The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, whether they are conducted by Wit or someone else, can be depended upon to bring authenticity and fire to Penderecki’s music…I really have no reservations about these performances. In fact, this Canticum Canticorum Salomonis is the most impressive I’ve heard, eclipsing the composer’s own recording on EMI. (Wit’s slower tempos emphasize the music’s sensuality.) I am looking forward to hearing what Wit does with the Magnificat. © Fanfare Read complete review

…Antoni Wit and the forces under his command provide exemplary performances of these works, and all three vocal soloists and the narrator discharge their duties ably…Naxos provides them with well-defined recorded sound. If this repertoire appeals to you, then you definitely will want to add this disc to your collection. © 2013 Fanfare Read complete review

Naxos’ Penderecki series is the most important and impressive ongoing project in classical music right now…My favorite is the a cappella “Song of the Cherubim”…which has an attractive purity of focus, though the murmuring beginning of Canticum Canticorum Salomonis…is also a striking a cappella moment. The superb engineering required to make the denser works, such as Canticum Canticorum Salomonis, come through the speakers with such crystalline clarity is a major contributor to the impact of this album and Naxos’ whole Penderecki series. Of course, Antoni Wit is a extremely talented conductor who understands these works as well as anyone besides the composer, but Penderecki himself had already conducted recordings of many of the works Naxos has recorded; it’s how much better they sound here that makes this series indispensable. Who needs audiophile labels when this mid-price label’s sound is state-of-the-art? © 2013 Culture Catch Read complete review