Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
And it’s a rather nice hotel, as it happens.
The PFM guide to Manchester.
- Thread starter Sloop John B
- Start date
lordsummit
Moderator
You haven't been back for a bit have you? It closed in 1996 when the Halle moved to Bridgewater Hall
The Hallé aren’t even the best Orchestra in Manchester! The BBC Philharmonic moved with them. The Hallé rehearse in the Northern Quarter, the BBC out at Media City.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
I’m not letting that one pass, though. I think the Halle, under Mark Elder, can be the equal of any orchestra, and the BBC is excellent, but I’ll take the Halle at it’s best (which is most of the time, IMHO).
suzywong
Wot, no electrons?
Into the city centre? Not for nearly 50 years! Last time was Graduation in ‘75.
The family/cousins are/were all based in north Derbyshire, so I would either drive up from the South, or fly into Ringways.
lordsummit
Moderator
The Hallé do too many concerts and don’t get the rehearsal time the BBC get. I know the BBC spent 15 hours last week on one piece alone. The Hallé without the BBC as a funding partner plays more concerts to raise money. They also tend to plough a more conventional furrow. Too much English cow-pat music for my taste!! The string section of the BBC is in my opinion one of the finest in the world. Up there with the very best. The Hallé have improved from their nadir in the 90s but still have a propensity for scruffiness. The BBC Phil’s Rachmaninov Second Symphony earlier this season and their Alpine symphony last weekend was some of the finest orchestral playing I’ve ever heard. I took my son to see the Hallé play the Grieg piano concerto and Shostakovich 15 earlier this year. Considering how many times they were doing this pair in the space of a week or so it sounded under rehearsed to me. In addition at the moment I can get the best seats in the Bridgewater for £9 each to see the BBC (we got a voucher code from Manchester Theatres), even without the voucher it is possible for me and the boy to sit in great seats in the stalls for £30. Those same seats were £60 for the Hallé. Now partly I guess that is because the Hallé play a more popular programme, and don’t have the BBC funding, but I also suspect they’re still trading on the Barbirolli era and being one of the world’s oldest orchestras.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re hugely better now than they were 20/30 years ago, but the BBC are seriously under-rated. They’re in transition with a new leader as well and she’s improved the string playing massively.