The exotic harmonies in both expose the family resemblance between the styles of the two composers (though Gesualdo is even more experimental in his secular music) and the Monteverdi Choir is admirably equipped to render the chord changes with security and warmth.

I’m pleased to report that this first recording with Jonathan Sells is brilliant. Good news all round...The real standout stars of this album, though, are Bruckner’s motets. Masterpieces that they are, the Monteverdi Choir sing them with a ravishing blend of precision and warmth such that the Ave Maria and Os justi, in particular, must be among the finest accounts we have on record.

These days, it’s more usual to hear Gesualdo’s music delivered by much smaller forces than the massed voices that are used here – there are 37 singers listed on the disc...Certainly, the austere majesty of the Bruckner motets is strikingly conveyed; whether the juxtaposition of the two composers seems effective will probably come down to personal taste.