’ category at the 2020 International Classical Music Awards.
Samson – The Observer Review
Nicholas Kenyon, The Observer
No one can accuse the Dunedin Consort of doing things by halves. John Butt directs with vigour… while Dunedin regulars excel.
Read the full review here.
Samson – The Arts Desk Review
Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk
Handsomely produced, with outstanding notes and glowing sound, this is a treat.
Read the full review here.
Samson – The Financial Times Review
Richard Fairman, The Financial Times
This recording breaks new ground as conductor John Butt bolsters the Dunedin Consort with members of Tiffin Boys’ Choir.
Read the full review here.
Samson – Classical CD Choice Review
Graham Williams, Classical CD Choice
The performance itself is, needless to say, utterly splendid and makes the best introduction to the piece for modern listeners.
Read the full review here.
Samson – Giornale Della Musica Review
Paolo Scarnecchia, Giornale Della Musica
The pure voices of the Tiffin Boys’ Choir blend with those of the sopranos making their texture richer and brighter.
Read the full review here.
Samson – #13 – UK Specialist Classical Chart
We are delighted to announce that shortly after its release in late October that our recording of Handel’s Samson was ranked #13 in the UK Specialist Classical Chart of w/c November 1st 2019.
Samson – BBC Radio 3 Review
Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3
As Samson, Joshua Ellicott navigates the tightrope between opera and oratorio really well … That’s one of the joys of Butt’s new recording, revelling in the dramatic colour of Handel’s imaginative scoring.
Listen to the full review here.
Samson – The Herald Review
Keith Bruce, The Herald
With the Consort’s best instrumentalists in place and Linn Records’ Philip Hobbs producing, this is an immaculate, and hugely important, recording. More prizes assuredly await.
Read the full review here.
Handel Ode for St Cecilia’s Day — Gramophone Review
Richard Wigmore, Gramophone
[Carolyn Sampson’s] poised, invariably graceful contributions are among the disc’s prime pleasures: from her radiant sense of wonder in the sarabande aria ‘What passion cannot music raise and quell!’, in dialogue with Jonathan Manson’s musingly eloquent cello; through the wistful ‘The soft complaining flute’, where Sampson veils her naturally bright tone (a word, too, for Katy Bircher’s poetic flute-playing); to the scintillating coloratura of her final hornpipe aria…
Read the full review here