The Hallé Orchestra, Jian Wang, Louis Langree

A programme of

Prokofiev Symphony No.1, ‘Classical’
Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme
Tchaikovsky Symphony No.4

Hallé favourite Louis Langrée conducts an irresistible all-Russian programme. In the first half we hear two works that honour the composers of the eighteenth century. Prokofiev’s boisterous ‘Classical’ Symphony is a warm and humorous tribute to Haydn, though it also has its own distinctive wit and charm.

The superlative Jian Wang also makes a return to Manchester where last season he was a huge hit with Hallé audiences. He is soloist in Tchaikovsky’s elegant Rococo Variations, an homage to Mozart – a figure Tchaikovsky regarded as a ‘musical god’. More Tchaikovsky in the second half in the form of the composer’s gripping Fourth Symphony. With its recurring fate motif, it is one of music’s most dramatic and satisfying journeys with a profusion of great melodies along the way.