“To judge by the enchanting performance of Vivaldi of “I Solisti Veneti” … Venice today must be as passionately in love with the violin as it was around 1700. Claudio Scimone proved a worthy heir to ancient tradition through his inventiveness in devising all manner of instrumental shades and colours … one of the best foreign orchestras that we heard…”.

“The Venetian players have a complete dynamic range, a tone of incredible beauty, and an animation in playing that is as vital in slow movements as in the spirit rapid passages…The entire program could be cited, movement by movement, for superb musicianship and performance”.

“Il faut l’aimer la musique pour la comprendre et l’aimer comme eux … “I Solisti Veneti” sont les aristocrates de leur art”.

“Ihnen das Spiel spürbar Freude macht um ihnen gegeben ist, instinktiv das Richtige zu tun”.

“A new extraordinary example, paradoxical as it may seem of collective soloistry”.

“The best of the several Groups specializing in the Italian Classics for strings”.

“Une soirée enthousiasmante placée sous le signe d’une joie la plus communicative… Scimone peut se permettre un éventail infini de nuances dont il joue avec un sourire de gourmet… musiciens d’une inattaquable solidité, tous rompus a une très belle technique”.

“I Solisti Veneti scheinen ein grossen musikalischen Radius und sind klangtechnich das kultivierteste Streicherensemble das wir bislang hörte”.

“…in I Solisti’s performances one hears the crisp attacks, bright timbres and robust, high-energy ensemble playing. This made for unusually vital readings of Vivaldi. There was an admirable flexibility in Mr. Scimone’s phrasing and his approach to texture… it gave the performance an edge of unpredictability that kept it exciting”.

“Quand le maitre d’ouvrage s’appelle Claudio Scimone c’est la révolution dans le musée, la poussière vole sous les coups d’archets des merveilleux Solisti Veneti. Sous la baguette paganinienne de Claudio Scimone il n’y a rien que ces musiciens ne sachent faire: c’est ce chef inspiré, sublime comediante qui anime l’immobilité, qui fait danser les statues figées depuis des siècles et pleurer les pierres… habité par le génie de surprendre le moindre frémissement de vie dans les chefs d’oeuvre du passè”.

“Una voce dall’alto, sonora, alla Scala, un commento spontaneo: che meraviglia, come siete bravi! E poi il pubblico che non si stanca di chiedere bis. Erano di scena gli amatissimi Solisti Veneti di Claudio Scimone, bravi e generosi come sempre”.

“Claudio Scimone is someone special, a super stylist with a sharp ear for sonority, rhythm, light and shade… a delight, an example of how a greatly musical conductor can obtain disciplined yet thoroughly spontaneous performances from an ensemble…”.

“These musicians played as perfectly as is humanly possible, sparking new life into Vivaldi, Albinoni and Boccherini . And the audience loved every crystal-clear note”.

“Its standard of ensemble playing is an example to all musicians; and the combination of pleasure and concentration with which Scimone imbues the Group is clear evidence of its well-earned distinction”.

“Claudio Scimone… beherrscht suggestiv seine Musiker die sich spuhrbar von ihm lenken lassen, aber dabei z.B. ein hauchzarter Pianissimo produzieren, das sich noch an der Grenze des Hörbaren niederliess. Was macht Scimone mit diesem Pianissimo-Fundamente? Er beflügelt seine jeweiligen Solisten zu innig-bewegten Ton, baut nach und nach die Strukturen der jeweiligen Satze auf, wandert von Musiker zu Musiker, beschwort sie mit gestrenger Gestik, korrigiert, inspiriert. Und was kam dabei heraus? Blutvolles Musizieren, glutvolles Beherrschen des Bogens, verfürerisch Aufblühen der Dynamik… Diese Werktreue ist besteckend”.

“Ungetrübte Freude an Musik… die Homogeneität des Gesamtklangs faszinierte ebenso wie die Virtuosität der einzelnen Musiker die sich die solistischen Aufgaben in schönster demokratischer Harmonie teilten und dabei auf so hohem Niveau agierten das keinerlei Unterschiede bemerkbar wurden. Claudio Scimone ist von entwaffender Liebenswürdigkeit und von derart grosser Freude am Musizieren erfüllt das den Musikern nicht anderes übrig bleibt als seine Wunsche in idealer Weise zu erfüllen”.

“Eine einmalige und unverwechselbare Mischung aus Musikalität, Charme, Lockerheit und gegebenenfalls auch Tiefgang kennzeichnet den Stil der Solisti Veneti unter Claudio Scimone seit Jahrzehnten”.

“It was amazing what Scimone can get from his instrumentalists. I Solisti Veneti’s superb control of tone, uniformity of attack and intonation coupled with their fabulous range of dynamic nuances – they can pack a punch as well as subside to an almost inaudible whisper at the drop of a hat – were extraordinary and showed that this ensemble belongs to the very cream…

“Such a conductor plays Tchaikowsky’s big Symphony! It should not be missed. It was really characteristic and fascinating. From the introduction the clear dynamics was shown and the main part had the fasted tempos that I ever heard. In the climax he presented the splendid forwarding force, having been in a body with the frantically playing orchestra, and excited the audience. However it was not only bright, but also its balance of the instruments and making the most of the tones were always meaningful, and the motion of tempos was unique. Scimone is a presenter of his original music, the precious existence of our own time. When he appears with a Japanese Orchestra I definitely advise You to go to hear the performance”.

“Das Beste Kammerorchester das ich in den letzen zehn Jahren gehört habe! Welch ein sublimes Konzert!”

“… une merveilleuse leçon de naturel, de spontanéité, d’imagination, à la base de laquelle il y a une prodigieuse science instrumentale, une technique qui sait d’ailleurs se faire oublier! Chacun de exécutants est un virtuose capable de tenir la partie d’une voix solo, et avec quel brio!”

“…non seulement un ensemble parfaitement rodé mais à une quantité inattendue de solistes, l’un aussi accompli que l’autre: …finesse dynamique, coloration chaude et nuancée, délicatesse du phrasé, rien n’est négligé pour charmer les auditeurs… leur façon de vivre la musique en la jouant génère une joie communicative, leurs interprétations éblouissantes resteront inoubliables”.

“Scimone here [recording of Rossini’s Armida] confirms what has already been clear from his earlier Rossini recordings – that he has an unique, perhaps the unique understanding of his master. …Throughout the orchestral playing [of I Solisti Veneti] is awesome but especially in the great ballet sequence that closes act II”.

“Les bras de Scimone voltigent en donnant l’impulsion rythmique exacte, le caractère meme de l’accent, survolés par la transcendance du flux musical. Il communique à tous cette joie inappréciable de faire de la musique, qui se lit sur ce visage fin, illuminé, pice-sans-rire, qui va parfois jusqu’au fou-rire. Autour de lui la musique flamboie, souffle en tempête, murmure, câline et berceuse, des secrets et des songes”.

“Long live the superlative I Solisti Veneti! Long live its great conductor, the smiling and kind Maestro Scimone! Let all listen to this great ensemble coming from North of Italy… Thank You for visiting Syria and sounding Your celestial tones to Syrian and Damascus audience who enjoyed Your magic notes!”

“Nicht nur bei ihrer Begleitung wussten die Musiker unter der Leitung von Giuliano Carella […] sehr farbenreich, voller Spielfreude und Energie sowie mit strahlenden Streichern zu spielen. Dies erlebte man auch beim Konzert in F-Dur, op. 5 von Tomaso Albinoni, den “Antiche Danze ed Ari” von Ottorino Respighi sowie bei Giuseppe Verdis einzigem Streichquartett. Großer Jubel!”

“Le stelle polari dell’ensemble sono certamente la purezza e la bellezza del suono, la precisione filologica, ma anche soprattutto una passione incondizionata, un virtuosismo elegantissimo e un grande amore per il proprio (ampio) repertorio. Che ci si trovi davanti a musicisti di calibro altissimo lo si capisce anche solo ascoltando la loro esecuzione di due brani famosissimi come La Stravaganza e L’Estro Armonico di Antonio Vivaldi che eseguiti con l’ineguagliabile maestria dei Solisti, appaiono come brani del tutto inediti. […] C’era bisogno di questi «esploratori» per rendere indimenticabile l’esecuzione di melodie che fanno parte a buon diritto della storia della musica.”

“Affascinante per molti aspetti da dalle istantanee accensioni di colore, a picchi di vitalità, alla ricchezza del suono, sino a quel senso di canto strumentale profondo, che appartiene a tutti i componenti del complesso, un gruppo che sembra respirare insieme tanta è la sintonia.”

“L’eredità di Scimone è stata raccolta con sagacia, ma anche con un rispetto che gli fa onore, da Giuliano Carella che ha saputo ritrovare e tenere vivo il suono dei Solisti Veneti.”