Mesmerising patterns and magical musical storytelling’
The Hallé’s Rush Hour: Scheherazade transported Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall through time and culture. The concert paired Steve Reich’s Proverb (1995), reimagined for orchestra by Anna Clyne, with Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade (1888). Conductor Tess Jackson made her confident debut with the Hallé, moving between the two works with conviction.
Clyne’s presence added a welcome personal dimension to the opening piece. She introduced her orchestral reimagining of Proverb, created to celebrate Reich’s 90th birthday. From singers and synths to a full orchestral movement, Clyne swapped vocal lines for woodwinds, muted brass replaced electric organs, and strings stood in for vibraphones. The original composition featured the short Ludwig Wittgenstein text, “How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life”. The modesty and minimalism expanded and evolved to occupy a rich musical landscape. A steady glockenspiel ring offered a grounding presence, while the surrounding instrumental accompaniments held the texture of the piece together.
The Hallé then performed Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Inspired by the story The Thousand and One Nights, while not following the structure prescriptively, its four movements offered an absorbing journey: The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship, The Tale of the Kalendar Prince, The Young Prince and the Princess, and finally, The Festival of Baghdad. Each movement was punctuated with the refrains of the exceptional lead violinist, giving an intimate, persuasive voice to Scheherazade escaping death through her nightly storytelling. Particularly satisfying was the gentle combination of violin and harp, which contrasted with the power of the Sultan’s theme through ominous brass. There were peaks and valleys of emotion and crescendo, swapping from recognisable suites of fanfare through the marching percussion, to haunting passages of the bassoon and oboe. In just under an hour, you get the sense of an epic story spanning a thousand and one nights, the unfolding drama of each story, and the peaceful ending that signifies the sparing of Scheherazade’s life.
Overall, the Hallé Orchestra remained together and responsive throughout, making the shifts between atmosphere and spectacle feel coherent. Jackson drew these elements into a performance with a clear sense of direction. This was an engaging, colourful concert, distinguished by finely coordinated orchestral work and assured conduction. The lasting effect was one of being entranced and captivated by the musical storytelling.