Back in the early 1990s the world of music was rocked by the emergence of a young powerhouse bass-baritone out of Wales. His name was Bryn Terfel and after winning the Cardiff Singer of the World competition, his immense vocal power mixed with immaculate phrasing and a velvet tone captured the imagination like no other singer of his generation.

The small Welsh label Sain realised his potential too and rushed the 20-something singer into the studio to record Schubert’s epic song cycle Schwanengesang. Now, courtesy of ABC Classics’ close partnership with Sain, that ground-breaking, career-making recording is being commercially released in Australia for the first time.

‘Everything that we grew to love about Bryn Terfel is there in this early recording,’ says Manager of ABC Classic Martin Buzacott, who is currently planning to release more than a dozen other rare Sain titles in Australia. ‘His voice is so beautiful and expressive, and the contrast between his youthful vigour and the pathos of these songs that Schubert wrote as he lay dying makes for an extremely emotional listening experience.’

Accompanied by Malcolm Martineau, who would remain with him into his years of fame, Bryn Terfel’s recording of Schwanengesang is one of those magical recordings capturing that moment in time when genius first blossomed.