"the engineering is spacious, resonant, warm, and balanced."

"It takes some doing to glide smoothly between two such contrasting musical languages, but Roth has been clever, using Bach-inspired Villa-Lobos (Villa Cantilena and Canção Sentimental ) as a bridge, in an arrangement featuring notably Bachian violin guration; then for the ensuing solidly samba repertoire, the orchestra retains not just its classical formation but even its harpsichord. [...] Add palpably high-resolution audio, immersive listening and even some unusual audience colour – the recording derived from two concerts in Rio’s Sala Cecilia Meireles, and the effortless rhythmic snap and lilt of ‘Mas que nada’ gets the public singing along – and this is classy fun."

"a musical bridge between the old and the new world"

"During such moments, one is easily led to believe that rarely have baroque and bossa nova coexisted in such a dynamic and harmonious way."

"Music is made at the highest level here - whether it's Bach or spirited sambas. It is bizarre when Brazilian classics like "Tico-Tico" are played by an orchestra in European baroque instrumentation - harpsichord included. But Linus Roth and his Brazilian friends do it so convincingly that stylistic quibbles are superfluous. "Sambach" is pure fun and musical pleasure - a tongue-in-cheek trip from Bach to Brazil and back…"

"Linus Roth remains the elegant violinist that he is. Elegant in tone. But also elegant in a suit on the Copacabana."

"His portamento and vibrato in Barosso's "Brazil" are simply delightful, as is the combination of solo violin, strings and Brazilian percussion in Valente's "Brasil Pandeiro". The technical assurance and improvisatory feel Roth bringsto the choros, Azevedo's "Little Brazilian" and de Abreu's "Tico Tico", calls in mind Stéphane Gabrielli's own mastery. Roth and his 1703 Stradivari certainly shine in this emblematic selection of Brazilian Samba."

"Solist Roth bietet eine reiche Palette an Figuren und Affekten, Farben und Schattierungen. Wundervoll ist der Wechsel zwischen Kontrast und Verschmelzung im Zusammenspiel mit dem Kollektiv, berührend sind die vielfachen Binnensteigerungen, Verdichtungen und Engführungen. Dies gilt auch für die Stücke von Villa-Lobos, voller Leidenschaft und Sehnsucht. Und die ausgewählten Samba- und Bossa-Standards sind eine Klasse für sich – federnd, brodelnd, funkensprühend. Suchtgefahr!"

„Bach with a hipp swing“

"Veel meest onbekende muziek trekt aan het oor voorbij, wat zeker een aangename en menigmaal zelfs verrassende kennismaking oplevert. Alleen het Vioolconcert is origineel: de overige stukken zijn - overigens geslaagde - bewerkingen van de hand van Ivan Zandonade."