The Hallé with Chloé van Soeterstède and Bruno Philippe (cello)

Two elegant French composers begin this concert by the Hallé. Emmanuel Chabrier was once described as a ‘a man of exquisite gentleness and sudden exuberance’ and both are abundantly evident in his Suite Pastorale, which displays a great talent for crafting catchy ear worms. A composer of great longevity as well as prodigious talent, Saint-Saëns started life as a radical and ended it as a rather grumpy reactionary, at odds with the new musical world forming itself around Stravinsky and his peers. But in 1872, when he wrote his First Cello Concerto, Saint-Saëns was in modernist mode, playing daringly with the concerto form whilst still playing to his strengths as a gifted melodist. The supremely talented French cellist Bruno Philippe joins his French compatriot Chloé van Soeterstède for this compact classic.

Completing our colourful tunefest is Rachmaninoff’s 1940 Symphonic Dances. This turned out to be his swansong, as he lived out his final years in New York, but what a final statement it was! Written especially with the lustrous sound of the Philadelphia Orchestra in mind, it remains one of the greatest orchestral showpieces ever written: dramatic, dashing and full of unforgettable tunes recalling his Russian homeland.

Free pre-concert talk, 6.20pm in the auditorium: Chloé van Soeterstède in conversation.