They bring a depth and richness of warm colours to a score still insufficiently appreciated…Bělohlávek is the authoritative interpreter leading his forces through the piece with confidence and, crucially, keeping it moving…The Czech Philharmonic Choir is tonally grand scale and is consistently fluent throughout the intricacy of the writing, while the quartet of soloists has no weak link.

[Bělohlávek’s] relaxed though steadfast approach is immediately apparent…the Prague Philharmonic Choir’s contributions are disciplined and impassioned…[the solo quartet] are uniformly superb…Bělohlávek perfectly judges the delicate balance between singers and orchestra

This is a wonderfully idiomatic account which really bears out a remark Bělohlávek once made about the ‘singing art of playing [Dvořák]’...he captures the work’s strange synthesis of baroque influences and Verdian grandeur without overegging the pudding in either direction...All in all, this is surely set to become both an award-winner and a benchmark choice for this work.

The Czech orchestra and chorus have this music in their blood...Belohlavek’s choice of an international solo quartet is unusual...but [they] blend as a fine team...Spyres is the standout with his radiant singing of the “Brahmsian” Fac me vere tecum flere. An outstanding follow-up to Belohlavek’s outstanding symphonies and concertos set with the Czech Phil.

Bělohlávek’s performance is masterful in its pacing...There’s a spacious, burnished quality to the sound, the orchestra’s dark-timbred strings and emollient, airborne flutes; the choir all warmth and substance, even if one could occasionally wish it a touch more incisive. The four soloists fit their differing roles well.