‘Given in an outing of tremendous intensity and profound collective musicality by Várjon, Altstaedt and members of the Hallé with Adès, the [Kurtág] Double Concerto was rendered with enthralling immersion.’
AIM review of April 2026 concert.

This album marks the beginning of Adès’ tenure as Principal Guest Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra, a post he assumed in September 2026.  It is Adés’ first formal conducting title, having previously held positions as an artist and composer with orchestras and festivals in Europe and USA.

Adès said of the appointment ‘Composing is the most important part of my musical life, but conducting has always played an essential role. Working directly with orchestral musicians and soloists and shaping the interpretation of my music and that of other composers, has been an endless source of joy and inspiration. It feels like the right moment to have a deeper relationship with an orchestra over a number of years. My association with the Hallé and The Bridgewater Hall goes back many years and makes this pioneering orchestra the obvious choice’.

Marking the composer’s 100^th birthday, this recording of Kurtág’s Double Concerto features internationally renowned soloists, Nicolas Altstaedt (cello) and Dénes Várjon (piano). The work marked a change in direction, using larger forces in music that displays a connection to traditional structures. It is scored for two chamber ensembles and a large percussion section and is notable for its spatial separation. 

Adès’ Air – Homage to Sibelius honours a composer whose music Adès frequently conducts. In form it reflects the chaconne or passacaglia, where material is based on a repeating melody or chord-sequence, and the character is of timeless reflection.  Featuring Anthony Marwood, violin.

In contrast, Lieux retrouvés (or Places Revisited) takes the listener on a journey of imaginary travel, adopting novel viewpoints and unexpected destinations.  Full of movement and colour, the piece features Nicolas Altstaedt in the solo cello role.

Tippett’s Triple Concerto has been described as a crucial piece in the final phase of the composer’s creativity, a time in which he combined the melodic richness of his earliest works with the techniques he developed in later compositions. The piece is notable for its expressive lyricism and its cyclical structure, with writing that effectively combines and showcases the three solo instruments, here played by Anthony Marwood (violin), Lawrence Power (viola) and Nicolas Altstaedt (cello).

György Kurtág 
Double Concerto
Nicolas Altstaedt (cello) and Dénes Várjon (piano)

Thomas Adès
Air – Homage to Sibelius 
Anthony Marwood (violin)

Thomas Adès
Lieux retrouvés
Nicolas Altstaedt (cello) 

Michael Tippett
Triple Concerto
Anthony Marwood (violin), Lawrence Power (viola)
and Nicolas Altstaedt (cello) 

The Hallé Orchestra
Thomas Adès conductor

Release date: Fri 6 Nov 2026

Catalogue number: cdhll7573