Cummings leads a light and fluent Messiah in DC

By Hilary Stroh, 16 December 2016

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Reviewed at Kennedy Center: Concert Hall, Washington on 15 December 2016

Handel, Messiah

National Symphony Orchestra

Laurence Cummings, Conductor

University of Maryland Concert Choir

Christopher Ainslie, Countertenor

Joélle Harvey, Soprano

James Kryshak, Tenor

Douglas Williams, Bass

Lush strings, bright Beethoven: NSO and Noseda at Carnegie Hall

Susan Stempleski, 12th February

Gianandrea Noseda leads glowing performances of Berg and Beethoven, while James Ehnes shines in Korngold's Violin Concerto .

****1

Young and Lamsma bring levity to National Symphony Orchestra

Sydney Boyd, 20th November

A dark trio of works focused around Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto made for a compelling concert in Washington DC.

****1

NSO triumphs with Boyer and Lang Lang

Sydney Boyd, 18th September

With a world premiere by Peter Boyer and a stunning Beethoven piano concerto deftly played by Lang Lang, the evening didn’t fail to strike a poignantly significant chord.

****1

National Symphony makes a fine-sounding digital return to the stage

David Rohde, 19th March

Vibrant Mozart G minor symphony anchors the National Symphony’s digital return to the stage as distancing, sound engineering requirements generally score well

****1

Rollicking Mahler Fifth may have just put NSO on the global map

David Rohde, 20th February

Clarion details from start to finish result in a spectacular Mahler Fifth from Noseda and the National Symphony Orchestra

*****

Tetzlaff redefines clarity with the National Symphony Orchestra

Sydney Boyd, 24th January

Christian Tetzlaff proves once again why audiences can’t get enough of his sound in a program of Dvořák and Schumann with Christoph Eschenbach at the helm.

****1

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Hilary Stroh

Hilary is an independent scholar and academic historian, based in DC. She has a background in violin, piano and ballet. Educated at Dublin and Cambridge, she has recently published her first two books.