Hallé: Sibelius’s Violin Concerto

Berlioz Overture: Les Francs Juges
 13′ | Sibelius Violin Concerto 32′ | Debussy Nocturnes 25′ | Ravel La Valse 13′

Viktoria Mullova makes a welcome return to perform the most popular and most recorded of twentieth-century violin concertos. Sibelius takes us from a mysterious opening to an achingly nostalgic slow movement and a finale once described as ‘a polonaise for polar bears’! Berlioz’s overture Les Francs Juges is a genuine tour de force, with bold brass writing and a catchy, oddly familiar, main theme. Debussy’s haunting Nocturnes paint vivid pictures of nature in Nuages, and riotous partying in Fêtes. After the sensuous Sirènes have worked their magic, we’re ready to take on Ravel’s orchestral masterpiece.