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Elgar Oratorios, Hallé, Elder, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - a...
Three of the composer's best in two weekends recall great triumphs of a great era Sir Mark Elder has a special affection for the music of Elgar. They share a birthday, on 2 June, and his time with the...
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Osborne, BBC Philharmonic, Glassberg, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review -...
Music of masterful brilliance, masterfully capturedThe BBC Philharmonic ended its 2022-23 season in Manchester with a programme that might have been chosen as a showpiece for virtuosity.
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Manchester International Festival exhibitions review - a new arts centre puts...
★★★ MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL A host of giant inflatables, and much more A host of giant inflatables, tricky balancing acts and a licence to print old master engravings - what's not to like?At...
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Music Reissues Weekly: Keeping Control, Where Were You - Leeds and Manchester...
KEEPING CONTROL, WHERE WERE YOU Leeds & Manchester navigate the aftershocks of punkBox-set chronicles of independent-minded regional music scenes“Keeping Control” were the watchwords adopted by The...
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Bluedot Festival 2023 review - monsoon weather can't defeat the...
Grace Jones, Pavement, Doctor Who and Professor David Nutt defy the deluge“This wasn’t the day to wear white suede boots,” says Django Django’s singer Vincent Neff, midway through the band’s Friday...
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Mahler 9, Hallé, Elder, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - beginning a...
★★★★ MAHLER 9, HALLE, ELDER, BRIDGEWATER HALL Beginning a celebrationConductor’s ‘slightly valedictory’ season begins with affection and passionFor someone who said when he first took the helm at the...
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Connolly, BBC Philharmonic, Storgårds, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review -...
★★★★ CONNOLLY, BBC PHILHARMONIC, STORGARDS, BRIDGEWATER HALL Beginning with a fanfareThings both rich and rare in the season openerThe opening concert of a new season often tends to be a statement of...
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Hewitt, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Bard, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review -...
Rewarding Bach and Mozart and ingenuity in abundanceThe Basel Chamber Orchestra’s 21 string players on tour are an extraordinary set of musicians. Not only did they begin their programme in Manchester...
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Ruisi, Hallé, Elder, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - returning to...
Invigorating explorations continue and youth comes to the foreContinuing the retrospective aspect of his final season as music director of the Hallé, Sir Mark Elder returned last night to Ravel’s...
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New Order, OVO Hydro, Glasgow review - a nostalgia trip with a modern feel
The Manchester legends found their groove as the night went on. Early on in this arena gig by New Order, a youthful, enthusiastic voice could be heard to say gleefully, “They’re just so 80s!”. That...
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Kim, BBC Philharmonic, Gernon, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - the...
Limpid and powerful playing from an expert in Brahms piano concertoBen Gernon’s relationship with the BBC Philharmonic has been a richly rewarding one over the close-on seven years since his...
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Marwood, Hallé, Adès, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - winning way with...
★★★★ MARWOOD, HALLE, ADES, MANCHESTER Winning ways with new musicBy the end there was shouted approval for the new artist-in-residenceThomas Adès had a job to do in his first concert with the Hallé...
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Feldmann, BBC Philharmonic, Storgårds, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review -...
Enthusiasm rewards a musical journey to Finland and beyondFor the most adventurous programme in its autumn Saturday series at the Bridgewater Hall, the BBC Philharmonic’s John Storgårds brought two...
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Lang Lang, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - playing with the music
★★★ LANG LANG, BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER Playing with the musicPassion and extroversion grow throughout Bach's Goldberg VariationsThe showman was back – and, bless him, he can still sell every seat...
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Hallé, Elder, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - championing the rich and...
Solo qualities and thunderous climaxes in Rossini’s 'Stabat Mater' Sir Mark Elder’s zest for exploring fresh territory with the forces of the Hallé is unquenched even in his final season as music...
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Dariescu, BBC Philharmonic, Storgårds, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review -...
Conductor is his own violin soloist in one of two UK premieresJohn Storgårds found himself literally facing both ways for the third item on the BBC Philharmonic’s programme on Saturday: towards the...
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Album: Black Grape - Orange Head
★★★ BLACK GRAPE - ORANGE HEAD Business as usual for the Mancunian rogues - and business is goodBusiness as usual for the Mancunian rogues - and business is goodShaun Ryder is now known mostly for being...
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Radulović, Hallé, de la Parra, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - fun for...
Concerto by Khachaturian provides a centrepiece and a demonstration by two rising starsBack on home ground, the Hallé begin 2024 in Manchester with a repeated programme. I heard the first of three...
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Fung, BBC Philharmonic, Weilerstein, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review -...
★★★★ FUNG, BBC PHILHARMONIC, WEILERSTEIN, MANCHESTER Clever and comicalFirst UK performance of new cello concerto by Katherine Balch given with uncanny skillPlacing the UK premiere of Katherine Balch’s...
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Hallé, Elder, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - Bruckner is back
Dramatic Eighth Symphony is Hallé music director’s first readingSir Mark Elder conducted Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 for his first time in last night’s Hallé series concert, a reflection of his untiring...
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