The Hallé – Spring with Sir Mark Elder

Sir Mark Elder conductor
Andrii Kymach baritone
Hallé Choir Matthew Hamilton, choral director

Stravinsky Song of the Nightingale
Rachmaninov Spring
Prokofiev Dreams, Op.6
Tchaikovsky Symphony No.2

Following his acclaimed performance at the Hallé’s 2023 BBC Proms concert, Ukrainian baritone Andrii Kymach and the Hallé Choir once again join forces for a work by Rachmaninov. Based on the poem by Nikolay Nekrasov, and quite opposed to its joyful title, Spring follows a husband who, previously inflicted with murderous thoughts towards his unfaithful wife during the winter, is released from his frustration with the return of spring. Stravinsky’s Song of the Nightingale – an effective musical illustration of both real and mechanical birdsong – begins proceedings. Following it is Prokofiev’s enigmatic Dreams, the composer’s earliest surviving orchestral work and finally, Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony, often dubbed ‘Little Russian’ thanks to its effective use of Ukrainian folksongs, provides a joyful end to the evening.

Concert sponsor: Siemens