Sir Charles Hallé

While little research has been done on this subject, it does not seem that many programmes occurred similar to those of Liszt’s until the 1860s. The most important architect of the recital was Charles Hallé (1819—95), the German who focused his career first in London, then Manchester. In 1861 he offered a series of concerts in his home similar to those of Louise Dulcken, but with no other performers than himself. In 1863 he moved them to St. James’s Hall. Here we see an advertisement for the series he gave in 1865:

Programme 11 Charles Hallé: 1865 Advertisement

Read what he has to say here: it sounds far more like what we read today than what performers or journalists had said about benefit concerts prior to 1850. A whole new musical world had evolved that was self-consciously serious and focused upon great works. The first programme he offered (see the penultimate paragraph) was the following:

Pieces by J. S. Bach were quickly becoming standard repertory, as were the sonatas of Beethoven and the oeuvre of Chopin. Note that music by one contemporary composer is offered here, placed late in the second half, as was to be conventional permanently.   Fig. 4. Charles Hallé c. 1850   Bibliography Charles Hallé and Marie Hallé, The Life and Letters of Sir Charles Hallé: being an autobiography (1819—1860) with correspondence and diaries (London, 1896) Charles Hallé, The Autobiography of Charles Hallé with Correspondence and Diaries, [selected,] ed. and with an introduction by Michael Kennedy (London, 1972)