Reviews and reactions
Over the years, Qui Vive has received some great reviews in regional newspapers in France and the Netherlands.
Some quotes:
“They can make music at Qui Vive. Qui Vive has developed to a very high standard as an independent amateur and conservatory ensemble. The choir, in which the five well-chosen soloists of the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague merge when they have no solo part to sing, sounds fresh and beautifully homogeneous. The orchestra, which manages to achieve a beautiful balance with single-set, but shiny, crystal-clear strings, is equally of excellent quality. It is time for Delft to realize that Qui Vive’s ‘home concert’ is also a ‘must’ for music fanatics who ‘only come for the best’.”
(Delftsche Courant)
“The space, the music, the way of playing and singing, but especially Ad van Unen’s ability to align his musicians, exerted a compelling attraction. The intensity of their music-making resembles “Listen, we have something to say.”
Afterwards, Vivaldi’s Gloria sounded almost relaxing, with again beautiful soloists from the choir. Fresh and lively and with that musical dedication, this ‘sung-to-death’ Gloria is a pleasure to hear. The incessant bravos were justified.”
(Delftsche Courant)
“Le groupe néerlandais ‘Qui Vive’ enchante la Collegiale” (The Dutch company ‘Qui Vive’ delights la Collegiale).
“Incantations magistrales” (Masterful enchantments)
“Qui Vive fait vibrer la Cathédrale Saint-Mammès” (Qui Vive makes the Saint-Mammès cathedral vibrate)
(headlines in regional newspapers in France)
“Qui Vive delivers musical craftsmanship.”
“Music that is almost standing still. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is not averse to it. Yesterday, at the Qui Vive concert, the effect of this no-frills music took your breath away.”
“The fact that the company of almost purely amateurs was also able to convince in Monteverdi’s Dixit Dominus at the end of the concert, underlined the high level of the musical holiday work. Van Unen managed to pump up the dynamics within the Latin psalm lines to great proportions with the necessary drive.”
(BN DeStem)
“In the beautiful ‘Long Road’ of the Let Esenvalds I am mesmerized by a fantastic soprano soloist, who easily fills the choir from the church with chillingly high, tight notes. Based on a few basses who are also not bad at all. “Your concert was the highlight of our holiday”, an enthusiastic Englishman emailed Qui Vive. That holiday-celebrating Englishman was right: if you hear a concert like this by chance, it will always be dear to you.”
(BN DeStem)
If music means emotion, then we can consider the concert by Qui Vive – yesterday in Breda – as very successful. After the slowly fading closing sound in the composition ‘Immortal Bach’ by the composer Nystedt, many visitors shed a tear.”
(BN DeStem)