Also available in MP3 format (on 1CD) - see here

The Hallé releases the live recording of their universally acclaimed performance of Wagner's Gotterdammerung. In a landmark move, the orchestra is releasing the opera in dual format: as both an MP3 and standard 5 disc CD set, making the recording available to the widest possible audience.

The recording was taken live at sell-out concerts, which were the showpiece of the Hallé’s 2009 artistic season.

Anticipation had been high since the dates were first announced, given the superb cast and Sir Mark Elder's unrivalled reputation as one of the finest Wagner conductors in the world. The atmosphere at the concerts was electric, the critics unanimous in their praise and the audience ecstatic.

This recording perfectly captures the drama and intensity of this great musical occasion, with orchestral playing of unrivalled quality and universally acclaimed performances from the whole cast. Without doubt, this was one of the most exciting musical events ever to have been staged in The Bridgewater Hall.

Sir Mark Elder said, “The experience for us all of absorbing this great music was daunting and thrilling in equal measure. To hear it unfolding in the wonderful acoustic of the Bridgewater Hall gave the end of last season a fitting climax.”

Both formats are accompanied by a printed booklet containing a synopsis. A full libretto is included as a pdf file on both the standard CD release and the MP3 Edition.

Concert Reviews:
‘The orchestra, reinforced for the occasion to more than 100 and with enough harps on- and off-stage to re-stock Paradise, responded with world-class playing from every section. Elder's Hallé is now transcendent.’ - Daily Telegraph *****

‘Mark Elder and the Hallé came pretty near, at the weekend, to Wagner’s ideal... In their first concert performance of a complete Wagner opera, they achieved, over two evenings, what will surely go down in history as one of the Hallé’s finest hours — indeed, six of them.’ - The Times *****

‘There may have been no cataclysmic flames engulfing Valhalla at the end of the Hallé's concert performance of Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) but that did not stop it catching fire… The programming of the final part of the Ring, spread over two evenings, was surely a peak of Elder's ambitious plans to put the Hallé centre-stage in British musical life.’ - The Independent *****

‘The Hallé played as if the score were embedded in their systems…’ - The Guardian ****