Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra

Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra was formed in 1882 and is Russia's oldest symphony orchestra.

It was initially known as the "Imperial Music Choir" and performed privately for the court of Alexander III of Russia. By the 1900s it had started to give public performances at the Philharmonia and elsewhere. Richard Strauss conducted the orchestra in 1912.

After the Russian Revolution the orchestra was taken over by its members, who changed the name to the "State Philharmonic Orchestra of Petrograd". In the 1920s the orchestra began receiving support from the state, and began to be known internationally as an excellent orchestra. Guest conductor appearances were made by Bruno Walter, Ernest Ansermet and Hans Knappertsbusch at this time. Around this time the orchestra was renamed the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra.

The orchestra gained its most fame under the lengthy directorship of Evgeny Mravinsky. The orchestra made few tours to the West, but the orchestra recorded a number of studio and live recordings under Mravinsky. Furthermore, it was under Mravinsky that the orchestra premiered seven of Shostakovich's symphonies.

In 1991 the orchestra gained its current name after its home city returned to its original name of Saint Petersburg. Today it is an internationally recognized symphony orchestra under the directorship of Yuri Temirkanov.

Chief conductors

  • Yuri Temirkanov (1988–)
  • Evgeny Mravinsky (1938–1988)
  • Fritz Stiedry (1934–1937)
  • Aleksandr Gauk (1930–1934)
  • Nikolai Malko (1926–1930)
  • Valery Berdyaev (1924–1926)
  • Emil Cooper (1920–1923)
  • Alexander Khessin (1920)
  • Serge Koussevitzky (1917–1920)
  • Hugo Varlikh (1907–1917)
  • Hermann Fliege (1882–1907)

See also

Discographys

By Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra

SHOSTAKOVICH, D.: Symphony No. 10 (Leningrad Philharmonic, Mravinsky) (1954) Naxos Classical Archives 9.80578

SHOSTAKOVICH, D.: Symphony No. 7, "Leningrad" (Leningrad Philharmonic, Mravinsky) (1953) Naxos Classical Archives 9.80687

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 (Sanderling) (1956) Naxos Classical Archives 9.80057

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 (Mravinsky) (1956) Naxos Classical Archives 9.80069

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, "Pathetique" (Mravinsky) (1956) Naxos Classical Archives 9.80070

References

http://www.naxos.com/person/Leningrad_Philharmonic_Orchestra/35548.htm

External links

  • Home page of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra at All Music Guide
  • Article at bach-cantatas.com
This page was last modified 31.05.2013 23:26:35

This article uses material from the article Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.