CD Reviews
Nightmare in Venice (RP002)
"The Cirque du Soleil of baroque performance ensembles... virtuosity, finesse and crazed sonorities evoke the nocturnal phantasmagoria of a truly fervid imagination."
MUSIC WEB March 2003
"The wit and wonder of their performances on 'Nightmare in Venice' satisfy because over and above the humorous content the music making is simply stunning. The tightness of the ensemble, charm of their arrangements and the technically flawless Piers Adams draw one in regardless."
INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW May 2009
"Mad, bad and deliciously dangerous... wacky ideas, an impish sense of humour and astonishing virtuosity."
GRAMOPHONE April 2003
"Nightmare in Venice is a deliciously Baroque Halloween-fest if there ever was one. Replete with hissing and catcalls, this disc is a chiller... Image is not everything, though Red Priest has that quality in spades. This is a quartet of the best Baroque specialists the United Kingdom has to offer."
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"Fresh, fiery flair.... an atmosphere of spectral shock... Red Priest are a crack ensemble with serious virtuoso credentials, but they also know how to make this music fun."
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH March 2003
"Baroque music revels in the extravagant... Red Priest's larger-than-life approach only enhances the music's energy and lets its spirit fly. Magnificent playing, too. " ****
THE TIMES April 2003
"Not even with Harnoncourt or Il Giardino Armonico will you find so extreme a characterisation of Vivaldi’s ‘La Notte’, with its dreams and bizarre allegros, but it works brilliantly... Not to be missed!" A* 1*
HI-FI NEWS AND RECORD REVIEW June 2003
"For those of you who haven’t heard the bold and daring style of Red Priest, be prepared for a musical roller-coaster-catch-me-if-you-can ride. The music is familiar, but still unexpected, exhilarating, breathtaking, played with a wicked sense of humour. This is the most entertaining early music recording I have ever heard."
WHOLE NOTE Dec 2002
"Diabolical, fanciful zeal... delightfully creepy."
CLASSICS TODAY April 2003
"Wonderfully intense showmanship that makes one proud to be British... Whilst CD recordings are said to never wholly capture the realm of the concert platform, Red Priest’s spectacular musical theatre succeeds a thousand times in bringing the concert to you; I just hope you aren’t afraid of the dark…a must!"
THE RECORDER MAGAZINE March 2003
