Hallé: Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony

Beethoven Overture: Leonora No.3 14′ | Mozart Piano Concerto No.17 in G, K453 30′ | Hallé orch. C. M. Wagner Souvenir and Scherzo 9′ | Sibelius Symphony No.5 30′

These special concerts celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of our founder, Sir Charles Hallé, on 11 April. As well as being a pianist and conductor, Sir Charles was also a composer and we have a fascinating chance to hear one of his works in an orchestration by C. M. Wagner.

In the first half, after Beethoven’s stirring overture, the orchestra’s hugely talented Assistant Conductor Jonathon Heyward is joined by Heejae Kim, winner of the Terence Judd-Hallé Orchestra prize at the 2015 Leeds International Piano Competition. Her interpretation of Mozart’s lovely G major concerto is hugely anticipated. Sibelius, working on his Fifth Symphony, wrote, ‘It’s as if God the Father had thrown down the tiles of a mosaic from heaven’s floor and asked me to determine what kind of picture it was.’. Though his shifting of the tiles was a long and arduous process, his picture ends in triumph, the swinging phrases of what he called his ‘Swan Hymn’ ringing out in life-affirming fashion.