≥ SUMMER SEASON 2021 CONCERTS AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL MUSIC DIRECTOR SIR MARK ELDER CH CBE
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A WARM WELCOME BACK TO THE BRIDGEWATER HALL!
Everyone at the Hallé – myself included – welcome you to our live Summer Season. We are able at last to offer six glorious concerts for you to experience in person. Three of these programmes will also be available as streamed broadcasts, in the same style as those offered in our Winter Season, which so many of you have enjoyed. Our concerts feature an impressive array of great works alongside some lesser known jewels I know you will relish. The Bridgewater Hall stage has been extended so that all our players can come together safely to perform this wonderful music. I have the pleasure of opening and closing the series. The Hallé has for so long been associated with Elgar that it felt right to include the
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Enigma Variations in our first programme, together with Stravinsky’s thrilling-ballet, Petrushka. We are delighted once again, to welcome some of Europe’s great artists to Manchester. Tabita Berglund returns to conduct a performance featuring Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. Tomáš Hanus will conduct Schumann’s First Symphony, with Chloë Hanslip performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. My colleague Stephen Bell directs two of our concerts; a joyous programme of West End Musicals and a transcription of Gershwin’s folk opera Porgy and Bess, inspired by a recording which featured Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. I return for our season finale which comprises a trio of Russian composers and ends, as we began, with another of Stravinsky’s great ballets, The Firebird. It has been over 15 months since this great orchestra has been able to offer live performances to our loyal and steadfast audience. So it is with the greatest pleasure that I can finally say – please join us!
Sir Mark Elder
All six concerts in our Summer Season will be performed in The Bridgewater Hall. Each programme will be repeated on the same day, at 2.15pm and 7pm. Full details of ticket prices, concessions, discounts, how to book and the additional measures in place can be found on pages 16-18 of this brochure. THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 3
THURSDAY 3 JUNE, 2.15PM AND 7PM AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER Also broadcast at thehalle.vhx.tv from Thursday 10 June
ELGAR’S ENIGMA VARIATIONS Glinka Overture: Ruslan and Ludmilla Stravinsky Petrushka (1947) Elgar Enigma Variations
5' 34' 31'
Sir Mark Elder conductor With its barn-storming brilliance, laced with Russian lyricism, Glinka’s overture to his Pushkin-inspired ‘magic opera’ Ruslan and Ludmilla, provides the perfect curtain-raiser to the Hallé’s Summer Season 2021. Stravinsky, that towering figure of 20th-century music, died 50 years ago and this anniversary is marked here with his ballet Petrushka, the tale of a hapless puppet with human emotions. It starts in a blaze of brilliance evoking the St Petersburg Shrovetide Fair, but ends mysteriously with Petrushka’s theme wailing on trumpet as, chillingly, his ghost appears over the rooftops. Richter conducted the premiere of the Enigma Variations in 1899, the same year that he became the Hallé’s Music Director. The opening theme, mixing melancholy and hope, encapsulates Elgar’s complex character, and at its heart are the variations enshrining his wife, Alice, and ‘Nimrod’, Augustus Jaeger, a portrait of a profound friendship, as he and Elgar discussed Beethoven quartets.
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Booking information can be found on pages 16–18. 4 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL
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THURSDAY 17 JUNE, 2.15PM AND 7PM AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL Also broadcast at thehalle.vhx.tv from Thursday 24 June
BEETHOVEN’S SEVENTH SYMPHONY Wagner Siegfried Idyll Osvaldo Golijov Last Round Beethoven Symphony No.7
18' 14' 36'
Tabita Berglund conductor Making a welcome return to the Hallé, Tabita Berglund is an outstanding young Norwegian conductor with a growing international reputation. The concert opens with the Siegfried Idyll, Wagner’s gift to his wife Cosima, named after their son. First performed on Christmas Day 1870 as a birthday surprise, the Idyll’s tender music enshrines their love. Playing trumpet in that memorable premiere was the Hallé’s future Music Director, Hans Richter. Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round epitomises the description of his music in The New Yorker as having ‘rhythms that rock the body into motion and melodies that linger in the mind’. He conceived it as a sublimated tango dance, in revered memory of fellow Argentinian, Astor Piazzolla, ‘the last great Tango composer’. It was Wagner who described Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony as ‘the apotheosis of the dance’ with its ‘Bacchanalian power’. Overall, it’s an explosion of energy, through the dynamic of rhythm reimagined in a ground-breaking way.
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Booking information can be found on pages 16–18. 6 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL
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SATURDAY 26 JUNE, 2.15PM AND 7PM AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER
THE BEST OF THE WEST END That’s Entertainment (arr. Richard Bissill) Les Misérables I Dreamed a Dream; Empty Chairs Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Guys and Dolls Luck be a Lady 9 to 5: The Musical 9 to 5 Mary Poppins Overture We Will Rock You Crazy Little Thing Called Love Dear Evan Hansen Waving Through a Window Chess I Know Him So Well; Anthem Beauty and the Beast Be Our Guest La Cage aux Folles I Am What I Am Evita Don’t Cry for Me Argentina Annie Get Your Gun Overture The Phantom of the Opera The Music of the Night; All I Ask of You The Producers Overture Stephen Bell conductor Scott Davies and Jacqui Scott vocalists Join Stephen Bell, the Hallé and musicals royalty Scott and Jacqui on a journey through the world’s most famous shows when ‘The Best of the West End’ lights up the stage of The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. Jacqui has been the leading lady in a raft of West End productions including Evita, Cats, Miss Saigon and Chess; the show includes music from The Phantom of the Opera, sung by Scott, who has performed the role of the Phantom over 2,000 times in the West End!
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Booking information can be found on pages 16–18. 8 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL
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THURSDAY 1 JULY, 2.15PM AND 7PM AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER
SCHUMANN’S SPRING SYMPHONY Farrenc Overture No.1 in E minor Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Schumann Symphony No.1, ‘Spring’
7' 26' 32'
Tomáš Hanus conductor Chloë Hanslip violin Tomáš Hanus, Welsh National Opera’s Music Director, begins the concert with the dynamic and lyrical Overture No.1 in E minor by the unjustly neglected French composer Louise Farrenc. A close contemporary of Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, and admired by Schumann, during her lifetime Farrenc held an international reputation as a composer, concert pianist and teacher; indeed she was the only female professor at the Paris Conservatoire during the whole of the 19th century. The prodigiously talented Chloë Hanslip made BBC Proms debut aged only 14. For her visit to the Hallé, she plays Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, its popularity assured through its memorable impassioned opening, which, according to the composer, constantly ran through his head and gave him no peace until he’d completed it. It was Mendelssohn who conducted the premiere of Schumann’s First Symphony, ‘Spring’, its sunny disposition expressing his joy at the season’s arrival.
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Booking information can be found on pages 16–18 10 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL
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SATURDAY 17 JULY, 2.15PM AND 7PM AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER
PORGY AND BESS CELEBRATING A CLASSIC ALBUM Gershwin (transcribed by Ryan Quigley) Strike Up the Band Gershwin (transcribed by Ryan Quigley) Porgy and Bess (1958)
3’ 60’
Stephen Bell conductor Nicola Emmanuelle vocalist • Enrico Tomasso trumpet/vocalist with
Ryan Quigley trumpet • Nichol Thompson trombone • Calum Gourlay jazz bass Guy Rickarby drums • James Pearson piano Award-winning trumpeter Ryan Quigley has recreated and re-orchestrated the legendary lost arrangements by Russell Garcia for the Grammy award-winning album from 1959. Originally written for the celebrated partnership of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, Ryan first had the idea of turning this classic album into a live performance over a decade ago, after receiving the blessing of Russell Garcia himself. British jazz legend Enrico Tomasso was famously mentored by Louis Armstrong and is one of the world’s best-known exponents of this style. Enrico is joined by powerhouse vocalist Nicola Emmanuelle for a rare chance to hear this iconic music performed live. Ryan set about rewriting the music in January 2019 and the work received its live world premiere in Dublin with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under the direction of Hallé Pops conductor, Stephen Bell. Stephen will be raising the baton again to present this concert with the Hallé for the UK premiere of these Gershwin classics. Ryan will be leading the brass section through his newly-penned recreation for what promises to be a night to remember.
Booking information can be found on pages 16–18 12 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL
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THURSDAY 22 JULY, 2.15PM AND 7PM AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER Also broadcast at thehalle.vhx.tv from Thursday 29 July
THE TSAR, THE ROCK AND THE FIREBIRD Rimsky-Korsakov The Tale of Tsar Saltan: Suite Rachmaninov The Rock Stravinsky The Firebird: Suite (1945)
17' 18' 31'
Sir Mark Elder conductor For the series finale, Sir Mark leads the Hallé in a spectacular Russian programme, beginning with Rimsky-Korsakov’s suite, or ‘Little Pictures’, from his fairy-tale opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan. They are, Sir Mark comments, ‘full of lovely tunes’ and show the composer’s ‘wonderful ear for orchestral colour, and theatricality.’ Each ‘Picture’ is a short tone poem, all beginning with the same brass fanfare, as if to say, ‘Once upon a time …’. Rachmaninov was only 20 when he composed his brooding, atmospheric The Rock, inspired by a Chekhov story, yet it already demonstrates his mastery of the orchestra. The music of Stravinsky is again celebrated with his breakthrough work and first masterpiece, The Firebird, drawn from Russian folklore. Although influenced by his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov, it’s imbued with Stravinsky’s own personality, displaying a natural flair for composing ballet as exemplified by the vibrant ‘Dance of the Firebird’ and the thrilling ‘Infernal Dance’.
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Booking information can be found on pages 16–18. 14 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL
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TICKET AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONCERTS All six Summer Season programmes will be performed in The Bridgewater Hall. Each will be performed twice on the same day, at 2.15pm and 7pm. Each concert will last around 65 to 75 minutes and will not have an interval.
TICKETS Tickets for each performance are available at £29.50, £25.50 and £18.50. These prices include The Bridgewater Hall £2.50 ticket charge. This ticket charge is not levied on subscription bookings (details below). The number of available seats has been greatly reduced from the Hall’s usual capacity due to social distancing, so you are advised to book as quickly as possible. Ticket sales for individual concerts will close the Monday before each event.
HOW TO BOOK If at all possible, please book online at halle.co.uk/summer-2021 If you have problems whilst booking online, please email supervisors@bridgewater-hall.co.uk
SUBSCRIPTIONS If you book subscription packages for all six concerts (either at 2.15pm or 7pm), you will receive a discount of 10%, and there will be no ticket charges. This means you can buy all six concerts for only £145.80, £124.20 or £86.40. To book subscriptions please visit halle.co.uk/summer-2021
CONCESSIONS Concessionary tickets (saving 10%) are available for individual concerts for senior citizens, those in receipt of government benefits and NHS workers. Anyone in full-time education can buy individual tickets for £5 (including box office charges). You can buy these concessionary tickets (subject to availability) at any time after booking opens, up to the Monday before each concert.
IMPORTANT Please note that to enter the Hall, everyone requires a printed ticket. Your tickets will have entry times on them, to allow for minimum contact within the hall. In order that there is time to post tickets out, sales for individual concerts will close the Monday before each event. Again, to avoid delays we encourage you to book as soon as possible. Subscription tickets will be sent out all together, covering the whole season. 16 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL
KEEPING YOU SAFE We want to reassure you that the safety and well-being of our audience is at the forefront of all our Summer Season arrangements. This involves a number of measures and changes to our usual systems to make our concerts as safe and enjoyable as possible. These measures include:
SOCIALLY DISTANCED SEATING AND FACE MASKS • The total capacity of The Bridgewater Hall has been reduced from 2,063 to around 600 seats to allow for safe social distancing. • Please remember to wear your face mask at all times. Hand sanitising stations will be available.
TIMED ENTRY INTO THE BUILDING • There will be an entry time printed on your tickets: please ensure that you arrive at the building as near as possible to this entry time. This will allow access to your seats to be as straight forward and as comfortable as possible.
BARS AND CATERING • At the moment there are no plans to have any bar and catering facilities. If this situation changes, we will keep you informed.
CAREFULLY MANAGED TOILET FACILITIES WILL BE AVAILABLE. BOX OFFICE • You will not be able to buy tickets on the day of the concert as sales close the Monday before each performance. Please book as early as possible to allow for your tickets to be dispatched in good time and, if at all possible, please book online.
THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF STAFF AVAILABLE TO HELP. The Bridgewater Hall Box Office will send out additional information with your tickets.
All programmes, artists, prices and seats are subject to availability. We reserve the right to amend or cancel performance dates if circumstances dictate. THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 17
STREAMED CONCERTS ENJOY SOME OF THE WORLD’S GREAT MUSICAL MASTERPIECES FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME.
Following the success of our Winter Season of broadcast concerts, three of our Summer Season programmes will also be available to stream. Please visit thehalle.vhx.tv for full details and to book. If you buy tickets for any of our Bridgewater Hall concerts, you will be eligible to purchase streamed performance tickets for only £5 each. You will be emailed with the details of how to claim your digital discount after you have completed your Bridgewater Hall ticket purchase. Our films will continue to offer the same critically acclaimed production values and include exclusive additional material, such as artist interviews and contributions from our conductors and players. The three featured concerts include some of the greatest masterpieces in the repertoire, including Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Stravinsky’s Petrushka in the first film, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll in the second and Stravinsky’s The Firebird in the third. Each programme will be available for three months after its release. These films allow anyone on any continent to experience our concerts. So if you are just a little too far away to visit, or for any reason can’t be part of our Bridgewater Hall audience, you can still enjoy world class music-making at its very best. VIRTUAL CONCERTS PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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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.
Stay in touch:
@the_halle TheHalleOfficial @the_halle
thehalle
www.halle.co.uk The Hallé Concerts Society is a Registered Charity No. 223882 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 19
≥ ST PETER’S 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 small performances. The Hallé Kitchen space is now home to Café Cotton at Hallé St Peter’s. This independent café, restaurant and bar is open to the general public seven days a week offering great coffee, delicious homemade food and cakes for takeaway. Follow Hallé St Peter’s (@hallestpeters) for our 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 stylish space for events. Enquiries are welcome for weddings, conferences and other events. E-mail us at venues@halle.co.uk 20 THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL
THANK YOU It is due to the generosity of our sponsors, patrons and every loyal supporter who has been so understanding over the past year, 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. The Hallé is deeply grateful to our partners in The Bridgewater Hall, without whose collaboration these streamed concerts would not be possible.
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≥ SEASON SPONSORS Diamond Partner
Principal Sponsor
Major Sponsors
With thanks to Manchester Airports Group for 30 years of support.
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NEW YORK
Many thanks to our family of Workplace Choirs
AJ Bell plc • BAE Systems • BASF plc • BDO llp Great Manchester Chamber of Commerce • Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust • The Oasis Centre PwC llp • RSM • Sellafield Ltd • Siemens plc Veterinary Defence Society Ltd THE HALLÉ’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL 23
www.halle.co.uk/summer-2021 carbon footprint
TM
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