Ades: Violin Concerto & the Exterminating Angel Symphony [World Premiere Recording]

The Exterminating Angel Symphony – recorded as a world premiere – is a symphonic suite of approximately twenty minutes taken from the opera of the same name, "The Exterminating Angel," which premiered in 2026. (...) The Minnesota Orchestra perfectly captures this harrowing and utterly insane story. Creating just the right level of tension to allow the listener to quickly immerse themselves in this opera is no easy feat. (...)

The Violin Concerto, subtitled "Concentric Paths", is a work for solo violin and chamber orchestra. (...) Here, it is the Canadian violinist Leila Josefowicz who electrifies the atmosphere of an already very tormented work. The soloist blends perfectly with the orchestra, and the sound recording work is once again excellent, offering great clarity and beautiful dynamics, highlighting the extraordinary precision of this orchestra.

This recording offers a wonderful opportunity to discover or rediscover the world of Thomas Adès, thanks to its meticulous production and a particularly inspired conductor. A very good album.

The contribution of the Minnesota Orchestra under the leadership of the Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård… is certainly impressive. The orchestra has built a strong reputation in both classical and modern and contemporary repertoire, and Søndergård possesses a keen ear for balance and detail. The interplay with Josefowicz is exemplary: clear, dynamic, and well-balanced.

First things first. The orchestral playing and the recorded sound are magnificent. In the album’s most spectacular track, a chain of grinding fortissimo chords march along through often surprising harmonic shifts, supported by a menacing side-drum tattoo, and the textural clarity is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

File this release under “sonic spectaculars”.