Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
A small orchestra specializing in music of the Baroque and Classical eras, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields became one of the most popular ensembles in the entire field of classical music, making albums that topped classical charts and even made an impact in pop. The group's seamless sound was identified in the minds of many listeners with that of Baroque music itself.
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (the name has been spelled both with and without the hyphens, and with and without the period after "St") was formed in 1958 by violinist Neville Marriner, who was interested in exploring the then largely new field of Baroque music with a group of other musicians. Performing without a conductor until market forces dictated that Marriner take the post, the group played its first concert on November 13, 1959, at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and took its name from that venue. The orchestra began recording in 1961 on the L'Oiseau-Lyre label, championed by its founder, Louise Hanson-Dyer, and at first, finding more success with recordings than with concert appearances. The Academy moved to the early music-oriented Argo label in 1965. Appearances on the BBC Proms programs brought the group to a wider public, and in 1970 it incorporated, under the direction of Marriner and other founders, as a fully professional ensemble. Soundtrack performances in BBC television films added to the Academy's financial stability. Although he took up the conductor's baton, Marriner preferred to lead the orchestra from the first violinist's chair, and as violinists Iona Brown and Kenneth Sillito took over the group's direction on occasion, they followed the same practice in Baroque works. After Sillito's retirement in 2012, violinist Joshua Bell was named the music director. Pianist Murray Perahia has been the principal guest conductor since 2000; Perahia had for some time led the group in conductorless performances of Mozart and other Classical-period piano concertos.
The Academy's repertory also expanded over time, coming to include the Wagner Siegfried Idyll and even contemporary works. The original Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra grew to include several subgroups, the Chamber Ensemble (formed 1967), which focused on small-group chamber music for strings, and a larger grouping that could include as many as 45 musicians. A Chorus of St. Martin in the Fields, formed in 1975 for a tour performance of Bach's Mass in B minor, BWV 232, grew into an independent organization. The Academy continued to perform at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and added a short Royal Festival Hall Season as its popularity grew.
However, recordings remained at the center of the group's activities, and to date, it has issued more than 500 albums. Its recording schedule often involved more than a dozen albums a year. The orchestra moved to the Philips label in 1971; it has since recorded for Decca, London, ASV, and other labels. One milestone was the orchestra's 1984 recording of the score for the film Amadeus, which topped classical charts, appeared on pop charts, and remains one of the best-selling classical albums of all time. In 2019, the Academy, with young pianist Jan Lisiecki conducting from the keyboard, issued a complete recording of Beethoven's piano concertos on the Deutsche Grammophon label.
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Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico; 4 Concertos
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Here Comes the Sun (arr. for Portuguese Guitar & Orchestra by Pedro H. da Silva)
Pedro H. da Silva, Bruce O'Neil, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Clásica - Editado por Imaginary Animals el 14 jul. 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gounod: The 2 Symphonies; Faust Ballet Music
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fauré: Messe de Requiem; Cantique de Jean Racine
The Choir of St John’s Cambridge, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Stephen Cleobury, George Guest
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 28 abr. 1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
HANDEL: Concerto Grosso Op. 6, Nos. 1, 2, 8, 9, 10 and 12 (George Frideric Handel)
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Clásica - Editado por haenssler CLASSIC el 1 ene. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Oboe Concerto in F; Oboe Concerto in D minor; Oboe Concerto in A
Heinz Holliger, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Iona Brown
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas With The Academy
Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chorus, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Clásica - Editado por Philips el 1 ene. 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Mozart Orchestral Works
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Clásica - Editado por UME - Global Clearing House el 1 dic. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Antonín Dvořák: Serenades from Bohemia
Czech Nonet, Ivan Klansky, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Música de cámara - Editado por Praga Digitals el 1 feb. 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rodrigo: Concerto Madrigal/Concierto Andaluz
Pepe Romero, Angel Romero, Los Romeros, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel, G.F.: Overtures - Hwv 5, 6, 34, 33, 38, 67
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Kenneth Sillito
Clásica - Editado por CapriccioNR el 1 ene. 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bonjour Paris
Albrecht Mayer, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Mathias Mönius
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concertos, Vol. 1
Inon Barnatan, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Stefan Jackiw, Alan Gilbert, Alisa Weilerstein
Clásica - Editado por Pentatone el 1 oct. 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Recorder Concertos By Vivaldi, Sammartini, Telemann & Handel
Michala Petri, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Iona Brown
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 nov. 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concertos, Vol. 2
Inon Barnatan, Alan Gilbert, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Música concertante - Editado por Pentatone el 1 may. 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn : Violin Concertos
Viktoria Mullova, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Karelia Suite; Swan of Tuonela/Grieg: Holberg Suite
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: The 2 Violin Concertos; Double Concerto; Partita No.2 in D minor
Gidon Kremer, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Concerti Grossi Op.3 & Op.6
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1968
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: The Divertimenti for Orchestra, Vol.1 (Complete Mozart Edition)
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Academy of St Martin in the Fields: Mozart - The London Sketchbook
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Clásica - Editado por UME - Global Clearing House el 29 abr. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo