Conducting his friend Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater, Salonen makes the best case for this disturbing, sometimes dreamlike opera.
The Irish conductor won the job following his debut with the ensemble in Handel’s Alceste earlier this year.
With Lise Davidsen and Gerald Finley in the leads and Edward Gardner conducting, this live recording is compelling on every level.
James Gaffigan conducts this masterpiece, rescheduled from last September’s Chorus strike, along with three works by Gordon Getty.