‘The superb young countertenor Iestyn Davies … it's a beautiful recital: 78 minutes of pure bliss for connoisseurs and beginners alike’ (The Mail on Sunday)
‘Through his effortless line, countertenor Iestyn Davies revivifies Guadagni's Orphic powers. He is particularly breathtaking in works by Handel, Arne and John C Smith, all of which were designed to show off the castrato's pellucid timbre … a refreshingly ambitious and superbly realised recording’ (BBC Music Magazine)
‘If Guadagni was noted for the delicacy of his phrasing and the richness of character in his voice, Davies fully emulates him in these performances of arias by Handel, Hasse and Arne, with defining interpretations of extracts from Gluck’s Orfeo and an eloquently poised aria by Guadagni himself. Arcangelo lends exquisite instrumental support’ (The Daily Telegraph)
‘By all accounts Guadagni put tonal beauty and dramatic insight before vocal display, and Davies’s unforced timbre, exemplary intonation and sense of style brings out the nobility of the music he inspired. Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen’s ensemble, also rises to CPE Bach’s stunning Symphony in D’ (The Times)
‘Davies gives us the lovely 'The raptur'd soul' … and David's ravishing 'O Lord, whose mercies numberless' from Saul, and Cyrus's bravura show stopper, Destructive War, from Belshazzar … Davies sings them superlatively well’ (The Sunday Times)