Show of musical poetry

Halle Orchestra, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

THE Halle’s music director Mark Elder entertained his audience in a different guise when he settled himself into a seat at the side of the stage and settled down to reading poems.

His readings, from the work of Ogden Nash, interspersed with music from Saint-Saens, together made up the “Carnival of the Animals”, a light-hearted piece of entertainment described by its composer as “so amusing”.

And so it was. Partnered by the delightful sounds of two grand pianos and a small collection of world-class musicians it made for a top-notch offering at Saturday’s promenade concert.

The beauty of the piece came from the linking of animals in the poems with musical instruments, which seemed almost made for each other.

A double bass was perfect to echo the lumbering gait and the “tum-ti-tum” meanderings of the elephant, clever use of the piano conjured up images of a skittish kangaroo, and the cello mimicked perfectly the grace, majesty and serenity of the swan .

The piece was one of only two to fill the first half of the concert, and brought many a titter from an appreciative audience.

It followed hot on the heels of a suite of six pieces from Bizet’s “Carmen”, which was rounded off with the ever-favourite “The Toreadors”, whipping up visions of charging bulls and proud matadors.

The Halle’s assistant conductor, Andrew Gourlay, led this ever-faultless orchestra through a wonderful first half, and through a second half that featured a suite from Ravel’s “Mother Goose”, and an orchestral suite from Prokofiev’s ballet “Romeo and Juliet” — a six-strong selection that burst into life with the wonderful movement “Montagues and Capulets” and ended with “The Death of Juliet”.