Rush Hour: Rachmaninov's Third Symphony by Takemitsu, Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, Do. 06 März 2025, Ab (2025/2025), Dirigat Euan Shields, The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Vereinigtes Königreich

The Hallé Rush Hour series continues with a contrasting pair of pieces, conducted by Euan Shields. Takemitsu’s A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden is a contemplative, peaceful work, evoking the solitude of a stroll through one’s garden. Arising from a dream, Takemitsu described it as a ‘shifting panorama of scenes in which the main motif representing the so-called “Flock” descends into the harmonious tone-field called the “Pentagonal Garden”.’ Rich, dramatic and emotionally intense, Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony is considered one of his finest creations. A roller-coaster of passion, with moments of darkness and introspection particularly in the brooding first movement and the hauntingly beautiful second movement, the symphony also features moments of exuberance in its finale of dance rhythms.