From the Imperial Court - Music for the House of Hapsburg

"As always, the mixed-voice Stile Antico ensemble shows itself to be the most consistently sumptuous-sounding exponent of the Oxbridge sound, the kind of group that will lead you to check your collection regularly to make sure you still have all of their recordings. An essential purchase for all classical collections."

"Stile Antico reinforce their already formidable reputation..."

"all of it is wonderful. Although there are only a dozen singers in Stile Antico, they sound almost like a full choir, their voices blending so well, the harmonies so exacting, the tone and timber so precise, so lilting, lyrical, and soaring"

"It is a compellingly programed, hold-your-breath beautiful recital of 16th-century masterworks." "The ensemble...brings flawless blend and balance but also scores expressive points through delicate shading of a cappella tone color."

"[Stile Antico are] the preeminent early music chorus in the world today. The group of 12, always perfectly in tune, are vocally sublime here. The recorded sound is sublime and allows the most musical of expression to reach the listener. The surround channels are very well balanced, not overwhelming, but just right in giving the listener a fantastic perspective on the space. The liner note essay is an outstanding introduction. This truly is music fit for a King." "Another journey of discovery through unparalleled musicianship."

.5 STARS “A beautiful disc. Stile Antico is at the top of the Renaissance a cappella scene. Their voices are seamless.”

"Lucid and fresh-sounding, the young, prolific vocal ensemble Stile Antico sings an intriguing program of 15th- and 16th-century works written for the Habsburg courts of Europe... particularly superb, with tremendous dynamic range...”

4 STARS “Stile Antico’s performances are big, gorgeous, and highly moving renditions, while Harmonia mundi’s surround sound is superb in every way.”

“Few Early Music groups have become as integral a part of the performance landscape as Stile Antico. The joy of listening to Stile Antico comes not just from the beauty of the 16-piece choir’s individual and collective voices but also from the dense balance of the parts, which can be as many as eight. Here there’s none of the soprano-dominance that afflicts amateur choruses the world over. The parts are sung, recorded and mixed well, the recorded sound coming across as both natural and precise, without the over-preciousness that sometimes characterizes small choruses; these voices sound like they are coming from human beings, albeit ones with expert vocal ability, and not gossamer angels."

“The young vanguard for Renaissance polyphony..." –

“Stile Antico renders this repertoire with vibrancy and nuance, its sound bathed in churchly reverb.”

Personnel has changed over the years but Stile Antico's stunning vocal sonority has not. Producer Robina G. Young and engineer Brad Michel provide atmospheric yet crystal-clear sound.