The Hallé – Sibelius’s Symphony No.2

Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Ravel – Piano Concerto in G major
Thea Musgrave – Song of the Enchanter
Sibelius – Symphony No.2

Conductor – Sir Mark Elder
Piano – Benjamin Grosvenor

Many of our concerts this season help tell the stories of composers and the music you will hear. Opening the season, Sir Mark offers the first of our ‘Stories behind the music’ concerts. What Vaughan Williams learnt from Ravel about orchestration was put to superb effect in the string sonorities of the Tallis Fantasia, his spiritual, moving first masterpiece. Benjamin Grosvenor deepens his ongoing relationship with the Hallé with Ravel’s G major concerto, which has, Sir Mark feels, ‘something of the circus never far away in the music’; it’s laced with solos that players relish and is blessed by a song-like slow movement of breath-taking beauty. Conceived in Italy, Mediterranean warmth unlocked Sibelius’s creativity in his majestic Second Symphony. Infused with late-Romantic melodies, it was the Hallé, under Richter, who gave the British premiere. It is prefaced by Thea Musgrave’s short Sibelian homage, which, replete with glowing orchestral textures and subtle quotes from the Master, is inspired by a story from the Kalevala, Finland’s national epic.

Your safety and well-being The safety and well-being of our audiences and players is the Hallé and The Bridgewater Hall’s first concern. In keeping with Government expectations and recommendations, we are strongly advising everyone to continue to wear face coverings, where possible. The Hall will continue its thorough cleaning regime between performances, and we expect hand sanitizer to continue to be widely available. We urge you to consult The Bridgewater Hall website which has full and regularly updated details. Security Patrons should note the measures in place for admission to The Bridgewater Hall. Please visit here for details.