Stravinsky & Lili Boulanger: Symphony of Psalms · Psalms Nos. 24, 129 + 130

John Eliot Gardiner is ... one of the supreme choral conductors, and it's been good to hear him in more recent masterworks of the choral repertoire. The balance of clarity and fervor he brings to Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms emphasizes its original blend of instrumental and choral color; this is its finest recording since Maazel's, and one of the best ever. The music of Lili Boulanger is an apt complement on all levels, and Gardiner delivers full emotional impact with expansive readings demonstrating the quality and importance of these works. --Fanfare, 01. November 2003

"A smooth but powerful reading of the Stravinsky that more than holds its own against stiff competition." --Arnold Whittall, Gramophone [11/2002]

". . . his "intensity and solemnity" (Arnold Whittall's words) also pointing up their remarkable originality." --Record Review / Michael Oliver, Gramophone (London) / 01. December 2002