Strauss celebration ft the Hallé + BBC Phil at Bridgewater Hall

Manchester’s three major orchestras are joining forces to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great German composer, Richard Strauss – and it has nothing to do with waltzes!. From Thursday 9 January to Saturday 8 March, the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata and Bridgewater Hall will serve up his orchestral songs and many of his great orchestral works (or tone poems) in Strauss’s Voice. Opening with Alexander Vinogradov performing two of Stauss’ rare songs for bass (Thu 9 Jan), the festival includes Steven Isserlis (pictured) taking the title role in his comic adventure Don Quixote (Sat 18 Jan – the bill also includes Also Sprach Zarathustra, for the Übermensch in you), the majestic Alpine Symphony with 125 players from the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic coming together under Juanjo Mena (Thu 23 Jan), Anne Schwanewilms performing his haunting Four Last Songs (Wed 5, Thu 6 & Sun 9 Feb), 23 of the Manchester Camerata’s string players performing Metamorphosen (Sat 22 Feb) – and the celebration culminates with the colossal Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life) (Sat 8 Mar). For full details of concerts and special preview talks and workshops visit www.straussvoice.com.

Thu 9 Jan – Sat 8 Mar 2014, Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, M2 3WS, £10 – £38, www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk