El Niño at Severance Music Center

The Cleveland OrchestraJohn Adams, conductorLauren Snouffer, sopranoJosefina Maldonado, mezzo-sopranoDavne Tines, bass-baritoneDaniel Bubeck, countertenorBrian Cummings, countertenorNathan Medley, countertenorCleveland Orchestra ChorusCleveland Orchestra Childrens ChorusADAMS El Nio (oratorio for solo voices and orchestra)Composer, conductor, and creative thinker John Adams occupies a unique position in the world of music. His works stand out among contemporary classical compositions for their depth of expression, brilliance of sound, and the profoundly humanist nature of their themes. For his oratorio El Nio, Adams imagines a modern-day miracle, retelling the story of the Messiah through a constellation of references from medieval chant to contemporary Latin American poetry. John Adams's nativity oratorio is a winner, a very palpable hit an intelligent, emotional and sometimes magical re-telling of the old, old story from a new perspective (BBC).