David Stanhope: Live in Concert
In an era of ubiquitous digital streaming, it is good to be reminded of the energy and excitement of live performance. This concert, with its scintillating late-Romantic repertoire, recalls what a diet of studio recordings can leave out.
David Stanhope conductor
Kirsten Williams leader
John Harding leader
Franz Schreker’s Prelude to a Drama is one of the most gorgeous examples of late romanticism, written for a huge orchestra. Rachmaninoff’s last major work, Symphonic Dances, is as powerful as any other score by that composer. Both performances come from a single concert on 23 September 1999.
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra was in fine form, giving virtually flawless accounts of both works, especially the Schreker, which none of the players had performed before. David Stanhope shows his mastery of this difficult repertoire – clarity, balance and expressive rubato.
Artists
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney, with professional roots from the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932 and the Sydney Opera House as its home concert hall since 1973.
David Stanhope
David Stanhope is an Australian conductor, composer and pianist whose career also takes in horn and bass trombone. He has led opera, ballet, film scores and orchestras across Australia, and is widely known for his wind-band and brass writing.

Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music.
Tracks
- Prelude to a Drama (Sydney première) Franz Schreker 19:53
- Non Allegro 12:34
- Andante con moto (Tempo di valse) 9:37
- Lento Assai – Allegro Vivace 13:38
Symphonic Dances Sergei Rachmaninoff
Performers
- Sydney Symphony Orchestra · orchestra
- David Stanhope · conductor
- Kirsten Williams · leader · track 1
- John Harding · leader · tracks 2–4
Contributors

Cover photo
Belinda Webster
Belinda Webster is the founder of Tall Poppies Records and a leading Australian producer and recording engineer whose work has documented classical, contemporary and jazz performance across decades of catalogue releases.
Annotations
David Stanhope
David Stanhope is an Australian conductor, composer and pianist whose career also takes in horn and bass trombone. He has led opera, ballet, film scores and orchestras across Australia, and is widely known for his wind-band and brass writing.
Where to listen
David Stanhope: Live in Concert is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.
Product details
- Catalogue number
- TP274
- Total playing time
- 55 minutes 42 seconds
- Recording Engineer
- Yossi Gabbay
- Mastering Engineer
- Christo Curtis
- Venue
- Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
- Credit
- Belinda Webster
David Stanhope - Release date
- 2023
- Label
- Tall Poppies
- Musical work
copyright - © Tall Poppies Records
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ Tall Poppies Records
- Category
- Great Classics
- Genres
- Romantic & Impressionist, Orchestral & Concerto
- Barcode
- EAN 9399001002740
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