Philharmonia Hungarica
The Philharmonia Hungarica has a unique history emerging from one of the darkest weeks of the Cold War. After World War II, Hungary, a country that had allied itself with Nazi Germany, was occupied by Red Army troops, who backed a Communist party that seized control of the country. In 1956, a popular movement for freedom arose and ousted the Communists. Unable to tolerate this, the Soviet Union in October launched a massive tank attack on Hungary and after a few days of resistance, their overwhelming strength destroyed the fledgling free government's forces. Tens of thousands fled before the advancing Soviet forces. Austria, the only non-Communist country bordering Hungary, opened its borders to this flow of humanity, and on its soil the first displaced persons' camps since the post-War years reopened.
Among them were some of the most talented musical artists of Hungary. A young conductor, Zoltan Rozsnyai had the idea of forming an orchestra in exile from the refugees in the camps. He gathered 75 musicians. They put together a concert program and performed as the Philharmonia Hungarica in the Vienna Konzerthaus on May 28, 1957. They had spirit and passion, but they performed like an ad hoc, one-shot group. The members and Rozsnyai determined that they would build the group into a genuine professional ensemble. They were motivated by their own sense of professional pride, but also were in hopes of making permanent jobs for the orchestral players, who were refugees and homeless, in addition to being subject, should they return to the Eastern Bloc, to the death penalty.
International Refugee Aid Organizations and other sponsors, including leading musicians of many nationalities, supported this effort. Among them was the perpetual humanitarian Yehudi Menuhin and the internationally known conductor Antal Dorati. Dorati, a Hungarian who had left his homeland before World War II, now had a reputation as one of the greatest living orchestra-building conductors. He agreed to work with the orchestra as their artistic mentor. He built them up, led some of the first recordings (including music of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály) and took them on their first international tour. Such support enabled the orchestra to negotiate a guaranteed loan for operating expenses. Then the small city of Marl, on the Ruhr in West Germany, invited the Philharmonia Hungarica to become its resident orchestra. The musicians were delighted to find a permanent home. They continued to be an active recording orchestra with Rozsnyai, Dorati, and others, and participated in one of the most honored projects in phonograph history, the first integral set of all Joseph Haydn symphonies, conducted by Dorati. This set won virtually all international recording prizes.
Since then the Hungarica has released over 130 discs and performed in 250 cities all over the world. It has accompanied great stars like Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Heinrich Schiff, and Menuhin.
Following the death in 1989 of artistic mentor Dorati, the orchestra appointed Menuhin as its honorary president and new artistic mentor. Menuhin conceived the successful plan to redirect the identity of the orchestra, establishing it as the cultural ambassador of the newly united Free Europe. Due to the great support Menuhin gave to the orchestra, it and the city of Marl have named the Hungarica's concert venue Lord Menuhin Hall.
The orchestra now has 80 full-time members of 14 nationalities. In 1990, following the fall of Communism in Europe, it gave its triumphant first concert in Budapest, Hungary. In 1997, Justus Frantz was appointed its chief conductor.
© TiVo
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Haydn: The Complete Symphonies
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Symphonies - Paru chez Decca le 1 janv. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kodaly: Orchestral Works
London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, István Kertész, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphonies, Vol. 11
Philharmonia Hungarica, Peter Maag
Classique - Paru chez Vox le 8 sept. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances/Suites Nos.1-3
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wiener Walzer Paprika
Philharmonia Hungarica, Minnesota Orchestra, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker; Serenade for Strings
London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 nov. 1986
Discothèque Idéale Qobuz16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kodály: Háry János Suite; Dances of Galanta / Bartók: Hungarian Sketches; Roumanian Folk Dances
Minnesota Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Ancient Dances and Airs for Lute by Antal Doráti (Remastered 2023, Studio 1958)
Antal Doráti, Philharmonia Hungarica
Classique - Paru chez Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording le 6 févr. 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Dance Suite; 2 Portraits
Philharmonia Hungarica, London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kodály: Háry János Suite/Dances of Galánta/Peacock Variations, etc.
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvoràk: Symphonie No. 9, Du nouveau monde, Op.95 - Fibich: Crépuscule, poème symphonique, Op.39
Philharmonia Hungarica, Jan Valach
Classique - Paru chez Forlane le 1 janv. 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raff: Symphonies Nos. 8-11 "Four Seasons"
Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Classique - Paru chez CPO le 24 mai 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphonies, Vol. 10
Philharmonia Hungarica, Peter Maag
Classique - Paru chez Vox le 8 sept. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Symphonies Nos.45,47 & 48
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1972
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Symphonies Nos.94, 100 & 101 - "Surprise", "Military" & "Clock"
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rheinberger: Piano Concerto, Op. 94 - Moszkowski: Piano Concerto, Op. 59
Michael Ponti, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, Volker Schmidt-Gertenbach, Hans Richard Stracke
Musique concertante - Paru chez Vox le 1 janv. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn : Symphony Nos. 94, 100 & 104
Antal Doráti, Philharmonia Hungarica
Classique - Paru chez Mangora Classical le 5 juin 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schulhoff: Symphonies Nos. 1-3
Philharmonia Hungarica, George Alexander Albrecht
Classique - Paru chez CPO le 1 janv. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rimsky-Korsakov: The Spirit of Russia
Classique - Paru chez Vox Box le 1 janv. 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rózsa: Sinfonia concertante & Tripartita
András Ágoston, Laszlo Fenyo, Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Classique - Paru chez CPO le 17 mai 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BRAHMS : Symphony No. 2
Philharmonia Hungarica, Libor Pešek
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 1 janv. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo