Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra are churning out the recordings at the moment, having almost completed their Mahler Cycle they’re working hard and have presented to the world the always popular Elgar Cello Concerto and the Dream of Gerontius recorded live from the Sydney Opera House in 2008. Sitting somewhere between an opera and an oratorio Gerontius tells the story of the everyman Gerontius and his soul’s dreams as he slowly drifts towards death. The brilliant orchestral accompaniment is what you’d expect from Elgar but while the vocal line is melodic and interesting, it is occasionally swallowed by the enthusiasm of the orchestra. Nonetheless they are exciting performances that has all the exhilaration of being recorded live.