BBC Music Magazine
"... Tous ceux qui craignent que le « parlé-chanté » des monodies de Caccini ne s’avère ennuyeux seront certainement agréablement surpris par ces émouvantes et toujours vibrantes interprétations. La star du spectacle est Marco Horvat qui —à la manière d’un Orphée tout à fait providentiel— s’accompagne lui-même dans les monodies et, ce faisant, évite les potentiels problèmes d’ensemble qui gâtent souvent ce répertoire notoirement connu pour sa difficulté. Les talents expressifs et dramatiques de Horvat ont certainement le pouvoir de charmer. Pour les arie et canzonette, il est secondé par la soprano Olga Pitarch et une brillante équipe d’instrumentistes...."
The history books have long given Giulio Caccini pride of place for his role in the creation of opera but there are surprisingly few commercial recordings devoted to his music. This beautifully produced disc is, therefore, long overdue, and anyone fearing that Caccini’s speach-like monodies are an archaic sound-world will surely be pleasantly surprised by these thrilling and ever-vibrant interpretations. The star of the show is Marco Horvat who —in aptly Orphic fashion—accompanies himself in the monodies and, in doing so, avoids the potential problems with ensemble that can mar this notoriously difficult musical idiom. It is unuasual to hear a bass voice perform this repertoire, though caccini –who had impressively wide vocal range– wrote several pieces for « a tenor who seeks the notes of the bass ». Horvat’s singing can lack finess but his dramatic and communicative skills certainly have the power to charm. For the arias and canzonettas he is joined by singer Olga Pitarch and a brilliant team of instrumentalists whose realisations are influenced by an eclectic fusion of early music, jazz and folk traditions. The recorded sound is clear and detailed, if occasionally a little too close for comfort on the voices.
Kate Bolton, BBC Music Magazine, février 2004