Harp showcase a delight

The Halle Orchestra, Bridgewater Hall Manchester

LEONARD Bernstein’s “Wonderful Town” overture was an exceptional start to last night’s concert, which had at its heart a harp concerto played by French harpist Marie Leenhardt.

The Bernstein offering was an uplifting fusion of strings, brass and wind and recalled the Halle’s performance in the pit for the 2012 revival of the musical by the Halle, the Lowry and the Royal Exchange, also conducted by the Halle’s music director, Mark Elder.

Elder’s direction saw the musicians pull out all the stops in a performance that also included a selection from “West Side Story.”

Four dance pieces from Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo” were hugely entertaining, but it was Leenhardt’s performance of Ginastera’s harp concerto that many had come to hear.

The piece is heavy on percussion and tests the soloist to the limit - showing exactly what the instrument, often buried deep within an orchestra, can do.

The concert ended with a lively selection from Gershwin’s “American in Paris.”