To mark principal conductor Sir Mark Elder’s 70th birthday the Hallé are performing a trio of Elgar concerts. The orchestra – which gave the piece its world premiere in 1908 – will kick off with the composer’s rousing First Symphony on March 9, followed on March 11 by a ‘Beyond the Score’ presentation hosted by Gerard McBurney exploring the Enigma Variations. Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé will be on stage throughout providing musical examples, complemented by actors playing Elgar’s friends and loved-ones and film on the Hallé big screen. After the interval, there’ll be a complete performance of the work.The short festival concludes with a performance of the Dream of Gerontius on March 12. Soloist Iain Paterson returns following his appearance in Das Rheingold, while rising vocal stars David Butt Philip and Sasha Cooke are Gerontius and the Angel respectively.
Thu 9 – Sun 12 Mar, Bridgewater Hall, 27 Peter Street, Manchester M2 5QR. Tel: 161 907 90. 7.30pm. from £13.50, www.halle.co.uk
- Words:
- Neil Sowerby
- Published on:
- Mon 6 Mar 2017
