Sir Mark Elder conductor | Baiba Skride violin
Wagner Lohengrin: Prelude to Act I 8′
Sofia Gubaidulina Offertorium 40′
Elgar Symphony No.1 50′
Establishing the mood of the concert’s first half, Wagner’s first act prelude to Lohengrin, evokes the descent of the Holy Grail from Heaven in a rapt and gradual crescendo. Its spirituality links perfectly with Offertorium, chosen to celebrate the 90th birthday of Sofia Gubaidulina, one of the greatest Russian composers of the post-Shostakovich generation. For Sir Mark it’s an ‘exciting, dramatic, and powerful work’, derived from the theme of J.S. Bach’s Musical Offering. Making her Hallé debut, the Latvian violinist, Baiba Skride, has performed the work with leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic and Boston Symphony. To conclude, Elgar’s First Symphony which is deeply associated with the Hallé since its premiere in 1908 conducted by Hans Richter, to whom Elgar dedicated it with the inscription ‘true artist and true friend’.