BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
The BBC Philharmonic, based in the city of Salford in northern England's Greater Manchester county, is one of the most important orchestras in the United Kingdom, distinguishing itself by its sheer visibility and solid commitment to contemporary British music that has included the establishment of a composer/conductor position. Its home concert venue is Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. The people of the Manchester area and the north of England are rightly proud of their radio orchestra. With so much British culture and finance administered in London, there is an independent spirit driving the culture of the north. The BBC Philharmonic has not only survived, but it has thrived. It has developed a character distinct from that of the larger BBC Symphony Orchestra, based in London: more populist, perhaps, but also more adventurous and -- with the orchestra's large recording catalog, generous outreach programs, and international tours -- more entrepreneurial.
The BBC Philharmonic's history is rather checkered, for it has had to endure numerous crises. In 1922, prior to the official establishment of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Manchester had a radio station known as 2YZ, housed on the premises of the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company. Early on, a small orchestra was established for broadcasts; it concentrated mainly on light music but expanded on occasion for performances of symphonic repertoire and opera. The station gained a reputation for broadcasting British music, including the first radio performances of music by Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst, and William Walton. When the BBC was established in 1927, the 2YZ orchestra was renamed the Northern Wireless Orchestra; later, it became the BBC Northern Orchestra. Its existence was always precarious, but the group's size and repertoire increased. During World War II, the orchestra gave concerts in various communities around the region, bringing it to a wider public. The BBC Northern Orchestra continued to gain a strong reputation for performing and broadcasting British music, particularly works by living composers who were often invited to conduct the orchestra.
In 1961, the BBC Northern Orchestra made its first appearance at the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts under the direction of George Hurst. The regional identity of the ensemble began from that point to evolve into a national and international one. After a difficult strike in 1980, the BBC committed to supporting a full orchestra in Manchester, and in 1982, the ensemble was given its current name. Its principal conductor at that time was Edward Downes, who was succeeded in 1991 by Yan Pascal Tortelier. The ensemble's reputation for adventurous programming has expanded to an international scope as well, as composers from various countries have come to conduct the orchestra.
In 1991, the post of composer/conductor was created, with Peter Maxwell Davies being the first appointment. Davies composed several works for the orchestra, including several symphonies culminating with Symphony No. 7, which premiered in 2000. Along the way, he has also recorded a number of his orchestral works for release. Composer James MacMillan was named his successor in 2001. The following year, Gianandrea Noseda was named principal conductor (the title changed to chief conductor in 2006). HK Gruber followed MacMillan as composer/conductor in 2009. In 2011, Noseda was named conductor laureate, and Juanjo Mena became the chief conductor. In 2015, the BBC Philharmonic changed the title of the composer/conductor role to composer in association and appointed Mark Simpson to the position. Mena served as chief conductor until 2018, and Omer Meir Wellber, following a successful guest conductor performance, assumed the chief conductor position in 2019. John Storgårds was named the orchestra's new chief conductor in 2023 after serving as chief guest conductor since 2017.
The BBC Philharmonic has a vast recording catalog comprising hundreds of albums, with the majority of them being on the Chandos label. It has also recorded for Naxos and Albany, among many other labels. In 2023, under conductor Rumon Gamba, it was heard on a recording of orchestral music by Malcolm Arnold, which also featured clarinetist Michael Collins, on the Chandos label.
© James Harley & Keith Finke /TiVo
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Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 12 and 15
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 3 mars 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Transcriptions for Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 juin 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Falstaff, Orchestral Songs & "Grania and Diarmid"
Sir Andrew Davis, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Roderick Williams
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 3 nov. 2017
Qobuzissime5 étoiles de ClassicaDiapason d'orGramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Holst: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4
Sir Andrew Davis, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Guy Johnston
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 12 oct. 2018
Diapason d'or24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 4
Louis Lortie, Edward Gardner, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Chandos le 1 sept. 2018
5 étoiles de Classica5 de Diapason24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Copland: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 - Symphonies
John Wilson, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 janv. 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gipps: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
Juliana Koch, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Rumon Gamba
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 14 oct. 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Ian Tracy: Symphonic Organ Works, Vol. 2
Ian Tracey, Yan Pascal Tortelier, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Chandos le 1 janv. 2000
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Casella: 5 Symphonic Fragments from "Le couvent sur l'eau", Elegia eroica & Symphony No. 1
Gianandrea Noseda, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Gillian Keith
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 nov. 2015
4 étoiles Classica24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rózsa: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
Rumon Gamba, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Jennifer Pike, Paul Watkins
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 juin 2011
5 de Diapason24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Scott: Piano Concerto, Symphony No. 4 & Early One Morning
Martyn Brabbins, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Howard Shelley
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 avr. 2006
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Busoni: Orchestral Works
Neeme Järvi, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, John Bradbury, Nelson Goerner
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 juin 2017
4 étoiles Classica5 de Diapason24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Yoshimatsu: Symphony No. 1 & Ode
Sachio Fujioka, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 17 août 2000
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Sir Andrew Davis, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Tasmin Little
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 13 nov. 2013
4 étoiles Classica5 de DiapasonGramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
James Ehnes plays Bartok Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 & Viola Concerto
James Ehnes, Gianandrea Noseda, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Musique concertante - Paru chez Chandos le 1 sept. 2011
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Cello Concerto, Introduction and Allegro, Elegy & Marches Nos. 1 to 5
Sir Andrew Davis, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Watkins
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 avr. 2012
4 étoiles Classica5 de Diapason24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Film Music of Ron Goodwin
Rumon Gamba, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 nov. 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Enescu: The Three Symphonies
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 juin 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stokowski's Symphonic Bach, Vol. 2
Matthias Bamert, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 févr. 2005
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Antheil : Orchestral Works, Vol. 3
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds
Classique - Paru chez Chandos le 1 nov. 2019
5 de Diapason24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Kabalevsky: Piano Concertos, Vol. 1
Kathryn Stott, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Vassily Sinaisky
Classique - Paru chez Chandos le 1 mars 2003
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo