Staatskapelle Dresden
The Staatskapelle Dresden (or Dresden State Orchestra), also known as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, is one of Europe's oldest continuously operating performing arts organizations. It has numbered some of Europe's most famous composers and conductors among its music directors, and amid changing fashions, it has enjoyed an almost unbroken reputation for high quality.
The orchestra dates back to 1548, when Dresden was part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was founded by the Elector Moritz of Saxony to accompany the court chorus in the new large choral compositions of the time. It evolved from an even older group, the Kurfürstlich-Sächsische und Königlich-Polnische Kapelle. During the 17th century, its music directors included Heinrich Schütz, who was closely associated with the orchestra for over half the century. As opera grew at the Dresden court, one of the orchestra's main functions was to accompany the leading German opera company of the day, and Johann Adolf Hasse was the Kapellmeister (or music director) from 1734 to 1763. The orchestra and opera persisted through the unrest of late 18th century Europe, emerging as an operatic center under Carl Maria von Weber in the early Romantic era. Other famous names to conduct the orchestra in opera were Richard Wagner -- who called it a "magic harp" and premiered Rienzi, Die fliegende Holländer, and Tannhäuser there -- and, later, Richard Strauss.
In 1858, the Staatskapelle Dresden began giving concerts of symphonic music, and here again, its reputation grew quickly. Music directors since the turn of the 20th century have included Fritz Reiner, Karl Böhm, Herbert Blomstedt, Bernard Haitink, and, since 2012, Christian Thielemann. In 2013, the Staatskapelle Dresden became the resident ensemble of the Salzburg Easter Festival, where Thielemann also serves as artistic director. In the 21st century, the orchestra began a composers-in-residence program; holders of position have included Hans Werner Henze, Sofia Gubaidulina (twice), Arvo Pärt, and, in 2021 and 2022, Matthias Pintscher.
The orchestra's recording catalog is large, including multiple releases almost every year since 1990 on such labels as Berlin Classics, Denon, and Deutsche Grammophon. In 2017, the orchestra, under Thielemann, released a recording of Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 in E flat major ("Romantic"), on the Profil - Edition Günter Hänssler label. A live recording of Bruckner's Symphony No. 1, with Thielemann once again leading the orchestra, was issued in 2021. Many of the Staatskapelle Dresden's historical performances have also been remastered and re-released.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Johannes Brahms / Clara Schumann
Lisa Batiashvili, Alice Sara Ott, Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 28, 2013
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Complete Symphonies (Remastered)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert Blomstedt
Classical - Released by Berlin Classics on Apr 17, 2020
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Quintessence Schubert: Complete Symphonies, Rosamunde
Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert Blomstedt
Classical - Released by Brilliant Classics on Oct 1, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Symphonies No. 95 & 98
Staatskapelle Dresden, Eugen Jochum
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on Apr 15, 1971
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Symphonies No. 93 & 94
Eugen Jochum, Staatskapelle Dresden
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on Nov 4, 1970
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven Complete Symphonies
Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert Blomstedt
Classical - Released by Brilliant Classics on May 28, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5; Piano Sonata No.28 in A, Op.101
Hélène Grimaud, Staatskapelle Dresden, Vladimir Jurowski
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Violin Concerto Op. 47; Serenades; Humoresque
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Staatskapelle Dresden, André Previn
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann : Symphonies
Christian Thielemann, Staatskapelle Dresden
Symphonies - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on Apr 5, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Overtures and Preludes
Staatskapelle Dresden & Hiroshi Wakasugi
Symphonies - Released by Berlin Classics on Feb 24, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
BORODIN, A.: Symphony No. 2 / In the Steppes of Central Asia / TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Romeo and Juliet (Dresden Staatskapelle, K. Sanderling)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Kurt Sanderling
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on Jan 1, 1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphony No. 39 & 40
Staatskapelle Dresden, Otmar Suitner
Classical - Released by Eterna on Oct 25, 1976
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder (Live at Semperoper, Dresden)
Classical - Released by Profil on Nov 20, 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Leonore (Urfassung 1805 der Oper "Fidelio") (Original Version from 1805)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt
Opera - Released by Eterna on Jan 1, 1977
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
475 Jahre Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
Classical - Released by Profil on Oct 6, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler, R. Schumann, Sinopoli & Others: Orchestral Works (Live)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Peter Bruns, Juliane Banse, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Peter Ruzicka, Sylvain Cambreling
Classical - Released by Profil on Jan 17, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: The Firebird (Suite) Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem
Staatskapelle Dresden, Rudolf Kempe
Symphonic Music - Released by Berlin Classics on Jan 20, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, WWV 96 (Live)
Opera - Released by Profil on Sep 18, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Late Symphonies
Staatskapelle Dresden, Sir Colin Davis
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 "Prague" & Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter"
Staatskapelle Dresden, Otmar Suitner
Classical - Released by Eterna on Nov 20, 1970
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Overtures
Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo