Adès: The Exterminating Angel Symphony & Violin Concerto

Album information

THE SURREAL SOUNDSCAPES OF THOMAS ADÈS

The Minnesota Orchestra and its music director Thomas Søndergård delve into the imaginative world of Thomas Adès, a singular voice in contemporary classical music. Featuring two of his most compelling orchestral works, The Exterminating Angel Symphony – a world premiere recording – and the Violin Concerto, this album captures Adès’ uncanny ability to merge intellectual rigor with raw emotional immediacy. With orchestral textures both radiant and unsettling, Adès evokes a surreal musical landscape, brought vividly to life by Søndergård’s incisive direction and violinist Leila Josefowicz’s electrifying performance.

Highlighting two distinct sides of Adès’ artistry, cinematic drama and virtuosic intimacy, this recording explores the composer’s breadth with striking clarity. Josefowicz brings fierce expressivity and precision to the Violin Concerto, while the orchestra navigates the volatile energy of The Exterminating Angel Symphony with gripping intensity.

Released physically on standard CD.

REVIEWS:

The Times: ‘File this release under “sonic spectaculars”’

Opus Klassiek: “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.”

The Times: “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.”

Pizzicato – Five stars: “Josefowicz finds a convincingly sensitive approach, developing her imaginatively illuminated interpretation from her stupendous technical abilities.”

Europadisc – Album of the Week

Gramophone – Five New Classical Albums to Hear This Week

The New York Times – Five Classical Albums You Must Hear round-up: “Joining this rich new work is Leila Josefowicz’s lithe account of Adès’s Violin Concerto, which, it is hard to believe, is now two decades old. Other recordings have brought out the daring and originality of this fantastic piece, but Josefowicz, along with the Minnesota Orchestra and Thomas Sondergard, excels at reminding us how sheerly beautiful it is.”

The Boston Globe – The 10 Best Classical Albums of 2025: “Together with the symphony is a sensuously beautiful performance of Adès’s Violin Concerto by Leila Josefowicz, all played with crack precision and understanding by the Minnesotans.”