Was he at the same concert?

I'm sorry, but sometimes critics can be on crack--they either don't know what they're talking about, or they're operating on auto-pilot or fond memories.

Case in point. Richard Dyer--normally a fairly reliable critic--gave the BSO's performance of Berlioz's L'Enfance a glowing review, and offers such commendations as

There was a strong team of soloists, led by tenor Keith Lewis, who sang the Narrator with sympathetic timbre and meaningful diction.

This is utter nonsense: for the first two minutes, Mr. Lewis sang pitches, but I could not understand what he was saying--much less even decipher what language he was singing. Furthermore, when professional soloists are careless enough with their diction that they change the gender of individuals (by changing vowel sounds so as to indicate the addition of a mute e at the end of a word, for example), they should not get a radiant review.

And as confirmation that I wasn't totally alone in my thoughts, the people sitting behind me included a vocal coach and her friend, who were commenting to one another all the atrocities being committed by the soloists. I couldn't help but nod agreement with their discussion, and wince in horror at what my ears were being tortured with.

A revealing night at the BSO, to say the least.