Thursday 23 September 2026
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
★★★★★
Celebrating 30 years of The Bridgewater Hall with the world premiere of a stunning new symphony by Sir James MacMillan
On Wednesday 11 September 1996, the Bridgewater Hall opened its doors for the first time with a concert by the Hallé Orchestra and Choir, conducted by Kent Nagano. That concert featured three English works: Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations (1898 – 1899), William Walton’s (1931), and a new Hallé commission, Sometime Voices by George Benjamin.
‘The symphony is an archetype that’s still alive’
On Thursday evening, another Hallé commission marked both the start of the new season and the thirtieth anniversary of Hall’s opening concert. Sir James MacMillan’s Symphony No. 6 was the centrepiece. In an illuminating pre-concert talk hosted by David Butcher, the Hallé’s Chief Executive, MacMillan said that many of his composer colleagues are no longer writing symphonies, as if the past were ‘a closed book’, but in his view ‘the symphony is an archetype that’s still alive.’
There’s a direct link between MacMillan’s piece and Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Both pieces feature enigmatic musical portraits of people known to the composer. He’s written works dedicated to individuals before, such as For Max (2004) for Peter Maxwell Davies and For Sally (2006) for Sally Beamish. His new symphony is based on ‘very personal’ inspiration; the four opening character portraits of ‘close family members’ remain anonymous.
The first movement featured a simple, lyrical theme for flutes, with filigree decoration and a wistful alto flute solo; beneath this lurked long discordant notes like a bagpipe drone. The second miniature was for percussion, timpani and piano, a mellow piano melody underlaid by ominous percussion. The third movement, exquisitely delivered by muted brass, emulated Stravinsky at his most neo-classical and his most rhythmic, with quirky melodies. The final miniature recalled the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. A long-limbed, melancholy melody for cellos gradually reached for the light, then dropped down again.
Conductor Kahchun Wong described the fifth movement as ‘turbulent and emotional.’ The whole orchestra exploded into life, with lively percussion and anguished woodwind. A siren-like sound haunted the movement as huge sonic waves rolled across the hall. There were remarkable moments when the richly textured, stunningly colourful clamour dropped away, and a new vista was revealed with gentle harp and piano. A lonely-sounding string melody was undermined by growling brass below. Densely angst-ridden strings with fierce rhythms were offset against fragmented brass. A Britten-esque, playfully syncopated tune was surrounded by a visceral orchestral miasma. A huge climax left the strings surviving as if after a nuclear war. A gentle cello solo played on despite sarcastic distractions from muted brass, percussion and piano. The piece ended with a surge of sound that died away, leaving the solo alto flute of the beginning.
‘I hope that the piece will become a signature piece of the Hallé, part of our shared legacy and identity.’
This was music written with all the experience of one of our greatest living composers; it was impossible to predict where he would take us next, but he was always sure-footed in guiding us to the next revelation. In the pre-concert talk, Wong said, ‘I hope that the piece will become a signature piece of the Hallé, part of our shared legacy and identity.’ On the strength of this superb performance, and the work’s endless inventiveness and emotional power, his hope seems likely to be fulfilled. MacMillan is the orchestra’s featured composer for 2026/27, so we can look forward to more of his work later in the season.
The concert began with Franz Liszt’s once popular but now rarely performed Les Préludes (1845-54), one of thirteen ‘symphonic poems.’ Wong described it as a ‘concerto for orchestra’, and it gave this magnificent orchestra a chance to show off. The Hall’s superb acoustics allowed Wong to bring out detail in the performance while retaining warmth.
The piece was in five sections: gentle plucked strings, raising questions about life; romantic love themes with gorgeous horn parts; an ominous oncoming storm, beautifully controlled by Wong; a moment of pastoral calm with a lovely oboe solo and harp arpeggios; and a military ending in which every instrument of the orchestra, apart from harp, seemed to take part. The sound was thrillingly visceral, and the piece made an excellent opener for this special evening.
The concert ended with more familiar material, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 ‘Emperor’ (1809), with piano royalty, Sir Stephen Hough the distinguished soloist. The performance was a revelation, even for those (like David Butcher, as he said himself) who had heard it many times before.
Hough’s opening cadenza was beautifully liquid, and the textures in the long orchestral section that followed were robust and limpid; Wong brought out details like cleaning up an old master. There were moments of supreme beauty, as when Hough trilled against woodwind and plucked strings. The second movement brought a complete change of feel, the pizzicato bass notes sounding wonderfully clear in the Hall’s acoustic. Hough’s playing was sparkling and contemplative at the same time. The third movement brought another change of tone, Hough’s astonishing virtuosity matched by the robust but joyful playing of an orchestra at the top of its game.
It was a privilege to be present at such a special event…
At the end, the audience gave a huge, well-deserved cheer. With a huge smile, Wong ran off stage to bring Hough back on to acknowledge his applause. It was a privilege to be present at such a fantastic event; here’s to the next 30 years!
Repertoire
Franz Liszt Les Préludes
James MacMillan Symphony No.6 (Hallé Commission – World Premiere)
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 ‘Emperor’
Performers
Hallé Orchestra
Kahchun Wong conductor
Sir Stephen Hough piano
The concert was recorded and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s In Concert on Tuesday 6 October at 19.30, and will be available for 30 days after broadcast via BBC Sounds
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