Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

“The best sounding cycle on the market to date, bar none” was Gramophone’s verdict on Melba’s recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen in the 2004 production by the State Opera of South Australia. The four Wagner operas were released separately in 2006 and 2007. Now comes a Super Audio Stereo and 5.1 Surround-Sound two-disc compilation from this landmark cycle which was proclaimed by countless reviewers around the world as the most exciting sounding Ring. The extensive selection comprises the most popular highlights, guaranteed to thrill any lover of Wagner’s music.

This award-winning Melba Ring announced Music Director Asher Fisch as one of the preeminent Wagner conductors of the present era. Fisch brings his broad early experience in Bayreuth and Berlin with Daniel Barenboim and his comprehensive immersion in Wagner to bear in these beautifully crafted performances. Singers include the magisterial Lisa Gasteen as Brünnhilde, Stuart Skelton, now a leading Heldentenor, as Siegmund, the late Deborah Riedel in full flight as Sieglinde, and John Bröcheler as Wotan.

The Highlights booklet features Melba’s customary luxurious presentation with 127 pages, libretti in German and English, and an insightful essay by Mike Ashman.

Grainger’s letters reflect his passion for life, music, physical experiences and language. On this disc, selected letters are read by Damien Beaument and excerpts of his orchestral works are performed by Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, giving us an insight into his life and works.

This release was previously available on Decca Eloquence.

An honest and interesting reading which grabs the listener ’s attention.

The brass section really rise to the occasion in the finale.

The didjeridu player William Barton has a once-in-a-generation talent and has collaborated with many Australian composers. This release features compositions by this artist together with those of Peter Sculthorpe.

At the age of 13, Adele was the youngest winner of the Australian Broadcasting Corporations Instrumental and Vocal Competition performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto, and here offers a recording of a work she has lived with for over 20 years. She returns to her home city of Adelaide, Australia to make this recording with acclaimed Sibelian conductor Arvo Volmer. Volmer’s recording of Sibelius’ Symphonies No.2 and No.7 for ABC Classics has received wide acclaim IRR noting that Volmer is ‘very sensitive to the drama and atmosphere’, and that his ‘interpretation of Sibelius come in 3 sizes – large, larger and largest…’. Classic FM awarded this same recording ‘Orchestral Disc of the Month’ in January 2008. Adele brings a soulful femininity to her interpretation of the Sibelius concerto, maintaining a bold richness and accuracy of tone. A critic in the Chronicle Herald observed of Adele’s recent May 2011 performance of the Sibelius concerto with the Nova Scotia Symphony that her rhythm was ‘as sharp as a skyscraper’, with ‘her consistently full, even, warm tone impeccably tuned and maintained across every register, every range and every dynamic level.’

Of particular interest here is Ross Edward’s Violin Concerto, Maninyas. The original inspiration for Maninyas came from a Houston Ballet commission created by Stanton Welch. This recording is currently the only available commercial recording, and is one of the great modern day violin concertos. This work enjoyed its’ European premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2010 under the baton of Vladimir Askenazy with the soloist Dene Olding. It had its US premiere in 2008 with soloist Ani Kavafi an conducted by William Boughton. Ross Edward’s profi le is on the ascent. His oboe concerto Bird Spirit Dreaming has been performed by the New York Philharmonic and Lorin Maazel and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and is currently enjoying many of his works programmed in the 2011 City of London Festival.

Adele Anthony’s triumph at Denmark’s Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition in 1996 launched an acclaimed and expanding international career. Adele’s concert career spans North America, Europe, Australia, India and Asia, and has made notable recordings for Naxos (Philip Glass, Violin Concerto and Schubert Duos), Centaur (Nielsen, Violin Concerto), Deutsche Grammophon (Pärt, Tabula Rasa) Albany (Ewazen) and Canary Classics (Sarasate).

These are dazzling performances of seminal works for violin and orchestra. The soloists display technical virtuosity as well as lyricism and grace. The works are engrossing, quirky and magnificent.

Classic FM Magazine referred to Li-Wei’s performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto as “Untarnished sensitivity….as well as impeccable tuning.” This is a re-release of her stirring performance and is arguably one of the finest recordings of the work.