Reviews & press kit

“The plaintive oboe d’amore, Matthew Brook’s candid delivery and the consoling strings of the Dunedin Consort caught it perfectly. Full marks from me.”

“Matthew Brook portrays a Christ who carries hope for the crowd of the faithful, certainty in the truth of his message and personal doubts, raising the best-known arias to the sublime, especially “Betrachte, meine Seele”.”

“Matthew Brook is a clownish, perverse Claudius, playfully exploiting the lustful, unpredictable sides of the character, a narcissistic ham and a wanton lover, with exquisite phrasing, a delicate timbre and exemplary legato.”

“Matthew Brook’s Claudius plays on the ambiguities of a character half Mussolini, half Berlusconi, with the pitiful bluster of Ubu Roi.”

“…A warm, ample voice, a comic talent that hits the mark every time…”

“The shrewd Matthew Brook uses his generous breath support, his simmering legato and his attentive singing to bring very sensitive facets to the tortuous discourse of an all-knowing Claudio (and to add complexity to the simplistic stance the staging asks of him).”

“Later, they are joined by bass Matthew Brook, who adds impressive depth and authority.”

“A duet between Cronin and Brook eked out all the longing in the music, gloriously heightened by the oboe.”

“Matthew Brook’s warm, textured bass provided the requisite oomph”

“Matthew Brook with a dark and authoritarian voice, embodied a Jesus of overwhelming dignity, with a wide legato that gave every word of Christ a cosmic dimension.”

“Matthew Brook, as Christ, invited the audience to sympathize with him through his dark, slightly authoritarian, and at times despairing bass voice.”

“Matthew Brook’s clarity and projection of tone (with which I was already familiar from the Dunedin 2023 ‘Messiah’) were still superb, and I can now add flawlessly clear German diction to those blandishments.”

“Matthew Brook sounded limber as a Claudio modelled 100 per cent on Berlusconi”

“Matthew Brook was firmly reliable as Chelsias, Susanna’s father.”

“…Brook's resolute bass line almost trenchant at times.”

“Matthew Brook's Chelsias was all good nature and bonhomie. Brook brought out the musicality of the role…”

“As Chelsias, Susanna’s father, Matthew Brook is stately and dignified.”

“Matthew Brook is solidly sympathetic as Susanna’s father, Chelsias.”

“…always rewarding baritone Matthew Brook is her father, Chelsias…”

“His singing tonight was typically superb, especially his interpolated aria (from Cantata 159), ‘Es ist vollbracht’, a beautiful meditation on the crucifixion.”

“Brook gave a fully rounded portrayal of the prophet. He stamped his authority on the proceedings right away with a commanding delivery of the opening recitative.”

“Yes, the zealous side of Elijah was given full rein (‘Is not His word like a fire?’) but ‘It is enough’ received a marvellous, expressive performance in which Brook’s seamless legato was a decided asset.”

“Bass Matthew Brook portrayed Jesus with a voice of noble timbre.”

“…the Jesus of bass Matthew Brook was likewise excellent.”

“The Jesus of bass Matthew Brook is also magnificent: with no chance to shine in any aria, like the Evangelist he has to make, and does make, a great success of his recitatives, and he was especially overwhelming in the final Golgotha scene. Excellent.”

“…the Jesus of bass Matthew Brook moved and convinced through nobility, projection and style.”

“Alongside him, bass-baritone Matthew Brook made a powerful Jesus, commanding the most dramatic moments, as in the Golgotha scene, with a broad, well-projected voice.”

“And at the end, Brook's threat to her was suitably chilling. […] In Part Three, Ellicott's air of lament was wonderfully two-faced whilst Brook's anger was in his vigorous recitative.”

“Brook made Elijah a credible, fully rounded character who engaged our sympathies. I enjoyed every note he sang; this was a memorable performance.”

“Matthew Brook sang 'Et in Spiritum Sanctum' with a fine lilt and a real sense of meaning to the words”

“Brook was simply outstanding. It may be sixteen years since I last heard him in this role, but the years have been kind to him for two reasons; one is an evident complete understanding of this role and where the various aspects of the music sit in his voice; the other is a rock-solid technique”

“Another return in full glory came from bass Matthew Brook, a singular Christus in the IBO’s 2024 St Matthew Passion, and ringing with clearly-worded affirmation.”

“Matthew Brook is firm yet flexible as Susanna’s father”

“As for Matthew Brook’s hands-off magician… [he] blossomed into the formidable bass acrobatics of pieces such as “Sorge infausta una procella”.”

“Matthew Brook was authoritative as Zoroastro… Brook was excellent… Handel kept back that display [coloratura] for Zoroastro’s final aria, where Brook was very impressive – magic indeed.”

“Brook was even finer. His Christ was commanding and yet warm. His solo arias “Betrachte, meine Seel” and “Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen” were perhaps the most emotionally satisfying of the evening. The former was almost lullaby-like in its gentleness; the latter was thunderous.”

“Matthew Brook’s Jesus is an interpretation for the ages (as affirmed recently by David Nice in reviewing a superlative Dublin Matthew Passion). It’s hard to imagine the part more sympathetically or beautifully sung: he sang with agony in the garden and even a touch of heroism before Caiphas, and overall it’s an interpretation brimming with empathy and humanity.”

“It was theatrically of a piece with the intensity of Matthew Brook – no haloed icon of a Christus, but an anguished human being also conveying the fullest emotional range, and ending with such tenderness, joy and compassion in “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein”.”

“…the fine bass Matthew Brook”

“Matthew Brook made a terrifically authoritative Speaker.”

“Matthew Brook embodies a King of Scotland of great nobility, with powerfully projected bass.”

“Bass Matthew Brook has great presence as always in his wide-ranging numbers”

“Matthew Brook’s Trojan prince is rightly portrayed not just with an air of importance but with chutzpah, which I found quite fitting given the events that follow.”

“Another standout was Matthew Brook, who during Part I was chameleonic in arias attached to Judas and Peter but in Part II took a solemn turn: first in “Komm, suß Kreuz,” then in “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,” which he sang soothingly, with the rocking phrases of a lullaby.”

“The soloist is the bass-baritone Matthew Brook, a Dunedin stalwart, who brings a compelling honesty to music and words.”

“Matthew Brook’s Raphael captured the curious mix of lyricism, wonder and drollery in Haydn’s settings of the Genesis stories.”

“…bass Matthew Brook’s rich tone underlines the anguish and sounds a reassuring solidity in the final triumphant bars.”

“But it’s Matthew Brook’s Aeneas who carries the piece. The feckless charmer of Purcell’s origin here becomes wiser and sadder – finally a man worthy of the Lament, which he delivers with heart-stopping vulnerability and tenderness. “Remember me,” he sings. And we will.”

“As movingly rendered by Matthew Brook, this was the evening’s peak: the one point where the audience’s emotional involvement could be guaranteed.”

“…when Matthew Brook’s angel Raphael was in full flow, guiding us through the delights of God’s menagerie with twinkling eyes and infinite humour. Brook was an absolute delight. None of his comrades approached his sparkle…”

“Brook seems to have the gift in spades, and his way of combining text and music is masterly and makes even his recitatives powerfully expressive tools. Yet he can also bring a virile swagger to the music when needed as well!”

“Matthew Brook’s bass was one of the outstanding voices of the evening. His characterisation of Pilate moved between outraged condescension and guilt, and his recitatives were delivered with lucidity and force.”

“Plaudits are also due to Matthew Brook for his vivid portrayal of the King – one of Handel’s richest operatic roles for bass.”

“Matthew Brook sings the torn king with a lot of nuance and patriarchical pathos.”

“The solid bass-baritone Matthew Brook, as the king […] was excellent.”

“Anyone who thinks baroque opera isn’t relevant had only to see and hear Matthew Brook as the King of Scotland, Ginevra’s father, moving from paternal delight at her impending marriage to anguish when he believes Ariodante dead to horror when he believes Ginevra’s infidelity caused that death.”

“Bass Matthew Brook brought a shining dignity to his portrayal of Christ.”

“Matthew Brook found an ideal balance between humor and profundity.”

“Of the three soloists, the baritone Matthew Brook (Raphael and Adam) rather stole the show with his wonderfully expressive face and keen sense of humour.”

“Matthew Brook is a supple and authoritative Christus.”

“Matthew Brook’s resplendent all-guns-blazing ‘Grosser Herr’.”

“bass-baritone Matthew Brook’s Christus stands up to the crowd with a dignified yet firm resolve and hallowed charisma. He also shapes ‘Mein teurer Heiland’ with easeful repose.”

“Matthew Brook, who turns anything he sings to gold”

“presents an undiluted paradox of naive tenderness, convivial clumsiness and grotesque lust”

“the tremendous Matthew Brook combines power and pathos as Polyphemus.”

“…the monster Polypheme in a monstrously satisfying performance by Matthew Brook: one of the most compelling giants on disc in Handel’s Acis and Galatea.”

“little short of masterful with the range of colour, risk and gentle courtesy he brings to this superlative emblem of unswerving faith”

“Matthew Brook is a most impressive bass. He has a sonorous, dark timbre, but all the agility one could want in ornaments and in the more florid sections.”