MONTEVERDI: ORFEO
Boston Globe (Jeremy Eichler)
“Conductor Laurence Cummings chose buoyant, flexible tempos in the pit, and the orchestra and chorus for the most part sounded excellent.”
Boston Phoenix (Lloyd Schwartz)
“It helped that Laurence Cummings has such vitality in his rhythms, so much drama and atmosphere in his pacing, and such a refined ear for texture; that the period-instrument orchestra played on such a high level; that the dancers from Java's Orange Island Dance Company were exquisite and very musical; and that most of the singing was superb.”
Boston Herald (T.J. Medrek)
“Under the confident leadership of conductor Laurence Cummings and supported by the supple playing of the small period-instrument orchestra, the cast delivered robust performances that avoided the slightest whiff of pretentious early-music correctness.”
CLASSIC GENIUS: BEETHOVEN AND MOZART
Boston Globe (David Perkins)
“This was ‘period' in the best sense.”
“The best moment came in the middle, in the Mozart concerto, played with sensitivity and skill by the Handel and Haydn Society clarinetist Eric Hoeprich.”
HANDEL: MESSIAH
The Boston Globe (David Perkins)
“A revelatory ‘Messiah' from Handel and Haydn Society.”
“[The Handel and Haydn Society Chorus'] lovely sound and responsiveness became riveting.”
Boston Herald (Keith Powers)
“The Handel and Haydn Society got us off to a great start for the holiday season last evening with a gorgeous reading of the great work at Symphony Hall.”
“The music is great and this performance was magnificent.”
A BAROQUE NOEL
The Boston Globe (Jeremy Eichler)
“Sunday's performance was amply rewarding, and for those out to hear an afternoon of seasonally resonant music …it certainly fit the bill.”
“Finney's attention seemed focused on drawing out lively and exacting performances from the chorus which he did to fine effect.”
“The orchestral playing was crisp and energetic.”
WELCOME, SIR ROGER NORRINGTON
The Boston Globe (Jeremy Eichler)
“If yesterday's invigorating concert in Symphony Hall was any indication, Norrington's arrival is good news for Handel and Haydn and for the local early music scene.”
“In a performance of two Haydn symphonies, the conductor drew exciting, nuanced, and energetic playing from the orchestra.”
“[Norrington] conducted the two symphonies with great theatricality. His readings coursed with rhythmic vitality and were enlivened through close attention to details in phrasing.”
“The finales of both symphonies bristled with energy as the Handel and Haydn players clearly responded well to [Norrington's] leadership.”
Boston Herald (Keith Powers)
“Norrington led the orchestra like few conductors do these days, seeming less like an imperious leader than one of the instrumentalists.”
“Handel and Haydn is in good hands.”
LOVE SONGS
The Boston Globe (David Perkins)
“The musical selections made such beautiful sense, it would have been a success in any season.”
“The 16 singers, a subset of the H&H chorus, were deployed in shifting combinations and sang with superb control and warm tone.”
“Llewellyn made wise selections and conducted with breadth and grace.”
MOZART, HAYDN AND HOGWOOD
The Boston Globe (David Weininger)
“Hogwood kept the textures light to show off the delicate interplay between soloist and orchestra.”
“[The slow movement was] a chance to hear principal flutist Christopher Krueger take a superb turn in the solo.”
“Hogwood was in his element, his conducting equal parts energy and grace.”
“The Handel and Haydn orchestra played up to its high standards; the brass and timpani gave an extra dose of excitement.”
HAYDN: THE SEASONS
The Boston Globe (David Weininger)
“Sir Roger Norrington, the Handel and Haydn Society's artistic advisor, led the ensemble in a superb, full-blooded performance.”
“[Norrington's] conducting was loose-limbed and even slightly comic, once or twice signaling for an entrance with his foot. But there was nothing farcical about the color and intensity he drew from the piece, or the level of detail he elicited from the score.”
“The orchestra's playing was strong throughout.”
“The horns bravely roared out their call during the hunt scene, and it was thrilling.”
“As always, the Handel and Haydn chorus was outstanding, capturing every facet of the country folk they portrayed so well.”
The Phoenix (Jeffrey Gantz)
“[Norrington] got results: during the plucked strings of Hanne's anticipating-the-summer-storm aria, normally cough-happy Symphony Hall was so quiet, you could hear a raindrop.”
CLICK HERE to view critical acclaim from the 2005-2006 Season.
CLICK HERE to view critical acclaim from the 2004-2005 Season.
CLICK HERE to view critical acclaim from the 2003-2004 Season.
CLICK HERE to view critical acclaim from the 2002-2003 Season.
CLICK HERE to view critical acclaim from the 2001-2002 Season.
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