Boston Baroque - Haydn Creation - The Sunday Times

Boston Baroque perform Haydn's great oratorio in German because, according to Pearlman, "it seems preferable... in its stronger, original text". German commentators have thrown brickbats galore at that text over the years, but Haydn's masterly score transcends it. Pearlman adopts near-ideal tempi for every number, and his choir and period band - medium forces for a work the composer conducted with up to 200 - are excellent. Two of his soloists, Amanda Forsythe and Kevin Jameson, sound more like cheeky servants than Archangels, but Kevin Deas's resonant bass notes and liquid baritone ones are perfect for Raphael and Adam.