Wagner: Die Walkure

This is the latest release in Elder and Halle’s stunning Ring cycle and was recorded live at sell out Bridgewater Hall concerts which formed highlights of the 2011 Manchester International Festival. The performances received stunning reviews, including:

"The Hallé excelled in supporting the human voice, lifting the vernal lovesong of Siegmund and Sieglinde in a light lilt … The cast was outstanding."

Hilary Finch - Monday 18 July 2011 - The Times

"[The Hallé’s] Wagner is simply beautiful, and if that burnished lyricism was more glamorous than dangerous in Act I of Die Walküre, the duet with Siegmund (Stig Andersen) and Sieglinde (Yvonne Howard) had a tenderness beyond renegade intoxication. Elder is a skilful accompanist, metering the blend to suit the timbres of his cast … [he] conducted as though in love with a score that was in love with love itself."

Anna Picard - Sunday 24 July 2011- The Independent on Sunday

The recording features soloists of the highest calibre, perfectly cast by Elder who displays his opera credentials and achieves performances which are both moving and dramatic. The recordings were made from live performances, as part of the Manchester International Festival, in the Bridgewater Hall Manchester in July 2011.