Fresh from their survey of Elgar, Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra have chosen to venture into the realm of Wagner's orchestral music for the latest offering from their own label. Such a transition is a logical one, given the connections that have been made between the sound world of The Dream of Gerontius and that of Parsifal. Judging by the performances here, this decision does not merely make sense on paper - it sounds like the logical choice as well.
This state of affairs is immediately evident in the Prelude to Act I of Parsifal and the subsequent 'Good Friday Music' of the same opera. There is a certain oneness about these performances that creates a tangible sense of chamber music - no mean feat in a Wagner orchestra! The overture of Der Fliegende Holländer - from its rambunctious openings through to the contented closing bars - is similarly captivating in its literal and metaphorical ebbs and flows. In all three performances the rounded tone of the Hallé's brass section and the shimmering timbre of the strings are mesmerising.
The crown jewel of this disc is the Prelude to Act III of Die Meistersinger. One is struck throughout by the blissfully warm and sensuous aura created by the Hallé's strings, particularly in the work's fugato opening, which are duly offset by beautifully poignant entries from both woodwind and brass. This is romantic orchestral playing at its height - genuine, heartfelt musicianship which is neither exaggerated nor understated. Plaudits must go to Elder, whose interpretation is supreme.
There is plenty to admire in the Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger as well. Elder's reading is, once again, immaculate (though perhaps a tad slow); the cooperation between woodwind and brass during the first appearance of the famous chorale-like march melody is outstanding; and there is some delightfully perky woodwind counterpoint during the music that heralds the arrival of the apprentices. However, though the Hallé's violins are on top form - creating a formidable wall of sound with their intense, impassioned playing - they occasionally dominate the texture to such an extent that it detracts from the polyphony of Wagner's score.
The Prelude and 'Liebestod' from Tristan und Isolde presents something of a mixed bag. Elder and the Hallé are joined in the second half of the performance by the young German soprano Anja Kampe. Apart from an unattractive glottal stop in the first line of the 'Liebestod', Kampe's silvery voice is very easy on the ear. However, in this particular case it lacks the gravity that would make this a truly outstanding performance. She is not aided in her cause by the orchestra, whose playing, though considered, does not exude the earnest, pent-up passion that Isolde is trying to express at this stage of the opera. The orchestral prelude is more successful, approaching the levels of rapture achieved in Parsifal and Die Meistersinger.
Recorded in a sympathetic yet unpretentious acoustic, and accompanied by Conrad Wilson's lucid booklet notes, this disc is well worth seeking almost for Die Meistersinger's Act III Prelude alone - a performance I will be returning to time and again. A commendable addition to any CD collection.