This album presents three richly imaginative orchestral suites by Thomas Adès, drawing from his acclaimed operatic and ballet works and showcasing his bold, evocative sound world.
Luxury Suite from Powder Her Face transforms Adès’s provocative chamber opera into a vivid orchestral suite. Tango rhythms, haunting waltzes, and surreal drama frame the story of a fading Duchess recalling her scandal-filled life. This expanded 2017 version blends elegance, satire, and emotional depth in music that is as theatrical as it is sensuous.
Five Spells from The Tempest distills scenes from Adès’s opera into a purely instrumental fantasy, reimagining Shakespeare’s characters through the orchestra. From the chaotic storm overture to the lyrical love music of Miranda and Ferdinand, and finally Prospero’s ethereal farewell, this 2022 work captures both human intimacy and magical wonder.
Inferno Suite, drawn from the ballet Dante, plunges listeners into the depths of Hell as imagined by Dante and Liszt. Each short movement vividly depicts a grotesque or tragic episode—from souls tormented by wasps to the frozen stillness of Satan in ice. Adès’s colorful orchestration and emotional contrasts offer a compelling journey through the underworld.
All works are performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Thomas Adès himself, captured live at the Royal Festival Hall. This album is a testament to Adès’s stature as a leading composer-conductor of our time.
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