Hallé/Wong review – MacMillan’s new symphony centres a great concert hall’s birthday celebrations
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
James MacMillan’s sixth symphony proved an intricate, intriguing and forward-looking work. It was well paired with Stephen Hough’s exuberant ‘Emperor’ piano concerto and a Liszt rarity
We complain a lot about concert halls in the UK. The acoustics of the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall and Royal Albert Hall; the practicality of Usher Hall and St George’s Bristol; those seats at Snape Maltings, and that foyer at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. But do we really have it so bad?
As Manchester’s Hallé opens its season with a celebration of 30 years of the Bridgewater Hall, it’s a good moment to remember what we’ve gained in the three decades since a car park became Britain’s best acoustic. A flagship London hall may still be a fantasy, but with Gateshead’s Foster-designed Glasshouse, Saffron Hall, Kings Place and Milton Court all opening their doors since 2000, it’s hard to feel despondent.
