Northern Sinfonia
The Royal Northern Sinfonia is a highly acclaimed chamber ensemble that performs a wide range of repertory, from Baroque to contemporary fare, including commissioned works. It is perhaps best known for performances of music by British composers, particularly Britten, Elgar, and Vaughan Williams, but has also garnered praise for its varied repertory, including works by Mozart, Schubert, and Stravinsky, among many others. The orchestra has performed throughout the U.K. and abroad, including at major concert venues and festivals, and has made over 100 recordings. The Royal Northern Sinfonia performs its regular concerts at the Sage Gateshead, many of them broadcast over the U.K.'s Classic FM.
The Royal Northern Sinfonia was founded in 1958 by Michael Hall, who served as the ensemble's conductor and artistic director, though he never officially held either title. The inaugural concert was given on September 24, 1958, at the Newcastle City Hall, which would serve as the orchestra's regular performance venue until 2004. Initially known only as the Sinfonia Orchestra, the ensemble was renamed the Northern Sinfonia in 1959.
Among Hall's accomplishments was the founding of a youth orchestra, originally called the Junior Philharmonic but now known as the Young Sinfonia. Hall was succeeded by Rudolf Schwarz, who served as artistic director from 1964 until 1973. Despite his title, he shared conducting duties of regular concerts with Boris Brott. The Northern Sinfonia Chorus was established in 1973 by the ensemble's principal timpanist, Alan Fearon.
By the time of Christopher Seaman's tenure (1973 to 1979), the Northern Sinfonia was gaining notice abroad. Among its first successful recordings were a 1976 EMI LP, The Lighter Elgar, led by Neville Marriner, and a 1977 Enigma Records LP of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 4, 5, and 6, led by George Malcolm.
Tamás Vasáry and Iván Fischer co-directed the Northern Sinfonia from 1979 until 1982, but it was during and immediately following the tenure of Richard Hickox (1982 to 1990) that the ensemble moved into the international limelight. Hickox would make over 20 recordings with the Northern Sinfonia, many after he departed. Among his more notable recorded efforts was the 1993 Chandos CD of Walton's opera The Bear. Heinrich Schiff served as artistic director from 1990 until 1996. Primarily a cellist, Schiff achieved critical acclaim with the Northern Sinfonia both in concert and on recordings. In the latter realm, the 1993 release Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 29 and 40 and "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" on Virgin Classics was a notable success.
Jean-Bernard Pommier's tenure (1996 to 1999) was noteworthy for acclaimed performances of works by French composers like Fauré, Debussy, and Ravel. Thomas Zehetmair served as music director from 2002 until 2014. Among Zehetmair's more notable recordings with the Northern Sinfonia is the 2011 Avie recording of Schubert's Ninth Symphony and Hans Gál's Second Symphony.
In 2004, the ensemble relocated to Gateshead, making the newly constructed Sage Gateshead Centre its home venue. Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the title "Royal" on the orchestra in 2013, making it the Royal Northern Sinfonia, and Lars Vogt became its music director beginning in 2015. That year, Zehetmair was named the orchestra's conductor laureate, and it named Julian Rachlin as its principal guest conductor. Vogt served as music director until 2020, when he was given the title of principal artistic partner. Following several guest conducting appearances in 2020, Dinis Sousa was appointed the Royal Northern Sinfonia's principal conductor in 2021.
© Robert Cummings /TiVo
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Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 & 4 Ballades, Op. 10
Classique - Paru chez Ondine le 1 nov. 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 & Handel Variations
Classique - Paru chez Ondine le 3 avr. 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Field: Piano Concertos, Nocturnes & Sonatas
Benjamin Frith, Northern Sinfonia, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, David Haslam, Andrew Mogrelia
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 11 janv. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hope, Bridge, Carse, Tomlinson, Holst, Delius, Lewis
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 8 mars 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Field: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 7 and Piano Sonata No. 4
Benjamin Frith, Northern Sinfonia, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, David Haslam, Andrew Mogrelia
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 12 août 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Symphony No. 6 • Hans Gál: Symphony No. 1
Thomas Zehetmair, Northern Sinfonia
Classique - Paru chez AVIE Records le 12 avr. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Symphony No. 9 • Hans Gál: Symphony No. 2
Thomas Zehetmair, Northern Sinfonia
Classique - Paru chez AVIE Records le 10 mai 2011
5 de Diapason16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Walton: The Bear
Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Alan Opie, Della Jones, John Shirley-Quirk
Opéra - Paru chez Chandos le 1 nov. 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
FINZI: Clarinet Concerto / Five Bagatelles / Three Soliloquies / Romance
Robert Plane, Lesley Hatfield, Northern Sinfonia, Howard Griffiths
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 3 nov. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Overture and Dance, Duett-Concertino - Wagner: Wesendonk Lieder, Siegried Idyll & Träume
Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Jard van Nes, Robert Plane, Stephen Reay, Lesley Hatfield
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 mars 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
HANDEL: Concerti Grossi Op. 3, Nos. 1- 6
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 4 juin 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Finzi: Cello Concerto - Grand Fantasia and Toccata - Eclogue
Tim Hugh, Peter Donohoe, Northern Sinfonia, Howard Griffiths
Musique concertante - Paru chez Naxos le 20 nov. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Britten : Simple Symphony / Temporal Variations / Suite sur des airs populaires anglais
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 2 janv. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos 18 & 22
Imogen Cooper, Northern Sinfonia
Classique - Paru chez Avie Records le 9 nov. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24, Piano Concerto No. 25, Fantasia for Solo Piano in D Minor
Imogen Cooper, Northern Sinfonia
Classique - Paru chez Avie Records le 31 mars 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cello Concertos
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 19 mars 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Braga Santos: Sinfonietta for Strings / Violin Concerto
Northern Sinfonia, Sue Blair, Álvaro Cassuto, Bradley Creswick, Alexander Somov
Musique concertante - Paru chez Marco-Polo le 5 nov. 2001
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lebrun, L.A.: Oboe Concerto No. 7 / Holzbauer, I.: Oboe Concerto in D Minor / Winter, P.: Oboe Concerto No. 2
Kurt Meier, Northern Sinfonia, Howard Griffiths
Musique concertante - Paru chez Pan Classics le 1 janv. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concertos anglais pour guitare
Craig Ogden, Northern Sinfonia, Richard Hickox
Musique concertante - Paru chez Chandos le 1 nov. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
J.S. Bach: Organ Concertos
Peter Hurford, Northern Sinfonia, Richard Hickox
Classique - Paru chez Decca Music Group Ltd. le 1 janv. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 2 / FIELD: Piano Concerto No. 1
Idil Biret, Benjamin Frith, Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Robert Stankovsky
Classique - Paru chez Naxos le 11 août 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo