“The performances on this SACD by the Netherlands-based New Dutch Academy under musical director Simon Murphy are bold and persuasive. Tuned to A=415, their string tone is bright, in keeping with the style of the music. They play on authentic instruments of the period, but without the pedantic fussiness we have too often encountered in period ensembles. Here, scholarship serves the needs of music-making admirably. This young ensemble will bear watching. By the way, "Mannheim Steamroller," long before the present-day band adopted it, was an expression used to describe the way the Manheim composers built their crescendos. Just thought you’d like to know."
Phil Muse - Atlanta Audio Society -July 2003
“Murphy deliberately follows in the steps of pioneers such as Brüggen and Koopman. Not so much with respect to repertoire but as to own research and élan….Put your amplifier louder than usually and enjoy this rock-‘n-roll from the mid 18th century!”
Luister - August 2003
“Although the authentic instrument ensemble The New Dutch Academy was launched in 2002, it has quickly secured an international reputation, formed as it is of a number of well established early music performance specialists in the Netherlands…. Vibrant, energetic and wonderfully secure playing is supported by a sumptuous recording which fairly wallows in the fulsome acoustic, yet there is no loss of detail in the fast music.”
Ivor Humphreys - Gramophone - Awards Issue 2003
“The performance is nothing less than brilliant. Technically the orchestral playing is of the highest standard. We certainly find the “uniformity” the orchestra of Mannheim was famous for.”
Johan van Veen - Musica Dei Donum