Münchner Philharmoniker
The Münchner Philharmoniker (Munich Philharmonic) is an orchestra with a troubled past but a bright future. Tainted by its association with Nazism during World War II, the orchestra was led in the early 1980s by the notoriously mercurial Sergiu Celibidache. Although it had roots stretching back to the beginning of the 19th century, the Munich Philharmonic really began in 1893 with establishment of the Kaim Orchestra, founded by a private donor of that name. During World War I, the orchestra foundered, and after the war it was taken over by Munich's city government and given the Münchner Philharmoniker name. Under conductor Hans Pfitzner in the 1920s the orchestra improved, but in the 1930s it began using a swastika logo and billed itself as the orchestra of fascism. Once again, the group had to rebuild after World War II, with Rudolf Kempe among the conductors who raised it to international stature. A key event in the orchestra's history was the elevation of Sergiu Celibidache to the music directorship in 1979; his leadership had both positive (his interpretations were novel and rigorously rehearsed) and negative impacts (he became embroiled in an expensive and ultimately successful sex discrimination lawsuit filed by American trombonist Abbie Conant, who had won her place in a blind audition). Celibidache also declined to make recordings, believing the concert experience could not be duplicated. That situation changed slowly in the 21st century with prominent new music directors after Celibidache's death. These have included James Levine, Christian Thielemann, Lorin Maazel, and, since 2014, Valery Gergiev, who has recorded several albums and used the orchestra as a showcase for his instrumental-music thinking in large late Romantic works, including the symphonies of Mahler. Gergiev and the orchestra have embarked on a cycle of Anton Bruckner's symphonies; their recording of the Symphony No. 1 in C minor appeared in 2018 on the orchestra's own label. Since 1985, the orchestra's home has been Munich's handsome Gasteig Culture Center.
© James Manheim /TiVo
Similar artists
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Pfitzner: Von deutscher Seele, Op. 28 (Live)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Horst Stein
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 30 Nov 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Humperndinck: Hänsel und Gretel
Münchner Philharmoniker, Fritz Lehmann
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1953
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vom Fischer un syner Frau
Münchner Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe, Kari Lovaas, Horst Laubenthal, Sigmund Nimsgern
Classical - Released by Acanta on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Die Schöpfung, Hob. XXI: 2, Pt. 1: "Nun schwanden vor dem heiligen Strahle" (Uriel, Chorus) [Live]
Münchner Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 9 Apr 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Lebendige Vergangenheit - Kim Borg
Münchner Philharmoniker, Kim Borg
Opera - Released by Preiser Records on 4 Mar 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 9 (Live)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Valery Gergiev
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 20 Nov 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, "Eroica" (Live)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 30 Nov 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Sonata for Piano Duet in C Major, Op. 140, D. 812 "Grand Duo" (Arranged for Orchestra By Joseph Joachim)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Marc Andreae
Symphonic Music - Released by Acanta on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4
Münchner Philharmoniker, Valery Gergiev
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 30 Nov 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 (Live)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Valery Gergiev
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 19 Apr 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss, Richard: Till Eulenspiegel
Münchner Philharmoniker, Valery Gergiev
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 31 May 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 (Live)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Valery Gergiev
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 19 Apr 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Alto Rhapsody - Reger: An die Hoffnung, Reger: Hiller Variations & Fugue (Live)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Eugen Jochum
Classical - Released by MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR on 30 Nov 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sinfonie No. 5, B-Dur, WAB 105
Münchner Philharmoniker & Rudolf Kempe
Classical - Released by FonoTeam on 2 May 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sinfonie No. 4, Es-Dur, WAB 104
Münchner Philharmoniker & Rudolf Kempe
Symphonies - Released by FonoTeam on 2 May 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Münchner Philharmoniker, Marc Andreae
Symphonic Music - Released by Acanta on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor: Beethoven • Brahms
Hans Knappertsbusch, Münchner Philharmoniker
Classical - Released by Ermitage Records on 18 Oct 1956
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Symphony in G minor "Zwickau"
Münchner Philharmoniker, Marc Andreae
Symphonic Music - Released by Acanta on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Master of Classic Music, Schumann - Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op.52
Marc Andreae, Münchner Philharmoniker
Classical - Released by Oscardigital on 18 Aug 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo