About “Te Deum”

« L’orchestre sur instruments baroques fait preuve d’une grande vivacité et énergie dans les tutti instrumentaux, mais il accomplit tout autant son rôle d’accompagnateur (parfois de “nappe” sonore dans les moments plus intimes et recueillis). Le chef Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas guide ces alternances d’un geste précis et vigoureux, ne faisant jamais baisser la concentration sonore et l’intérêt de l’écoute. La résonance brillante de l’orchestre fait de ce cadre en plein air (avec la légère amplification installée) une église à ciel ouvert. »

About “Passion”

« The whole disc is a cornucopia of excellent music from the 17^th century […] the playing of Ensemble Les Surprises is top notch, the singing of Les Chantres du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles is all that one could wish for, and, on top of this, Véronique Gens enchants through her singing, through her expressive handling of the texts – and her diction is as always: superb. »

Release of “Passion”

« The ensemble Les Surprises, under Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, contributes luscious support with sensuous and detailed playing. […] the artists understand the style, delivery, tempos and structures, as well as the standard tropes—soothing sleep scene, summoning of infernal spirits, tempest with thunder, etc.—and are able to infuse each excerpt with clarity and, in the case of Gens, nobility. »

Release of  “Méditations pour le Carême”

« […] I have nothing but praise for the members of the Ensemble Les Surprises. Paco Garcia (haute-contre), Martin Candela (tenor) and Étienne Bazola (baritone) have the perfect voices for this repertoire, and deal impressively with the technical challenges. What is most important is that the text is clearly intelligible and that the expression comes off to full extent. The contributions by Juliette Guignard (viola da gamba), Étienne Galletier (theorbo) and Bestion de Camboulas (harpsichord and organ) are of the same level. »