Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel is one of the most admired conductors of his generation, chiefly because of his energetic and exciting concerts and eagerly sought recordings on Deutsche Grammophon . . . [Dudamel] paints scenes effectively with delicate folk-like themes on ethnic instruments and vigorous dance or martial rhythms, though there is a dominant current of wistfulness that mingles with melancholy, adding dimensions of human feeling to the music. In this recording, Dudamel leads the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, an orchestra fully versed in his manner of communication, and their work together in performing Latin orchestral music has prepared them for this effort. The sound of the recording is quite open, deep, and spacious, giving a cinematic feeling to the music, and the orchestra's tone colors are vividly reproduced.

. . . [there] is no questioning Dudamel's talent . . . "The Liberator" is an extremely cinematic score . . . The Simon Bolivar Orchestra plays the music gorgeously and enthusiastically, as would be expected. The sound is excellent . . . Bass is powerful, but not overdone, and inner detail is outstanding . . . "The Liberator" is technically very accomplished . . . In short, this is a promising first major score.