Thurs 15th LIVE in Concert - Halle from the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

[salymap]

R3 7.30pm Halle Choir, Halle Youth Choir, Halle orchestra

Strauss Serenade for wind conductor Andrew Gourlay

Holst Hymn of Jesus conductor Mark Elder

Elgar Symphony no 2 in E flat " "

20 minute interval Stephen Johnson explores Elgar's 2nd symphony.

[Osborn]

...and the Strauss gets a second outing within 8 days (BSO before)...but in fairness it's only a supporting item.

[Chris Newman]

A very moving concert. There were many moments when I thought I was listening to John Barbirolli and it was not Mark Elder's grunting. His music making is of similar quality.

[Nick Armstrong]

I caught the last 3/4 of the Elgar on the way home from work. It sounded wonderful to me, the conclusion especially moving with a very long lingering final chord... as if reluctant to let go of the 'spirit of delight'...

[Sapere Aude]

I enjoyed (playing in) tonight's concert! I thought the choir sounded good too, but for me the Holst piece would not be a "desert island choice" I'm afraid .

I love the Elgar symphony. (and his other symphony too ) Such a joy to play! So well written! Not easy to play though! How can one describe what it feels like after playing and "living" that 2nd movement, for example? Or after finishing that brilliant part humorous part terrifying "big" scherzo. Or at the end of that somehow "Brahmsian good bye" (in spirit) coda, at the end of the last movement,... Sometimes, when "music happens", as someone said, just as we finish playing a movement, I feel, I don't know ... lucky ... grateful for the privilege of being able to make that journey. (But of course can't dwell on that as the next movement is about to start ) Sometimes at the end of a great piece I often feel real regret, just as we finish playing the very end, because I know it would be a while until I get to experience that again!

Anyway, it's a shame Elgar's music is not better known internationally, particularly in non-English speaking countries. (I'm not British by the way )

As a side note, yesterday we played in Birmingham (different program of course!) and because the motorway was closed on the way back, we arrived in Manchester at around 2 am. There were a lot of tired looking faces at the rehearsal today; hopefully it didn't show in the concert tonight!

[Nick Armstrong]

I enjoyed (playing in) tonight's concert! I thought the choir sounded good too, but for me the Holst piece would not be a "desert island choice" I'm afraid .

I love the Elgar symphony. (and his other symphony too ) Such a joy to play! So well written! Not easy to play though! How can one describe what it feels like after playing and "living" that 2nd movement, for example? Or after finishing that brilliant part humorous part terrifying "big" scherzo. Or at the end of that somehow "Brahmsian good bye" (in spirit) coda, at the end of the last movement,... Sometimes, when "music happens", as someone said, just as we finish playing a movement, I feel, I don't know ... lucky ... grateful for the privilege of being able to make that journey. (But of course can't dwell on that as the next movement is about to start ) Sometimes at the end of a great piece I often feel real regret, just as we finish playing the very end, because I know it would be a while until I get to experience that again!

Anyway, it's a shame Elgar's music is not better known internationally, particularly in non-English speaking countries. (I'm not British by the way )

As a side note, yesterday we played in Birmingham (different program of course!) and because the motorway was closed on the way back, we arrived in Manchester at around 2 am. There were a lot of tired looking faces at the rehearsal today; hopefully it didn't show in the concert tonight!

Fantastic to read that first hand account, Saps!! Thanks for posting it (what a difference it makes to this Forum to have contributions from the performers whose work we all love) and congrats on a concert which to my ears showed no fatigue whatever

I confess to curiosity as to what you play

Does it have strings?

[salymap]

I echo your thoughts Caliban. A very interesting post from our Halle friend.

I haven't heard the Elgar 2 yet but hope to catch up on iPlayer later.

[3rd Viennese School]

I must admit it makes a change hearing Elgar as he's so rarely played on Radio 3 these days.

3VS

[amateur51]

I echo your thoughts Caliban. A very interesting post from our Halle friend.

I haven't heard the Elgar 2 yet but hope to catch up on iPlayer later.

Thirded, Saps, many thanks .. for the insights and for the concert.

[Simon B]

Lovely concert - of which the Holst was the highpoint for me (but clearly not at least one member of the Hallé!). The youth choir(s) were the stars of the show IMO. Placed high up in a side tier, and mostly singing turned away from the stage facing a second conductor. Lovely clear sound and almost flawless ensemble and accuracy. Also noticeable was the degree to which Elder just left everyone to get on with things at certain points - e.g. not conducting the opening at all even to set a tempo. Obvious trust.

Much more effective than the performance at a recent Three Choirs Festival conducted by Adrian Partington who seemed to be on a mission to set the world record for the most unremittingly fast performance ever. To add to his world record sprint through Elgar's Kingdom and various other dashes. Anyway, I digress...

I overheard comments about the orchestra being tired on account of getting delayed coming back from Brum the night before. The M6 being shut and causing massive delays? That never happens. I wish. Maybe this was due to an incident of some description, but the cavalier abandon with which long sections of this nationally vital road are regularly closed so someone can fettle a lightbulb, massively delaying anyone having the temerity not to be in bed by 9pm, is all too familiar...

If they were tired/underrehearsed in the Elgar it didn't show much other than a few untidy gear shifts where there briefly wasn't quite unanimity. Unimportant in the context of a performance with the right feel and sweep. The last movement in particular (which can often seem comparitively bland in the hands of those without the Elgar credentials of these performers) really had some emotional impact from about 2/3rds of the way through, rather than just being a pleasant wash of sound.

Altogether icier territory in Manchester this evening with Sibelius 3 and 7 sandwiching a Beethoven piano concerto (IIRC - but can't recall which). It doesn't appear to be live on R3 though, so presumably doesn't belong here!

[kuligin]

Thank you Sapere for your very interesting comments, I thought the Elgar was played magnificently and there was not the slightest sign of tiredness or lack of commitment whatsoever. It is not an easy Symphony in many ways sometimes when the momentum drops I feel is it all going to stagnate, not last night. Yet another splendid performance by Halle/Elder

I thought the girls choir was the best part of the Holst, a very curious piece overall , the use of chant not integrated so far as I could hear from a first hearing, and not a work I feel I want to explore, perhaps Holst is a composer I just do not "get " most of the time just one ot two works like the songs accompanied by violin (?op30) move me, I am not even a fan of the Planets

[Chris Newman]

I enjoyed (playing in) tonight's concert! I thought the choir sounded good too, but for me the Holst piece would not be a "desert island choice" I'm afraid .


Anyway, it's a shame Elgar's music is not better known internationally, particularly in non-English speaking countries. (I'm not British by the way )

Thank you, Sapere Aude, for the fascinating insight into a beautiful concert. You can all be proud of your current work. Five years ago I went to Prague, mainly to hear and see operas at a price that does not require a mortgage. I arrived one afternoon and thought I would pop along to the Rudolfinum and see what was on and whether there were any tickets for that night. Imagine my surprise when the concert was the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Sir Colin Davis playing Haydn's Symphony 102 and Elgar's Symphony No 1 and I got a single ticket. The hall was packed and the concert was a repeat of one done the previous evening. The reception was ecstatic; like a really good Prom. About three weeks later (unfortunately when I had come back to Britain) Gennadi Rhozdesvensky conducted a performance of The Dream of Gerontius in the Obecni Dum. There are audiences there.

[EdgeleyRob]

Thanks for the post Sapere Aude and well done to you and your fellow musicians for a beautiful concert (I listened today on I player).
It's a while since I've heard the Holst piece which surely should be programmed more often!

[Sapere Aude]

Does it have strings?

Yes, 4 of them!

It's a violin.