Hallé Autumn/Winter Season 2021 brochure by The Hallé

≥ AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 CONCERTS AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL MUSIC DIRECTOR SIR MARK ELDER CH CBE

A WARM WELCOME TO THE HALLÉ’S NEW SEASON!

We are all thrilled to be able to welcome everyone back to The Bridgewater Hall once more for a full, if shortened, Hallé autumn season. As we glimpse normality again, we can, together, look forward to some magnificent music-making. We will announce our spring concerts in October, but until then there are treasures to be discovered and wonderful stories to be told. Many of you will look forward to hearing some of the repertoire’s great masterpieces, heard perhaps afresh after so long an absence. We particularly look forward to performing these works for people new to our concerts, curious and keen to experience something special. 2 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

My opening trio of programmes includes Sibelius’s ever-popular Second Symphony, Elgar’s First – given its world premiere by the Hallé in 1908 – and Brahms’s glorious Third, tranquil and poignant, then dramatic and peaceful once more. Delyana Lazarova, our already acclaimed Assistant Conductor, will perform Dvořák’s ‘New World’ Symphony and Gemma New will conduct Copland’s euphoric Third, with its finale inspired by the composer’s own Fanfare for the Common Man. You can look forward to Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition, in Ravel’s famous arrangement, Nicola Benedetti playing Wynton Marsalis’s Violin Concerto, Boris Giltburg performing Rachmaninov’s Fourth Piano Concerto, Natalya Romaniw singing Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs and Elisabeth Brauß playing Grieg’s wonderfully Romantic Piano Concerto. We always want to offer you some wonderful surprises to sit alongside these great works. Our short season offers an inspirational selection: Lera Auerbach’s fateful and evocative Icarus; Florence Price’s ground-breaking Ethiopia’s Shadow in America (and what a story that is); Dorothy Howell’s Keatsinspired Lamia and Thea Musgrave’s homage to Sibelius, Song of the Enchanter. There is a stirring and entertaining programme of Hallé Pops concerts, including a celebration of the music of Elton John and Nashville country classics. Please don’t miss our new series of chamber music concerts at Hallé St Peter’s, details of which you will find throughout this brochure. You can also look forward to celebrating Christmas, perhaps with more joy and gusto than ever. New or familiar, whatever your personal favourites are, we are delighted to share this wonderful music with you, and cannot wait to see you all again.

Sir Mark Elder THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 3

THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 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. We will keep you fully informed of any changes or recommendations that come into effect over the next few months. We are strongly advising everyone to continue to wear masks 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 www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk/your-visit which has full and regularly updated details.

In this brochure you can find all of our concerts in The Bridgewater Hall. We have also programmed a series of chamber music events in the more intimate surroundings of Hallé St Peter’s, allowing you to get closer to the music. See page 27 for ticket prices and booking information for these chamber concerts.

Our concerts include many pieces that form part of the new ‘Model Music’ Curriculum for Key Stages 1 to 3. Pieces that are included in the curriculum are marked with this graphic followed by the relevant school year. Find out more about Hallé Connect, our education programme and our Set Works concerts on page 22.

Join us before many of our concerts for additional events which range from discussions focusing on an aspect of the evening’s programme to performances by local students. These events are free to concert ticket holders.

Some of our concerts will be filmed for future digital release. Details will be available at www.halle.co.uk at a later date. If you enjoyed our past digital concerts or want to experience them for the first time, we have released some extracts taken from the 20/21 digital season which are now available to view on Apple Music. To find out more visit www.halle.co.uk/stream-on-apple-music-classical-live

All artists, programmes and prices are correct at the time of going to press, but may change in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Keep up to date at www.halle.co.uk

4 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER, 7.30pm SUNDAY 26 SEPTEMBER, 4pm WEDNESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER, 2.15pm

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

15' 23' 6' 43'

Sir Mark Elder conductor • Benjamin Grosvenor piano 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. At these concerts we celebrate the Halle’s family of corporate supporters who so generously continued their support throughout the last 18 months.

≥ ST PETER’S CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER, 1pm AT HALLÉ ST PETER’S

SCHUMANN’S PIANO QUARTET Mozart Adagio and Fugue K546 Sofia Gubaidulina Reflections on the Theme B-A-C-H Schumann Fugue No.6 from 6 Fugues on the Name of B.A.C.H. Schumann Piano Quartet

7' 7' 7' 28'

Benjamin Grosvenor piano Eva Þórarinsdóttir violin • Rosemary Attree violin Martin Schäfer viola • Nicholas Trygstad cello The art of counterpoint – the way composers combine simultaneous melodic lines – is celebrated in works from different eras, each paying homage to J. S. Bach. Sofia Gubaidulina’s quartet provides an taster to her powerful Offertorium, itself growing out of a Bach quotation, which the Hallé plays on 30 September. Alongside his performances of Ravel with the Hallé, Benjamin Grosvenor joins a trio of the players for Schumann’s glorious Piano Quartet, its slow movement theme one of the sublime inspirations of early Romanticism. See page 27 for ticket prices and booking information.

THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 5

THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER, 7.30pm Digital broadcast will be available – details to be announced

ELGAR’S SYMPHONY NO.1 Wagner Lohengrin: Prelude to Act I Sofia Gubaidulina Offertorium Elgar Symphony No.1

8' 40' 50'

Sir Mark Elder conductor • Baiba Skride violin Establishing the mood of the concert’s first half, Wagner’s first act prelude to Lohengrin, evokes the descent of the Holy Grail from Heaven in a rapt and gradual crescendo. Its spirituality links perfectly with Offertorium, chosen to celebrate the 90th birthday of Sofia Gubaidulina, one of the greatest Russian composers of the post-Shostakovich generation. For Sir Mark it is an ‘exciting, dramatic and powerful work’, derived from the theme of J. S. Bach’s Musical Offering. Making her Hallé debut, the Latvian violinist, Baiba Skride, has performed the work with leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic and Boston Symphony. To conclude, Elgar’s First Symphony which is deeply associated with the Hallé since its premiere in 1908 conducted by Hans Richter, to whom Elgar dedicated it with the inscription ‘true artist and true friend’. 6.30pm in the auditorium David Butcher, Hallé Chief Executive, introduces the Hallé autumn season, with Head of Artistic Planning, Anna Hirst and Hallé musicians.

THURSDAY SERIES SPONSORED BY

SATURDAY 2 OCTOBER, 7.30pm

RUSSIAN EXTRAVAGANZA Tchaikovsky Fantasy Overture: Romeo and Juliet Rachmaninov Vocalise Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio espagnol Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin: Polonaise Arya Tsytlianok New Work world premiere • hallé commission * Glazunov The Seasons: Autumn Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

21' 6' 16' 5'

11' 17'

Stephen Bell conductor Russia’s extraordinary musical legacy is almost impossible to match. The grandeur and drama of these wonderful Russian melodies will stir you, taking all the prizes for sheer excitement. Stephen Bell will lead you through this magnificent selection of Russia’s greatest hits including Tchaikovsky’s famous 1812 Overture – music that will, quite literally, go off with a bang! * Hallé New Commissions programme sponsored by CMS LLP

CONCERT SPONSORED BY

6.30pm in the auditorium Students from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) perform a selection of Russian repertoire. 6 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER, 7pm

BRAHMS’S SYMPHONY NO.3 Haydn Symphony No.64, ‘Tempora mutantur’ Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms Brahms Symphony No.3

21' 21' 33'

Sir Mark Elder conductor • Hallé Choir matthew hamilton choral director To celebrate its first concert appearance since February 2020, the Hallé Choir takes pride of place in Stravinsky’s striking Symphony of Psalms. Begun ‘in a state of religious and musical ebullience,’ the composer wrote, it culminates with both ‘a vision of Elijah’s chariot’ and the serene alleluias of the heavenly host. Sir Mark opens the concert with a Haydn symphony whose beautiful character and intriguing title Tempora mutantur (‘Times change’) seem, he feels, ‘appropriate for this moment in time’. The Brahms symphonies continue to fascinate Sir Mark for their distinctive, individual characteristics. This exploration of the Third contrasts the ‘intimate tenderness’ of the first three movements with ‘the rugged quality of the finale’, its drama finally quelled in calm resolution.

6pm in the auditorium The Hallé’s Choral Director, Matthew Hamilton, and members of the choir discuss the Hallé Choir’s journey to performing Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms.

CONCERT SPONSORED BY

Stay in touch:

@the_halle @the_halle TheHalleOfficial

thehalle

www.halle.co.uk

THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 7

WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER, 2.15pm THURSDAY 14 OCTOBER, 7.30pm SUNDAY 17 OCTOBER, 4pm

FROM THE NEW WORLD Price Ethiopia’s Shadow in America Barber Violin Concerto Dvořák Symphony No.9, ‘From the New World’

14' 25' 40'

Delyana Lazarova conductor • James Ehnes violin In this American-themed programme, Hallé Assistant Conductor Delyana Lazarova is excited to be ‘bringing to life again the music of the inspiring composer Florence Price’. She was the first African-American woman to gain recognition as a symphonic composer. For Delyana, Ethiopia’s Shadow in America combines ‘melodies of pure beauty, imaginative use of orchestral colours and an evocative musical language’ drawn from the spirituals of African-American slaves. A favourite Hallé guest artist, James Ehnes performs Barber’s Violin Concerto, its full-bloodied, soaring lyricism creating a 20th-century American classic. It was Dvořák in the New York Herald who pinpointed spirituals as the way forward for American composers. Spirituals also influenced his own Ninth Symphony, its soubriquet ‘From the New World’ aiming to convey his vivid impressions of the USA. CONCERT SPONSORED BY

THURSDAY 21 OCTOBER, 7.30pm Digital broadcast will be available – details to be announced

WALTON’S CELLO CONCERTO Lera Auerbach Icarus Walton Cello Concerto Copland Symphony No.3

12' 30' 43'

6.30pm in the auditorium Laura van der Heijden and Nicholas Trygstad, Hallé Principal Cello in conversation with Gemma New. 8 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

THURSDAY SERIES SPONSORED BY

LERA AUERBACH’S ICARUS

Gemma New conductor • Laura van der Heijden cello New Zealand-born Gemma New, a first-time Hallé guest, has been making waves in the USA as a rising star. The season’s ‘Stories behind the music’ continue with Icarus, by the Russian/American Lera Auerbach. Enthralled from childhood by Ancient Greek mythology, this work’s character personified for her the tragic tale of Icarus’s ill-fated flight. Walton’s Cello Concerto combines distinguishing aspects of his music – bitter-sweet melancholy and vigorous energy. It’s performed by Laura van der Heijden, who won the 2012 BBC Young Musician of the Year playing this concerto. Copland’s Third Symphony has a euphoric optimism, especially its finale based on his celebrated Fanfare for the Common Man. After the premiere, the conductor Koussevitzky declared, ‘This is the greatest American Symphony. It goes from the heart to the heart’.

SATURDAY 30 OCTOBER, 7.30pm

THE MUSIC OF ELTON JOHN: 50 YEARS OF ‘YOUR SONG’ The concert includes: Rocket Man; Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; Your Song; Candle in the Wind; Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word; Circle of Life; I’m Still Standing; Part-Time Love; Something About the Way You Look Tonight; Don’t Go Breaking My Heart; Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me; Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting and many more. Richard Balcombe conductor • George King piano Graham Bickley, Stuart Matthew Price, Patrick Smyth and Abbie Osmon vocalists In October 1970, Elton John released ‘Your Song’, written with his long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin, which has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 50 Years of ‘Your Song’ is a symphonic celebration of the subsequent years of music-making by the multi-award-winning singer, pianist and composer. Elton John has sold more than 300 million records, had more than 50 Top 40 hits, won five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards and is an Academy, Golden Globe and Tony Award winner. Presented by GRB Concerts. CONCERT SPONSORED BY

6.30pm in the stalls foyer Pre-concert foyer music performed by students of the RNCM Popular Music course.

THURSDAY 4 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm

WIGGLESWORTH’S PIANO CONCERTO Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Selection Ryan Wigglesworth Piano Concerto Schumann Symphony No.2

20'

28' 38'

Ryan Wigglesworth conductor • Marc-André Hamelin piano

MENDELSSOHN’S A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Hallé Artist in Association, Ryan Wigglesworth, conducts a programme centred around his Piano Concerto, premiered at the 2019 BBC Proms by another ever welcome Hallé guest, Marc-André Hamelin, dubbed by the New York Times as ‘A performer of near-superhuman technical prowess’. Of Mozartian Classical proportions, Wigglesworth describes his concerto’s four movements as ‘studies in character’, at its heart an intimate ‘Notturno’, based on a Polish folksong he first heard around a campfire. Among critical plaudits, The Times lauded Wigglesworth’s ‘conjuror’s ability to cast a spell’. The concert opens with characters embroiled in Midsummer mayhem as portrayed in Mendelssohn’s magical score to Shakespeare’s play. Schumann’s Second Symphony is a journey from darkness to light, consciously emulating Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, composed after serious illness and enshrining the composer’s love for his wife Clara. 6.30pm in the auditorium Ryan Wigglesworth and Marc-André Hamelin discuss the connection between Mendelssohn and Schumann with a short performance from Chetham’s students.

THURSDAY SERIES SPONSORED BY

THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 11

WEDNESDAY 10 NOVEMBER, 2.15pm THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm • the vera clegg memorial concert SUNDAY 14 NOVEMBER, 4pm

RICHARD STRAUSS’S FOUR LAST SONGS Howell Lamia 15' 24' R. Strauss Four Last Songs R. Strauss Serenade 10' Mozart Symphony No.41, ‘Jupiter’ 31' Christian Reif conductor • Natalya Romaniw soprano A concert curated around beginnings and endings with Richard Strauss centre-stage, contrasting his teenage Serenade with his swansong, Four Last Songs, composed aged 84. Couched in glowing autumnal hues by a vocal and orchestral master, they’ll be sung by Welsh soprano Natalya Romaniw, last with the Hallé in Manchester in 2016 when she thrilled concert-goers in Beethoven’s Ninth. She’s joined by the young German conductor Christian Reif, a Hallé newcomer, whose career has developed apace in the States when Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. To start, Lamia is a Straussian symphonic poem, inspired by Keats, written by the 20-year-old Dorothy Howell and premiered by Henry Wood at the 1919 Proms. The concert concludes with Mozart’s final symphony, where the contrapuntal wizardry of its finale aptly justifies its regal nickname – ‘Jupiter’.

≥ ST PETER’S CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

FRIDAY 19 NOVEMBER, 1pm AT HALLÉ ST PETER’S

KARL JENKINS’S ADIEMUS The programme includes: Edward Gregson Equale Dances Cecilia McDowall Tango Oscuro Karl Jenkins Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary

15' 6' 4'

In a varied and entertaining programme, Hallé brass players explore a theme of song and dance, including Equale Dances by that doyen among composers of brass music, Edward Gregson, where lively dances offset lyrical arias. Celebrating Cecilia’s McDowall’s 70th birthday year, her Tango Oscuro is an evocation of dark memories of an old Argentinian tango hall. From its origins as music for an airline company advert, Sir Karl Jenkins’s Adiemus, mixing African tribal and Celtic-like melodies, has become a global phenomenon. See page 27 for ticket prices and booking information.

12 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

HOWELL’S LAMIA

Gareth Small trumpet • Tom Osborne trumpet • Julian Plummer horn Katy Jones trombone • Harry Cunningham tuba

SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm

THE HALLÉ GOES TO NASHVILLE Including: The Devil Went Down to Georgia; Blanket on the Ground; Crazy; Always On My Mind; Take Me Home, Country Roads; Wichita Lineman; Rhinestone Cowboy; Stand by Your Man; Heartache Tonight; Ring of Fire; Need You Now; Friday Night; Islands in the Stream; Jolene; 9 to 5; I Will Always Love You; The Gambler and many more! Stephen Bell conductor Annie Skates, Zoe Nicholas, Lance Ellington and Stephen Weller vocalists Grab your Stetson and take a trip to Tennessee for this rhinestone-studded concert featuring fifty years of legendary Country & Western hits. A full symphony orchestra and rocking rhythm section, complete with pedal steel guitar, will be joined by four of Britain’s leading guest vocalists for timeless classics from the likes of Glenn Campbell, Dolly Parton, The Shires, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Lady A and The Eagles. This is the very best of Country so saddle up and ride on over for an epic evening!

CONCERT SPONSORED BY

6.30pm in the stalls foyer Pre-concert foyer music performed by students of the RNCM Popular Music course.

THURSDAY 25 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm

JANÁČEK’S SINFONIETTA Suk Fantastic Scherzo 14' Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.4 29' Dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 12' Janáček Sinfonietta 24'

Sir Mark Elder conductor • Boris Giltburg piano

DUKAS’ THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE

A classic Hallé programme, mixing familiar composers with lesser-known works, is framed by Czech music. Suk’s Fantastic Scherzo is a rarity, yet it is graced by the most beguiling of Bohemian waltzes. Remarkably, for such a popular composer, Rachmaninov’s final piano concerto hasn’t been played by the Hallé for over 20 years. Described by Sir Mark as a ‘great work of sadness and nostalgia’, it requires an outstanding virtuoso and the Hallé is delighted to welcome back Boris Giltburg, described in Gramophone as ‘a truly remarkable Rachmaninov interpreter’. After the disastrous chaos wrought by Dukas’s hapless Sorcerer’s Apprentice, so vividly evoked in music, order is restored with Janáček’s Sinfonietta. Boasting no less than 25 brass players, including nine trumpets, its exultant fanfares will resound around The Bridgewater Hall. CONCERT AND THURSDAY SERIES SPONSORED BY

6.30pm in the auditorium Insights from Sir Mark Elder on tonight's programme THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 15

THURSDAY 2 DECEMBER, 7.30pm

FINLANDIA Sibelius Finlandia Grieg Piano Concerto Alfvén Swedish Rhapsody No.1, ‘Midsummer Vigil’ Sibelius Valse triste Christine Hals Calling the Aurora (Northern Lights Kulning) Grieg Peer Gynt Suite: selection

31'

13' 7' 3'

20'

Stephen Bell conductor • Elisabeth Brauß piano Perfect for winter, this concert celebrates the mystery and beauty of the far North. Two of the most famous pieces by Norwegian Edvard Grieg feature: his musical tableaux for Peer Gynt and his stunning Piano Concerto, with its beautiful central Adagio, which will be performed by BBC New Generation Artist and Terence Judd-Hallé Award recipient, pianist Elisabeth Brauß. Film composer and vocalist Christine Hals, known for her Scandinavian herding call in Disney’s Frozen, brings the unique sound to her ‘Calling the Aurora’. Hugo Alfvén contributes his light-hearted Midsummer Vigil, a symphonic rhapsody that gets right to the heart of his homeland’s folk music, whilst Sibelius is represented by his haunting and melancholy Valse triste and his stirring tribute to his homeland, Finlandia.

6.30pm in the auditorium Students from the RNCM perform a selection of Scandinavian repertoire.

≥ ST PETER’S CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER, 1pm AT HALLÉ ST PETER’S

BEETHOVEN’S GASSENHAUER TRIO Beethoven Gassenhauer Trio Zimmermann Capriccio for piano Brahms Clarinet Sonata No.1 for clarinet and piano

22' 9' 22'

Winner of the 2021 Terence Judd-Hallé Award, German pianist Elisabeth Brauß is also a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. She joins Hallé Principals for Beethoven’s early ‘Gassenhauer’ Trio, its nickname arising from the finale’s variations on a hit operatic tune of the day. Following Elisabeth’s solo spot playing Zimmermann’s ‘improvisation on folk-song themes’, Capriccio, she and Sergio Castelló López will perform Brahms’s First Clarinet Sonata, one of the four masterworks he composed for the instrument towards the end of his life. See page 27 for ticket prices and booking information. SPONSORED BY

16 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

CHRISTINE HALS’ CALLING THE AURORA

Elisabeth Brauß piano • Sergio Castelló López clarinet • Simon Turner cello

SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER, 6pm

MESSIAH Handel Messiah

159'

Y3, 7 & 9

Sofi Jeannin conductor Alexandra Lowe soprano • Jess Dandy contralto • Benjamin Hulett tenor • James Platt bass Hallé Choir directed by matthew hamilton ried out in Chester, when the notoriously grumpy Handel lost his temper with one T poor soul from the cathedral choir, Messiah was premiered triumphantly in Dublin in 1742. Curiously, when first heard in London the following year, it didn’t make such a strong impression. Handel, confident he’d composed a masterpiece, and ever the canny entrepreneur, didn’t revive it for a couple of years. Thereafter, it steadily grew in the public’s affection, hardly surprising given arias like ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughters of Zion’ and ‘Why do the nations so furiously rage together’, let alone the thrilling choruses ‘Glory to God in the highest’, and, of course, ‘Hallelujah’. In her Hallé conducting debut, Sofi Jeannin, Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers, is joined by a crack quartet of British soloists.

CONCERT SPONSORED BY

WEDNESDAY 8 DECEMBER, 2.15pm THURSDAY 9 DECEMBER, 7.30pm SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER, 4pm Digital broadcast will be available – details to be announced

MUSSORGSKY’S PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION Bernstein Overture: Candide 5' Wynton Marsalis Violin Concerto 26' Mussorgsky orch. Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition 35'

Cristian Mǎcelaru conductor • Nicola Benedetti violin

MUSSORGSKY’S PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION

Cristian Mǎcelaru conducts as Nicola Benedetti performs the critically acclaimed concerto Wynton Marsalis composed for her. Taking its ‘inspiration from her life as a travelling performer’ and incorporating diverse allusions to her Scottish and Marsalis’s AfricanAmerican heritages, it’s in four picturesque movements, including a soulful ‘Blues’ and final ‘Hootenanny’, described by the composer as ‘a raucous, stomping and whimsical barn-yard throw-down.’ As an upbeat, Bernstein’s fizzing overture to his comic operetta Candide perfectly encapsulates the fantastical adventures of its ever-optimistic hero; and to end, Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition, his remarkable feat of musical imagination in tribute to a deceased artist friend. Equally astounding is the added dimension Ravel conjures through the vibrant colours of his instrumental palette.

THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 19

≥ CHRISTMAS CONCERTS 2021

Join the Hallé for a feast of festive music at The Bridgewater Hall ... SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER, 11am

CHRISTMAS FAMILY CONCERT

Delyana Lazarova conductor • Lucy Tuck presenter • Jonathan James creator FRIDAY 17 DECEMBER, 7.30pm

CHRISTMAS CRACKER

Stephen Bell conductor • Quirijn De Lang baritone Hallé Christmas Chorus Hallé Workplace Choir Competition Winners SATURDAY 18 DECEMBER, 3pm SUNDAY 19 DECEMBER, 3pm and 7.30pm

HALLÉ CAROL CONCERTS

Stephen Bell conductor Hallé Choir, Hallé Youth Choir and Hallé Children’s Choir WEDNESDAY 22 DECEMBER, 4pm THURSDAY 23 DECEMBER, 11am and 1.30pm

THE SNOWMAN & HAIRY MACLARY Ben Palmer conductor • Tom Redmond presenter WEDNESDAY 29 DECEMBER, 7.30pm

’80s BIG NIGHT OUT

Stephen Bell conductor • Alison Jiear and Oliver Tompsett vocalists THURSDAY 30 DECEMBER, 5pm

THE MAGICAL MUSIC OF HARRY POTTER

Stephen Bell conductor • Jerome Dowling presenter • Hallé Youth Choir SUNDAY 2 JANUARY, 3pm

VIENNESE NEW YEAR

Stephen Bell conductor • Sky Ingram soprano

Full details are available at halle.co.uk/christmas

THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 21

Hallé Connect brings together all of the Hallé’s activity away from the formal concert platform. The Hallé’s education programme directly reaches over 65,000 people each year, of which 40,000 are children and young people, working across the whole community, bringing music in its broadest terms to those who may not attend the concert hall. Hallé musicians work across the whole community in in various settings throughout Greater Manchester and beyond, releasing creativity and raising aspirations through very accessible and practical projects. The Hallé’s family of choirs welcomes over 600 people, aged 8 upwards, on a weekly basis to sing with inspirational choral leaders. Our youth choirs are open to all by audition and are free to join. Our adult choirs range from the world-renowned Hallé Choir (auditioned symphony chorus) to a range of workplace choirs and the friendly welcome of the Choral Academy and Ancoats Community Choir. The Hallé Youth Orchestra is free and open to any talented young instrumentalists aged 13–19 years, by audition. The Choral Leadership Network – choralleadership.net – is a Hallé-led partnership with organisations involved in choral singing and training. Visit halle.co.uk/halle-connect

SOME

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON ...

TUESDAY 5 OCTOBER

THE SET WORKS SHOWCASE The Hallé’s dedicated set works concert, ‘The Orchestra Through The Ages’, has been created in collaboration with teachers and music educators across the country to provide a unique resource for pupils studying GCSE and A-level music. The concert aims to engage as many students as possible, not just those studying music for public exams. Schools may wish to give pupils from a variety of year groups the opportunity to watch and engage, as well as those who play in various school ensembles. Find out more at www.halle.co.uk/concerts-for-schools or contact education@halle.co.uk Delyana Lazarova conductor • Tom Redmond presenter • Student soloists from RNCM

SATURDAY 18 DECEMBER, 7.30pm

HALLÉ YOUTH ORCHESTRA supported by the oglesby charitable trust, the siemens halle international conductors competition and pz cussons

Delyana Lazarova, the winner of the first Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition and Hallé Youth Orchestra Music Director, takes to the podium for an evening of fantastic music performed by the Youth Orchestra. Delyana Lazarova conductor

22 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

SUBSCRIPTION PLANNER OPUS ONE CONCERTS

THURSDAY SERIES sponsored by siemens

THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER, 7.30pm SUNDAY 26 SEPTEMBER, 4pm WEDNESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER, 2.15pm

SIBELIUS’S SYMPHONY NO.2 Sir Mark Elder conductor Benjamin Grosvenor piano

THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER, 7.30pm

ELGAR’S SYMPHONY NO.1 Sir Mark Elder conductor Baiba Skride violin THURSDAY 21 OCTOBER, 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER, 2.15pm THURSDAY 14 OCTOBER, 7.30pm SUNDAY 17 OCTOBER, 4pm

WALTON’S CELLO CONCERTO Gemma New conductor Laura van der Heijden cello

FROM THE NEW WORLD Delyana Lazarova conductor James Ehnes violin

THURSDAY 4 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 10 NOVEMBER, 2.15pm THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm SUNDAY 14 NOVEMBER, 4pm

WIGGLESWORTH’S PIANO CONCERTO Ryan Wigglesworth conductor Marc-André Hamelin piano

STRAUSS’S FOUR LAST SONGS Christian Reif conductor Natalya Romaniw soprano

THURSDAY 25 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm

JANÁČEK’S SINFONIETTA

WEDNESDAY 8 DECEMBER, 2.15pm THURSDAY 9 DECEMBER, 7.30pm SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER, 4pm

Sir Mark Elder conductor Boris Giltburg piano

MUSSORGSKY’S PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION

COLLECTION

Cristian Mǎcelaru conductor Nicola Benedetti violin

SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER, 7pm

BRAHMS’S SYMPHONY NO.3 Sir Mark Elder conductor Hallé Choir SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER, 6pm

MESSIAH Sofi Jeannin conductor Alexandra Lowe soprano Jess Dandy contralto Benjamin Hulett tenor James Platt bass Hallé Choir THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 23

BOOKING INFORMATION HOW TO BOOK CONCERTS AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL www.halle.co.uk • supervisors@bridgewater-hall.co.uk Box Office, The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS (Booking in person available from 1 September, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm) 0161 907 9000 (Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm) Mastercard, Visa and Delta are all welcome.

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES (including booking fees) Thursday Series, Collection, Opus One concerts and Viennese New Year A B C D E F £44.50 £39.50 £34.50 £29 £22 £14.50 Russian Extravaganza, The Music of Elton John, The Hallé Goes to Nashville, Finlandia and Christmas concerts £45.50 £39.50 £32.50 £24.50 £16.50 The Snowman and Christmas Family Concert Adults £27.50, Children (aged 17 and under) £17.50 Family Tickets (4 people, minimum 1 child) £69.50 Hallé Youth Orchestra Concert Adults £12.50, Concessions £10, Students and under 5s £5.50

FIXED SUBSCRIPTION TICKET PRICES (Prices are per person) A B C D E F Thursday Series (4 CONCERTS) £117.60 £103.60 £89.60 £74.20 £54.60 £33.60 Disabled person’s subscription £84 £74 £64 £53 £39 £24 Thursday Series plus Collection (6 CONCERTS) £176.40 £155.40 £134.40 £111.30 Disabled person’s subscription £126 £111 £96 £79.50 Opus One Concerts (4 CONCERTS) Individuals and groups of up to 9 people £142.80 £125.80 £108.80 Groups of 10 to 49 people £126 £111 £96 Groups of 50+ people £117.60 £103.60 £89.60 Disabled person’s subscription £84 £74 £64

£81.90

£50.40

£58.50

£36

£90.10

£66.30

£40.80

£79.50

£58.50

£36

£74.20

£54.60

£33.60

£53

£39

£24

BOOKING FEES, PRICES AND CHILDREN The Bridgewater Hall applies a booking fee of £2.50 per ticket to telephone and online transactions. No fee applies to tickets bought in person or subscriptions. All prices and tickets, including discounts and concessions, are subject to availability. Prices may change and you may only use one discount per ticket. For licensing reasons everyone, including babes in arms for concerts, must have a ticket. Other than for family concerts, we recommend that younger audiences members be at least of primary school age. 24 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

CONCESSIONS AND DISCOUNTS www.halle.co.uk/moneysavers UNDER 30S * † Anyone aged 30 or under can save 15% off many of the Hallé’s prices.

£3 STUDENT TICKETS * For just £3 (£5.50 including booking fee, see page 24) students in full-time education can hear the Hallé perform extraordinary music in the fantastic surroundings of The Bridgewater Hall. These tickets are usually available in the stalls for the Hallé’s Thursday Series, Collection and Opus One concerts. Additional events may be added throughout the year so check for full details at www.halle.co.uk or follow us on social media. CLAIMANTS AND OVER 60S * † Claimants can purchase tickets at 10% off anywhere in the auditorium, on production of appropriate identification. From two Mondays prior to the performance, over 60s may purchase any remaining tickets and get a 20% discount.

HALLÉ DAY TICKETS † A limited number of tickets will be available for each concert on the day, priced at £12.50 (including booking fees). They can be booked in person, by phone or online. GROUP DISCOUNTS Groups of 10–29 save 10%; groups of 30–49 save 15% and groups of 50+ save 25%. Contact the Box Office at supervisors@bridgewater-hall.co.uk.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF JOINING A HALLÉ GROUP? Our Opus One concerts attract groups from all over the North West, and some from even further afield. If you would like to find out more about joining a Hallé group, either as a subscriber or perhaps to take a spare seat on a coach, contact the Box Office at supervisors@bridgewater-hall.co.uk.

PERSONAL FLEXIBLE SUBSCRIPTIONS † Save 15% on the full ticket price when you book for five or more concerts from The Bridgewater Hall’s classical season.

REFUNDS/TICKET EXCHANGE Tickets cannot be refunded, but may be exchanged for Hallé concerts within the same season, subject to The Bridgewater Hall’s terms and conditions. Please visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk for full information.

DISABLED PATRONS Disabled patrons save 50% and, if a carer is required, the carer comes free. Disabled concessions are not available online. The Bridgewater Hall is fully accessible and welcomes disabled patrons. By letting us know your access requirements, we will, where possible, be able to seat you appropriately. Information on disabled parking can be found on page 28. Please visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk for full information. * These offers are subject to availability, you may be asked to show appropriate identification. † All Hallé concerts are included except The Snowman, Family and Youth Orchestra performances.

THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 25

THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

LOWER MOSLEY STREET, MANCHESTER, M2 3WS WWW.BRIDGEWATER-HALL.CO.UK

EATING AND DRINKING AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL Dining is unavailable at The Bridgewater Hall until October 2021. Check www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk for updates.

PRE-CONCERT AND INTERVAL DRINKS Bars are located on all four levels, serving drinks before the concert and during the interval. Coffee is served in the Stalls and Circle bars only. We recommend that you pre-order your interval drinks.

GETTING TO THE BRIDGEWATER HALL Metrolink tram passengers should alight at Deansgate-Castlefield or St Peter’s Square. The nearest railway stations are Deansgate and Oxford Road. If travelling by car, please allow plenty of time for your journey. For satellite navigation, the Hall’s postcode is M2 3WS. The nearest car parks are Q-Park, NCP Manchester Central, NCP Great Northern and NCP Oxford Street.

DISABLED PARKING There are a limited number of disabled parking spaces for blue badge holders at NCP Manchester Central (formerly G-Mex). Find out more from www.ncp.co.uk A wheelchair-user drop off point is located on Lower Mosley Street outside the Hall. This is not a parking space, even for blue badge holders. Double yellow lines at the rear of The Bridgewater Hall on Great Bridgewater Street allow parking for blue badge holders for up to 3 hours, except during the hours of 6am–8am and 4pm–6pm.

SECURITY Patrons should note measures in place for admission to the building including bag searches and a number of prohibited items. For full details, visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk 26 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

≥ ST PETER’S

40 BLOSSOM STREET, MANCHESTER, M4 6BF

Situated at the heart of the resurgent area of Ancoats, Hallé St Peter’s provides a home for the Hallé’s rehearsals and recordings, its choirs and Youth Orchestra, as well as a space for education workshops and our new chamber music series. Café Cotton at Hallé St Peter's, an independent café, restaurant and bar, is open to the general public seven days a week offering great coffee, delicious homemade food and cakes. Follow Hallé St Peter’s (@hallestpeters) for the latest opening times and information.

EVENTS AT HALLÉ ST PETER’S Hallé St Peter’s is a versatile venue suitable for a wide variety of events. The elegant interior provides a beautiful backdrop for weddings, parties, corporate events, meetings, conferences, receptions and more. Hallé at St Michael’s, our nearby sister venue, also provides a stylish space for events. E-mail us at venues@halle.co.uk

Tickets for the Hallé St Peter’s Chamber Music Series are available from halle.co.uk/chamber-music or by calling 0161 907 9000. Tickets, including booking fees, cost £15 (£7.50 for those in full-time education)

THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 27

THANK YOU It is due to the generosity of our sponsors, patrons and every loyal supporter who has been so understanding over the past eighteen months that we are able to perform the concerts in this brochure. Arts Council England, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the City of Manchester have all been steadfast in their support and have our sincerest thanks.

28 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

The Hallé would like to offer special thanks to the Weston Culture Fund and the Wolfson Foundation’s Covid-19 Support Fund, without which the delivery of this season would not have been possible.

Thank you for your support. The Hallé, now more than ever, relies on the generosity of all our supporters.  To see how you can help, visit:

www.halle.co.uk/support-us Thank you.

≥ SEASON SPONSORS Diamond Partner

Principal Sponsor

Major Sponsors

With thanks to Manchester Airports Group for 30 years of support.

30 THE HALLÉ’S AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2021 AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL

NEW YORK