This was a very interesting and varied programme. Wagner's Lohengrin, the preludes to Acts 1 and 3, Mozart's oboe Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 4. The concert was conducted by the young Danish conductor and violist, Nikolaj Znaider and the soloist for the oboe concerto was the Halle's very own principal oboeist, French Canadian Stephane Rancourt.

The ethereal opening of the 1st Lohengrin Prelude settled the audience down for a night of beautiful and lyrical music and the audience visibly relaxed. The opening is really a short tone poem in which the Holy Grail descends from heaven, brought by a host of angels, who then return heavenwards. It begins with a distant light and grows grander and richly solumnulent, with a brassy, full bodied but slightly discordant section before becoming lyrical again.
The 3rd prelude includes the famous wedding march  which has no notes of the impending disaster that the opera will bring. This is heart rousing and joyous music in which the orchestra flings itself with seeming abandon to its rip-roaring climax.

Stephane has quirky style of playing but this is a jolly piece that lends itself to his style. He brought out the humour of the opening allegro which brought to my mind the Magic Flute, with its thrilling runs, trills and melodies. The adagio non troppo was achingly beautiful but the jolly tone returned in the joyful and sparklingly brilliant Rondo, the concertos final movement. Very enjoyable.

What more can be said than has already been written about Tchaikovsky's wonderful 4th Symphony, with its opening brassy motif of fate and destiny. The melancholic opening of the first movement was like unfolding paper which lead onto joyful dance and song rhythms, with the intrusion of the 'fate' theme. The tripping, halting interludes were finely judged the conductor and the lovely soothing melodies charmed and soothed the spirit as we listened.
The second movement was like a song, but such a sad Russian song full of memories and regret. This is music that affects the soul.
The 3rd Movement had folk like melodies yet with some intensely moving moments as the sound cascaded through the orchestra like a flight of butterflies
The final movement was a wakeup call to the audience grabbing their attention with its ever-changing evanescent moods. The music reaches a joyful intensity where joy defeats gloomy fate.

This was a wonderful heart lifting concert and you can attend yourself next Sunday evening. I am sure you will love it as I did.