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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Rózsa: Sinfonia concertante & Tripartita
András Ágoston, Laszlo Fenyo, Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Klassik - Erschienen bei CPO am 17.05.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BRAHMS : Symphony No. 2
Philharmonia Hungarica, Libor Pešek
Klassik - Erschienen bei Naxos am 01.01.1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 & No. 2
Julian von Karolyi, Philharmonia Hungarica
Klassik - Erschienen bei Past Classics am 01.11.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raff: Symphony No. 7 "In den Alpen" & Jubel-Ouverture, Op. 103
Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Klassik - Erschienen bei CPO am 01.01.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonie n°6
Philharmonia Hungarica, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Gilbert Varga, Michael Halasz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Naxos am 09.12.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert - Rosamunde
Peter Maag, Philharmonia Hungarica, Philharmonia Vocal Ensemble, Franz Schubert, Oksana Sowiak
Klassik - Erschienen bei Denon am 18.05.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner : Te Deum & Verdi : Te Deum (- Apex)
Klassik - Erschienen bei Warner Classics International am 08.06.2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Symphonie No. 1, D. 82 - Symphonie No. 2, D. 125
Philharmonia Hungarica, Peter Maag
Klassik - Erschienen bei Adora am 22.01.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Eastern Myths & Legends: The Music of Prokofiev, Kodály & Bartók
London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Klassik - Erschienen bei Jube Classic am 05.05.2017
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bela Bartók: Dance Suite, Deux Portraits Op. 5, Mikrokosmos - Bourrée, From the Diary of a Fly
Klassik - Erschienen bei Soundmark am 14.02.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Grandes de la Musica Clasica - Hector Berlioz Vol. 2
Symphonic Orchestra Bamberg, Philharmonia Hungarica
Klassik - Erschienen bei ClassicalPirosDigital am 20.06.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
TANEYEV, A. S.: Symphony No. 2 / Suite No. 2
Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Klassik - Erschienen bei Marco-Polo am 02.04.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kodály: Danses de Galánta & Danses de Marosszék (Mono Version)
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei BNF Collection am 01.01.1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Taneyev: Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 21- Suite No. 2 in F Major, Op. 14
Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Klassik - Erschienen bei Amadis am 02.04.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat, S. 124 - Piano Concerto No. 2 in A, S. 125 (Album of 1960)
Julian von Karolyi, Philharmonia Hungarica, István Kertész
Klassik - Erschienen bei Goldberg am 31.08.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Romantic Piano Concertos, Vol. 9
Michael Ponti, Philharmonia Hungarica, Othmar Maga
Instrumentalmusik - Erschienen bei Vox am 01.01.1969
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
RUBINSTEIN: Symphony No. 6
Philharmonia Hungarica, Gilbert Varga
Klassik - Erschienen bei Marco-Polo am 31.12.1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorak / Fibich: Symphony No. 9 in E, Op. 95 / Twilight (With Poema)
Philharmonia Hungarica, Jan Valach
Klassik - Erschienen bei Etcetera am 01.01.2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Antiche danze et arie per liuto, Suite Nos. 1-3 (Remastered 2023)
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Klassik - Erschienen bei Artemisia am 09.02.2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz & Fauré: Orchestral Works
Philharmonia Hungarica, Luxembourg Radio Orchestra, Richard Kapp, Louis De Froment
Klassik - Erschienen bei Vox am 01.01.1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
French Orchestral Selections
Klassik - Erschienen bei Vox Box am 01.01.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo