Review: Hallé Orchestra ****

The legendary critic Ernest Newman said that in addition to his “Edwardian side” Elgar had “a personal element that derives its brilliant and eloquent energy from a constantly renewed inner struggle”. It is this that makes his First Symphony speak in any era, and this that Sir Mark Elder and his Hallé Orchestra captured so splendidly.

Elder’s careful articulation of Elgar’s melodies and motifs, and his Barbirolli-like feel for the inner parts were wonderful.

However, the glowing warmth of the strings and the distinctive Hallé sound that Elder established early in his tenure as Music Director are fading a little, and this exceptionally good orchestra is beginning to sound no different to other exceptionally good orchestras.

Elder chose Verdi’s fascinating and incongruously sonata-form Luisa Miller Overture to start, and then presented the first-ever performance in the Leeds orchestral series of Mozart’s 227 years old Piano Concerto No. 17.

Worth the wait, this playful concerto is essentially an ensemble piece for piano and winds with strings attached. It was self-effacingly played by 28-year-old German soloist Martin Helmchen – who has won a clutch of competitions and awards in Europe – with evenness of touch, sparkling tone and a technique sufficiently nimble to embroider some delicate and fast decorations onto Mozart’s fabric.

Hallé Orchestra can next be seen in Yorkshire on March 18 at Sheffield City Hall with a programme including Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer and Elgar’s Symphony No.1.