Generous Spirit

I first encountered the partnership between the Hallé Orchestra and Nikolaj Znaider swapping violin for baton a couple of years ago. The quality on display then was well maintained in their latest appearance together, in a refreshingly imaginative piece of programming (Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, UK, 11 February 2015). With Nielsen's Third Symphony in the second half, there were two singers on hand to add a couple of the rarely-heard vocal numbers from Grieg's Peer Gynt music to the familiar movements from the Suite No 1. Baritone Gary Griffiths sang the eponymous hero's Act 4 Serenade with an apt blend of charm and bluff heartiness, while soprano Katherine Watson's warmth and tenderness in Solvieg's Lullaby made a touching conclusion...