English subtitles available via Closed Captions.

In March 2024, Arnold Schoenberg's Gurrelieder was transformed into a musical tapestry of monumental scale, featuring an orchestra of 140 musicians and a chorus of 285. This unmissable experience was captured beautifully in Sydney to celebrate Schoenberg's 150th birthday, marking the piece as one of the composer's most romantic works.

Set against a vast sound world, Gurrelieder tells a beautifully crafted tale of love and loss, adapted from Danish legend. Its epic themes of passion, jealousy, and a quest for love that transcends life rival any fantasy saga. In a musical landmark, Chief Conductor Simone Young leads the Sydney Symphony in this extraordinary work for the first time in the Orchestra's history.

The event featured an all-star cast, including celebrated tenor Simon O'Neill and the remarkable German soprano Ricarda Merbeth, who made her long-awaited return to Sydney. The film recording of this spectacular romance preserves an exceptional moment in the Orchestra's history, offering audiences a chance to relive the grandeur and emotion of this immense work, presented by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.