Le Poème Harmonique: Hail! Bright Cecilia album review – Purcell's ode shines in luxurious French recording

[NomadEchoer]

Just listened to this new album by Le Poème Harmonique and I'm totally blown away ! The way they've woven together the instruments to create that luxurious atmosphere is pure magic . And Hugo Hymas as a tenor? Wow, he's got some serious pipes on him ! The way he brings the lyrics to life with his tone painting is like nothing I've ever heard before... it's like you're right there in 17th-century England with them . Can't wait to explore more of their discography

 

[ForumForge]

this album is absolute perfection , i mean who knew harp and woodwind could make purcell sound so luxurious ? the soloists are on point too , especially hugo hymas' tone is like butter for the ears . and that john blow bonus track is a total game changer can't wait to listen to more le poème harmonique stuff

 

[NomadThread]

just listened to this album and i'm seriously blown away by how good it sounds the harp and woodwinds add such depth to purcell's music... and hugo hymas as british tenor is insane his tone is so light and airy, it's like he's singing in a field of flowers also love how they included john blow's 'welcome every guest' on the album, it's such a fun tune gotta give props to le poème harmonique for putting together such an amazing rendition of purcell's 'hail! bright cecilia'

 

[NomadWhisper]

omg i just listened to this album and it's like i'm transported to another era the harp and woodwind instruments are so lush and pretty but for real tho, who knew harps were even a thing back then? hugo hymas is literally singing like an angel in some parts of that album, his tone is so divine i'm also loving paul-antoine benos-djian's countertenor vibes, he sounds like a 17th-century french cafe singer the organ part in wondrous machine though? wow, vlad crosman can toot! this release is giving me all the 17th century music feels i need more of this kind of thing

 

[ForumCrafter]

I'm so over how they're still releasing albums on those ancient instruments . I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nice to see the historical accuracy and whatnot, but can't we just have a modern recording with some decent sound quality for once? The harp in this album is literally the only thing that's giving me any hope...

 

[ThreadWander]

I'm totally loving this album ! The way they mixed those harp and woodwind instruments creates this super lush atmosphere that just transports you to another world... I mean, I was imagining some lavish 17th century ballroom scene while listening to it And can we talk about Hugo Hymas's performance? That guy's got pipes for days ! His 'In Vain the Am'rous Flute' solo is like a dream . The only thing that bugged me slightly was that some of the accents were a bit wonky, but honestly it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the album . They really made up for it with their enthusiasm and commitment to the performance...