THE
SCHOLARS of London
Press Reviews
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"The most elegant small chorus now
going . . . A precise, sweet-toned, intimate performance that left you
feeling you had been let in on a secret . . . The Scholars of London are
superlative . . ." – Boston Globe
"A rare concert . . . utterly
exquisite performances . . . This quartet could not imaginably be more
finely matched in timbre, musicianship and intelligence. No matter how
intricate the counterpoint became, it never dissolved simply into a texture
. . . The four voices easily projected all this music throughout the vast
reaches of the cathedral with utter lucidity. They must return . . ." –
San Francisco Chronicle
"They reigned supreme . . . with
remarkable speed and clarity, the singers imitated birds, told naughty
stories and sighed of love . . . despite the cold, the audience was
sufficiently enchanted to cheer the singers and win an encore: the English
folksong Scarborough Fair." – Cleveland Plain Dealer
"The Scholars of London made their
L.A. début with a wondrously sung account of a strong program . . . light,
flexible sound, utterly transparent textures and completely integrated
finesse." – Los Angeles Times
"The Scholars remain a musical
treasure for their unusual repertoire and the seamless perfection and sheer
technical finesse with which they sing it . . . There was a large and
appreciative audience – which there always should be when this fine
ensemble comes to town." – Cleveland Plain Dealer
"The Scholars sang with fine
blend, spit-polish accuracy and a compelling sense of personality . . . they
adapted graciously to the changing times and musical styles." –
Houston Chronicle
"A celebration of that oldest and
greatest of musical instruments, the human voice . . . marvelous intonation,
ensemble and sonic blend . . . Palestrina's Super Flumina Babylonis,
announced as one of the composer's greatest hits, was noble and spiritual. .
. Viadana's Exsultate Justi was truly joyful . . . Jannequin's Le Chant des
Oyseaux was a tour de force of vocal trilling and trickery . . . Tenor Robin
Doveton's arrangements of Welsh, Scottish and English folksongs were a joy
to hear." – News-Journal (Daytona Beach)
"The British vocal quartet engaged
and entertained its sizeable audience from first note to last in a program
that spanned the centuries and the emotions . . . verve and energy,
awesomely unified attacks and the ability to make any kind of text come
alive." – San Antonio Express
"Felicities abounded, too many to enumerate . . . but soprano Kym Amps' distinctly British ability to float a pure, vibrato-free tone must be recognized, so ethereal was the effect, and so representative of the Scholars' impressive, uniform musicanship." – New Orleans Times Picayune
The Scholars llena de perfección el santuario de la
Bien Aparecida
En el santuario de la
Bien Aparecida -un paisaje grandioso para una Virgen diminuta- actuaron The
Scholars, cuarteto de madrigalistas ingleses de una perfección absoluta y
un completo dominio de las lenguas y los estilos. Logran así que una música
reservada no hace mucho tiempo a minorías, fueran las de las sociedades
filarmónicas o las de la Residencia de Estudiantes, se convierta en mensaje
abierto a todos. Al fin y al cabo, mucho de este repertorio madrigalesco,
religioso o profano, formó parte de la vida cotidiana. Como se trata de un
género de extensión universal, el cuarteto británico aborda con toda
coherencia y naturalidad el mensaje de cinco siglos de 'canciones de amor,
de danzas, de alabanzas y de la naturaleza'.
Del italiano Viadana y el flamenco Lassus al inglés Wellkes o el español
Juan de la Encina, todos ellos del siglo XVI, pero también pentagramas del
siglo XX, como los de Vaughan Williams, el vasco Jesús Eguiguren (Durango,
1945) o las transcripciones del tenor Robin Doveton. La palabra poética y
los pentagramas se dan la mano muy estrechamente en todas las variantes
madrigalescas.
The Scholars -Kym Amps, soprano; Angus Davidson, contratenor; Robin Doveton,
tenor, y David van Asch, bajo- se desenvuelven cual el más bello órgano
hasta hacer demostración práctica la antigua idea de que 'la música
empieza donde termina la palabra'. Quizá la prolonga en la intimidad de
cuantos la escuchan si nos llega en versiones tan portentosas como las de
ahora. Enrique
Franco - El Pais, 29.8.01