English Chamber Orchestra
Tremendously versatile and musically polished, the English Chamber Orchestra is considered one of the most distinguished chamber orchestras in the world. Similar in musical philosophy and organization to the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the ensemble is financially self-supporting and has no permanent home venue. The orchestra presents an annual concert series in London and also tours internationally. Over its history, the ensemble has expanded its repertoire to include a wide range of chamber music from various musical periods and is flexible in size, ranging from 24 to 38 musicians. The English Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Neil Thomson, issued the recording Serenata: Brazilian Music for Chamber Orchestra in 2022.
The English Chamber Orchestra was formed in 1948 by Arnold Goldsborough to perform Baroque music. Originally named the Goldsborough Orchestra, the ensemble changed its name to the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) in 1960 in accordance with the needs of the group's growing reputation. At the same time, the "English Chamber Orchestra and Music Society" charity was formed as the promotion arm of the organization. Like many other chamber orchestras, the ECO employs no full-time musicians but hires its players on a contract basis. This allows the orchestra to be flexible in size and structure according to the needs of its repertoire and concert venues and also gives the musicians the opportunity to work in a variety of other situations. The freedom this provides is key to the fresh approach this orchestra takes in its performances through its use of a system of co-principal groupings of players. Under this system, two principal players share each chair and are contracted to play a set number of performances in a given season.
The ECO has performed for numerous important occasions, including a command performance before Queen Elizabeth II at the Queen Elizabeth Hall inaugural concert in 1967. Other performances of note are the first color television recording of music for the BBC and the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales in 1981. The ensemble has been associated with the music of Benjamin Britten since it became the resident orchestra at the 1961 Aldeburgh Festival. The ECO has toured extensively, including tours throughout Europe, the U.S., and China.
Until 1985, the orchestra chose to work without a principal conductor, instead inviting a series of talented guest artists to lead the ensemble. The ECO has a reputation for giving young conductors important opportunities. Among those who have benefited from this policy are Sir Colin Davis, Daniel Barenboim, and Pinchas Zukerman. During the orchestra's Silver Anniversary celebration in 1985, it was announced that Jeffrey Tate had been chosen to fill the newly created position of principal conductor, and in 2000, he was succeeded by Ralf Gothóni. Paul Watkins has also served as music director, and Roy Goodman has served as the orchestra's principal guest conductor. Stephanie Gonley has been the orchestra's leader since 1997 and has also directed the orchestra from her violin.
The ECO can be heard on hundreds of recordings on all of the major labels, including a significant number on EMI, Deutsche Grammophon, and Sony, among others. The highlights for the ECO include three complete Mozart piano concerto cycles featuring Daniel Barenboim on EMI Classics, Mitsuko Uchida on Philips, and Murray Perahia on Sony Classical. In 2019, the ECO was led from the keyboard by Benjamin Hochman in a recording of Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 24, on Avie. More Mozart recordings followed in the early 2020s, and in 2022, conductor Neil Thomson led the ECO on the release Serenata: Brazilian Music for Chamber Orchestra.
© Corie Stanton Root & Keith Finke /TiVo
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The Best-Loved Baroque Concertos
Ian WATSON, English Chamber Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Warner Classics le 6 août 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Britten: St Nicolas & Hymn to St Cecilia
Corydon Singers, English Chamber Orchestra, Matthew Best
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 10 févr. 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel : Cantatas - Arias
Raymond Leppard, Sir Neville Marriner, English Chamber Orchestra, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Cantates sacrées - Paru chez Decca le 1 janv. 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K. 425 "Linz"
English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate
Classique - Paru chez EuroArts Music International le 14 juil. 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Handel : Water Music - Music for the Royal Fireworks
English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Girl with the Golden Harp
Claire Jones, English Chamber Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Silva Screen Records Ltd le 29 juin 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Op. 8
Classique - Paru chez Sony Classical le 1 janv. 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Coronation Anthems (Remastered 2015)
Choir of King's College, Cambridge, English Chamber Orchestra, Sir David Willcocks
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 3 sept. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
J.S. Bach: Cantata 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme' BWV 140; Cantata BWV 80 (Elly Ameling – The Bach Edition, Vol. 3)
Elly Ameling, London Voices, English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard
Classique - Paru chez Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. le 1 janv. 1981
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 18 & 19
Mitsuko Uchida, English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 nov. 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: The Brandenburg Concertos Nos.4-6
English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano, Op. 56
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Robert Cohen, Wolfgang Manz, English Chamber Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Classique - Paru chez Warner Classics le 9 sept. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Music for Cello & Orchestra
Geoffrey Simon, English Chamber Orchestra, Raphael Wallfisch
Musique concertante - Paru chez Chandos le 1 janv. 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 13 & 14
Mitsuko Uchida, English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 mars 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arias & Duets (Dmitri Hvorostovsky – The Philips Recitals, Vol. 11)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Olga Borodina, English Chamber Orchestra, Patrick Summers
Classique - Paru chez Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. le 12 mai 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven - Violin Concerto in D Major/2 Romances
Frank Peter Zimmermann, English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate
Classique - Paru chez Warner Classics le 13 avr. 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Dumbarton Oaks; Danses Concertantes; Concerto in D for Strings
Patricia Kern, Alexander Young, The St. Anthony Singers, English Chamber Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto after the Violin Concerto; Violin Romances
Pinchas Zukerman, Daniel Barenboim, English Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Deutsche Grammophon (DG) le 1 janv. 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Britten: Death in Venice
Peter Pears, John Shirley-Quirk, The English Opera Group Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Steuart Bedford
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bel Canto Arias
Leo Nucci, English Chamber Orchestra, Gianfranco Masini
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 3 nov. 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arias By Handel, Rameau & Lully
Gérard Souzay, English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1964
4 étoiles ClassicaDiamant d'Opéra16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo