Vienna State Opera Orchestra
The Vienna State Opera Orchestra not only has ties to the Vienna State Opera, but to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which draws its membership exclusively from its operatic cousin. The VSOO consists of 149 members and is regarded by many as the finest opera orchestra in the world. It has been an organization steeped in tradition, sometimes to its detriment: women were banned from playing in the orchestra until 1997. Yet its performances, both operatic and orchestral, have long been widely acclaimed by both critics and public alike. Because the Vienna State Opera has a very full schedule of operas -- more than 50 productions every year, and about 200 performances that run from September 1 to June 30 -- the VSOO's performances have been largely limited to operatic productions. Yet the ensemble has made more than 300 recordings over the years, many devoted strictly to orchestral music.
The Vienna State Opera Orchestra was established in 1869, though its roots, in the form of a forerunner ensemble, date back to the early 18th century. It was after the completion of the Vienna Court Opera building in 1869 that the new opera company and orchestra were officially founded.
The first music director of the ensemble (and of the opera company) was Franz von Dingelstedt, who served only until 1870. Over the years there would be 25 additional music directors, with Felix Weingartner (1908-1911; 1935-1936), Karl Böhm (1943-1945; 1954-1956), and Egon Seefehlner (1976-1982; 1984-1986) serving two terms each. Many of the music directors of the Vienna State Opera were not conductors of the orchestra, like Seefehlner and Claus Helmut Dreese (1986-1991), whose orchestral conductor was Claudio Abbado. Beside those mentioned above, other illustrious conductors of the VSOO were Gustav Mahler (1897-1907), Richard Strauss (1919-1924), Herbert von Karajan (1956-1964), Lorin Maazel (1982-1984), Seiji Ozawa (2002-2010), and Franz Welser-Möst (2010-). When the opera house, partially destroyed by bombing during World War II, was being reconstructed during the period 1947-1955, the VSOO remained quite active, not least in the recording studio. In the early '50s, for example, Hermann Scherchen made a dozen or so recordings with the VSOO of orchestral works by Beethoven, Bartók, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and others. Conductors Mário Rossi and Jonathan Sternberg also made a number of recordings with the VSOO during that period. Among the VSOO's later recordings is the 2007 TDK DVD of Verdi's Don Carlo under conductor Bertrand de Billy.
© TiVo
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Schubert: Masses No. 1 & 4
THE TEARDROP EXPLODES, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, George Barati
Classical - Released by Tuxedo on 7 Sep 1990
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikowsky: Symphony No. 2 "Little Russian" & Symphony No. 3 "Polish"
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Hans Swarowsky
Classical - Released by HORTUS on 18 Jan 1991
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos. 5 & 6 / Enescu: Romanian Rhapsodies Nos. 1 & 2
Classical - Released by Mezzoforte on 7 Sep 2018
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Humperdinck: Tone Picture from Sleeping Beauty
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Hans Swarowsky
Classical - Released by Tuxedo on 7 Sep 1990
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Georg Friedrich Handel: Messiah
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Vienna Academy Chorus, Hermann Scherchen
Classical - Released by Maison Blanche on 10 Dec 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor "Resurrection"
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen, Vienna State Opera Choir, Lucretia West, Mimi Coertse
Classical - Released by Andromeda on 11 Dec 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bookcase In A Blackhole: Music From The 5th Dimension
Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Vienna State Opera Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Music Manager on 19 Nov 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
9 Symphonies by Ludwig Van Beethoven
Hermann Scherchen, Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Classical - Released by OperaPrima-Carillon on 23 Apr 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Legends - Strauss
Alternative & Indie - Released by GR8 Media (Hong Kong) Ltd on 1 Jan 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68 - Kalinnikov: Symphony No. 1 in G Minor (Live)
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen
Classical - Released by Archipel on 1 Jan 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wiliam Tell Overture - Donna Diana Overture - Zampa Overture - Fra Diavolo Overture
Hermann Scherchen, Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Symphonic Music - Released by Mangora Classical on 30 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Don Giovanni, K. 527 (Live)
Opera - Released by Archipel on 1 Jan 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies No. 1 of Brahms & Kalinnikov
Hermann Scherchen, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by OperaPrima-Carillon on 23 Apr 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi: Concertos
Classical - Released by Editions Audiovisuel Beulah on 19 Dec 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Middle Symphonies
Classical - Released by Editions Audiovisuel Beulah on 1 Jan 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dies Irae
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Maria Callas
Classical - Released by Past Classics on 15 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concerto in Do minore per pianoforte e orchestra No. 3, Op.37
Paul Badura-Skoda, Hermann Scherchen, Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Symphonic Music - Released by La Bambolina sas on 27 Feb 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Old Vienna Dances
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Paul Angerer
Classical - Released by HORTUS on 5 Jan 1990
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Feminine Classical Music
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Music Manager on 4 Nov 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Childrens Fantasies
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, The Eastern European Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra
Classical - Released by Music Manager on 30 Nov 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Waltz Spectacular
Classical - Released by Reader's Digest Music on 1 Jun 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo