Graceful dancing, fine music

“Strictly Strauss” at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, by Marina Berry

DANIEL Rowland strode on to the stage carrying a violin and with a flourish dived straight into his role as conductor to bring an evening of gaiety through the familiar music of the famous Strauss family.

He broke from directing the orchestra on occasion to add the sound of his own instrument, but it was only towards the end of the show that he showed exactly what he is made off.

His intense looks and shock of unruly hair made him perfect for the part as he dazzled the audience with a wonderful performance of Sarasate’s “Zigeunervweisen.”

The piece from the Spanish composer — his most popular composition and a favourite with violin virtuosi — was one of only two items on the programme which weren’t Strauss classics.

Rowland did it great justice and it would have been worth seeing the production for that alone.

But it was only a part of the feel-good show, which saw the orchestra romp through popular classics such as “The Blue Danube,” “Radetzky March,” “Emperor Waltz,” “Thunder and Lightening Polka” and many more favourites composed by Johann Strauss and, some would say, his even more talented brother, Josef.

Soprano Elena Xanthoudakis dipped in and out of the concert and was a joy to hear. She added her own humour to some of her renditions including Zeller’s “Don’t Be Cross” where the part of the spurned lover she tries to win back was playfully played by Rowland’s violin.

Then there were the dancers — eight in all — dressed in gorgeous costumes dancing their way through waltz after waltz.

The stage was set in ballroom fashion, with tables and wine at the edges for dancers who weren’t strutting their stuff, where they took the opportunity to sit out dances until it was their turn to take the stage.

But the dancers themselves weren’t of the ballroom variety, bringing in a touch of ballet as they twirled and leapt in a gloriously energetic display.

This slick Raymond Gubbay show still looks fresh despite being two-thirds of the way through a two-month tour which began at the London Barbican on December 30, last year.

If you enjoy fine music and graceful dancing, there is still time to catch it, but it will mean a trek to find it, with the nearest venues now including Preston, Hull and Harrogate.