The Hallé – The Tsar, The Rock and The Firebird at The Bridgewater Hall

Johnny James, Managing Editor

Book now

The Hallé - The Tsar, The Rock and The Firebird

The Bridgewater Hall, City Centre
22 July 2021
Date
Time
Session Features
22 Jul 2021
2:15 pm-3:30 pm
22 Jul 2021
7:00 pm-8:15 pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Benjamin Ealovega
Book now

2.15pm and 7pm

For the Hallé’s Summer Season finale, Sir Mark Elder leads the orchestra in a spectacular Russian programme, featuring the music of three masters: Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov and Stravinsky.

Following the Hallé’s performance of Petrushka at the start of the season, the music of Igor Stravinsky is again celebrated by the orchestra with the pioneering composer’s breakthrough work and first masterpiece, The Firebird. The first of several ground-breaking collaborations between Igor Stravinsky and Serge Diaghilev, head of the Ballets Russes, The Firebird is the ultimate Russian fairytale, drawn from various sources in Russian folklore.

Premiered in Paris in 1910, it was an immediate hit, with the previously unknown Stravinsky’s wild orchestral colours and off-beat rhythms taking audiences on a journey unlike any they had previously experienced. The orchestral suites the composer later created were equally popular with symphony audiences. His final 1945 suite is the one we’ll be treated to at The Bridgewater Hall.

From student to teacher. Stravinsky’s greatest influence was Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, a master of harmonic fantasy and orchestral colour whose suite, or ‘Little Pictures’, from his fairy-tale opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan opens tonight’s concert. They are, Sir Mark Elder 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…’.

Bearing a dedication to the ever-influential Rimsky-Korsakov, the final piece in tonight’s programme is Rachmaninov’s brooding and atmospheric The Rock, which he composed at the tender age of 20. Inspired by both a Mikhail Lermontov poem and a Chekhov short story, this symphonic poem is the first orchestral work – minus piano – that Rachmaninov would publish, and it contains all the seeds of greatness that would later burst into the world in thrilling style.

There will be two opportunities to watch this concert at The Bridgewater Hall on 22nd July – a matinee and an evening performance – with an additional broadcast of the performance available via thehalle.vhx.tv from 29th July.

What's on at The Bridgewater Hall

Oasis Press Photo
Until
TourCity Centre
The Manchester Music Walkabout: Oasis

In Manchester for Oasis? Walk the same streets they did – and discover the music history that made the band possible. Manchester’s musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour

From £25.00
Walking Tour Stock imagery
Until
ActivityCity Centre
The Manchester Music Walkabout

Manchester’s famous musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour around the city, which will take you from the 1960s to the present day.

From £25.00

Where to go near The Hallé – The Tsar, The Rock and The Firebird at The Bridgewater Hall

City Centre
Hotel
The Midland Hotel

With 312 luxurious bedrooms, the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel occupies one of the most beautiful and storied buildings in Manchester.

Manchester
Restaurant
Midland Tea Room

Dating back to 1903, Manchester’s stately Midland Hotel now has its own dedicated tea room. Expect traditional offerings in elegant surroundings.

Society Manchester
City Centre
Society Manchester

Society Manchester is a glorious indoor and outdoor space in the very heart of the city, with five street food vendors to choose from and a range of high-quality drinks.

Manchester
Restaurant
Friska

Latest branch of Friska, the independent healthy fast food chain.

Manchester
Restaurant
Don Giovanni

Traditional Italian restaurant, serving everything from pizza to steak. All this in a large modern venue with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Haunt MCR
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Haunt MCR

Haunt MCR is a speciality coffee shop and wine bar located on Manchester’s bustling Peter Street.

City Centre
Restaurant
ONDA Pasta Bar

ONDA is a treat for the tastebuds. Long dark wood tables are shared by eager diners, as tapas-style plates of fresh pasta and other Italian dishes are ferried around the restaurant.

Manchester
Restaurant
Exhibition

Exhibition hosts three of the city’s most celebrated independent kitchens: Osma, Baratxuri, and Jaan by Another Hand.

Manchester
Restaurant
Jaan

Serving up exceptional Persian cuisine, this new food concept from the team behind Another Hand is a must-try.

City Centre
Restaurant
Nudo Sushi Box

Nudo Sushi Box on Manchester’s Oxford Road specialises in freshly-prepared boxes of – you guessed it – sushi.

What's on: Music

Music
MusicStockport
That Night In Manchester

Join the electrifying musical ‘That Night in Manchester’. Immerse yourself in the vibrant Manchester indie scene. Step into the Madchester time machine as you hear a father recount the highs and lows of his life to his only son during the Madchester era spanning his life through the 70’s 80’s & 90’s as you experience the music performed live on stage.

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Harry Baker
Literature Events in the North

From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.