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Sir Mark Elder: My Hallé Top Five

Following twenty-four years as Chief Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder shares, "Looking back over many Hallé recordings, selecting just five has been very difficult, so I have failed at the first fence and chosen six! These selections represent not only the personality of a fine orchestra, but involve artists and others who have been part of our work together over many years."

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6 Tracks • 39:05

Elgar: The Apostles op. 49, Part II, 11. The Ascension: 'And when He had spoken these things'

Elgar’s music, in the Hallé’s blood since Richter premiered the First Symphony with them well over a century ago, is still fundamental to our repertoire. This recording features the Hallé Youth Choir, one of the family of ensembles we have proudly built up, alongside the Hallé Choir and Orchestra and wonderful soloists, including, here, the incomparable Alice Coote. Since conducting this magnificent, demanding work, I have become more than ever convinced that it represents Elgar at his most original and his best.


Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 in C major op. 52, I. Allegro moderato

A live broadcast performance from 2007, this was the first time the Hallé and I had done Sibelius’s Third. It’s a tricky piece to put together, but it shows this complicated composer at his most life-affirming, a real joy, as is the Hallé in this performance, subsequently released on CD. It was also the beginning of our long association with Steve Portnoi, who has continued to work on many of our recordings.


Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 3 (1922) "A Pastoral Symphony", I. Molto moderato – Poco tranquillo

Exploring the symphonies of Vaughan Williams with the Hallé over the last twenty or so years has been a tremendous voyage of discovery. They command such a range of human responses, and the opening of the "Pastoral" has long been a personal favourite; I think it has the essence of Ralph Vaughan Williams' personal style, and surprising power.


Strauss: Lieder (Songs) op. 27 TrV 170 (Version for Voice and Orchestra), 4. Morgen

These two tone poems, on Strauss’s desk at the same time, present an intriguing contrast between the propulsive energy of Don Juan and the darker power of Macbeth’s decline. Anne Schwanewilms is a great Strauss soprano like no other. Her warm personality and humanity lights up the group of songs on this record. 'Morgen', with the violin solo from Lyn Fletcher, who led the Hallé for more than twenty years, is especially beautiful.


Debussy: Préludes, Book I L 125 (117) (Arr. for Orchestra), 3. Le vent dans la plaine (The Wind in the Plain), Animé

Colin Matthews has been a welcome and benign presence as Composer in Association during my years in Manchester. We commissioned the completion of his set of ingenious orchestrations, and were proud to include them in our programmes and our series of Debussy recordings. This 'La Mer', including the composer’s final thoughts, is a highlight.


Wagner: Götterdämmerung WWV 86D, Prologue, 9. Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt (Siegfried's Rhine Journey)

When we started out on the great Wagner journey, we little imagined that this recording would be followed, over the next ten years, by the release of an entire Ring cycle. These four operas represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any orchestra.