Reviews

"The rewards are plentiful, however, helped by beautiful music and consistently fine performances. The period instrument ensemble is excellent ... this CD [Opera at Esterháza] is well on its way to becoming a highlights disc"

"With no weak points and bags of refreshingly performed strong ones this is a self-recommending release for a very wide audience."

"Manfred Huss and his brilliant period band ... relish to the full colour and crackling energy of these overtures, without short-changing the delicate sentiment of their slow sections. "

"There is no other set of Haydn overtures at this level of comprehensiveness, nor does there need to be. This one is sensational."

"Long a champion of Haydn rarities, Manfred Huss directs his trim period band with style, zest and a sharp ear for instrumental colour. "

"Huss draws admirably taut and spirited playing from his excellent band. Indispensable for Haydn specialists and well worth more general investigation."

"The Haydn Sinfonietta Wien, whose longtime leader is the violinist Simon Standage, has already proved its credentials in its recordings of Haydn's complete opera overtures and his early orchestral music. The rich textures of its lithe gut strings and its superb period winds are complemented by its sympathetic, always dramatically effective support of the singers."

"Huss has a sure feeling for Haydn's music, capturing its robustness without slipping into the rawness or vulgarity that some Viennese musicians have risked."

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