ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
The ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra is one of four major orchestral ensembles based in Vienna, the others being the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, and Vienna Symphony Orchestra. The ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, or ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, is unique because it is the only radio symphony orchestra in Austria and is thus the official Austrian broadcast orchestra. Its repertory has been broad, taking in pre-Classical, Classical, Romantic, and 20th century music, with a substantial portion devoted to contemporary works.
The Vienna RSO was formed in 1969, from the ORF Symphony Orchestra, a postwar ensemble largely devoted to contemporary music. The new ensemble retained the name of the parent orchestra, and its management appointed the first chief conductor, Milan Horvat (1969-1975), who largely retained the policy of promoting the music of contemporary Austrian composers and works by Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. With the ascension of Leif Segerstam as chief conductor in 1975, the Vienna RSO, while retaining a strong allegiance to 20th century music, began to focus attention on Classical and Romantic works as well. This tendency was expanded further when Lothar Zagrosek (1982-1986) succeeded Segerstam. Zagrosek often played rarely encountered Classical works. Pinchas Steinberg served as chief conductor from 1989-1996. It was in the latter year that the ensemble adopted the name Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. More importantly, the management also appointed Dennis Russell Davies as the new chief conductor. Davies made numerous recordings with the orchestra, almost all focusing on modern or contemporary works by the likes of Berio, Glass, Kancheli, Silvestrov, and Tüür. Bertrand de Billy succeeded Davies in 2002. He was even more active in the recording studio, with well over 20 recordings to his credit, recordings that covered broader repertory, including many standards by Haydn, Beethoven, Dvorák, Debussy, and more. Toward the end of his tenure, de Billy had disputes with orchestra management that led to his decision to step down. In 2009, the orchestra was renamed to its current name, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. That same year, management announced that Cornelius Meister would succeed de Billy in 2010; Meister remained in this post until 2018. In 2019, Marin Alsop assumed the orchestra's chief conductor position, becoming the first woman to hold the post.
The Vienna RSO performs at one of four Viennese locales: the Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, ORF RadioKulturhaus, and the Theater an der Wien. The ensemble receives government funding and is regarded as a cultural goodwill ambassador for Austria. The orchestra gives regular tours abroad; previous trips have taken them throughout Europe, the Americas, China, and Japan. It has recorded for such labels as CPO, Sony Classical, Orfeo, and Oehms Classics, among many others. In 2020, the Vienna RSO was heard on the Capriccio album Ernst von Dohnányi: The Veil of Pierrette, under Ariane Matiakh, and the Naxos album, Morton Gould: Symphonettes Nos. 2-4; Spirituals for Orchestra, under Arthur Fagen.
© Robert Cummings /TiVo
-
Britten: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15 & Double Concerto for Violin, Viola & Orchestra in B Minor
Baiba Skride, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, Ivan Vukcevic
Concertmuziek - Released by Orfeo on 2 feb. 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
John Adams: City Noir, Fearful Symmetries & Lola Montez Does the Spider Dance
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 5 apr. 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104 (1888 Version)
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Markus Poschner
Klassiek - Released by CapriccioNR on 5 mei 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 (Re-Orchestrated by G. Mahler)
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop
Symfonische muziek - Released by Naxos on 27 jan. 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Malek Jandali: Concertos (1)
Rachel Barton Pine, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, Anthony McGill
Klassiek - Released by Cedille Records on 12 mei 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (Ed. P. Hawkshaw)
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Markus Poschner
Klassiek - Released by Capriccio on 5 apr. 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Weber, Kurpiński & Crusell: Works for Clarinet & Orchestra
Sharon Kam, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gregor Bühl
Klassiek - Released by Orfeo on 6 mrt. 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102 (1872 Version, Ed. W. Carragan)
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Markus Poschner
Klassiek - Released by Capriccio on 2 feb. 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Price: Symphony No. 3, The Mississippi River & Ethiopia's Shadow in America
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, John Jeter
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 11 sep. 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104 (1876 Version)
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Markus Poschner
Klassiek - Released by Capriccio on 4 nov. 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, WAB 103 "Wagner" (1873 Version, Ed. L. Nowak)
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Markus Poschner
Klassiek - Released by CapriccioNR on 2 sep. 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Cello Concerto No. 1; Symphony Op. 20; Ballad; Romance
Jamal Aliyev, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Howard Griffiths
Klassiek - Released by Capriccio on 7 apr. 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Hindemith: Nusch-Nuschi Tänze, Sancta Susanna, Op. 21 & Symphony "Mathis der Maler"
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 19 nov. 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Weill: Propheten (Live)
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Dennis Russell Davies
Klassiek - Released by CapriccioNR on 2 jun. 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Braunfels: Orchestral Works
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gregor Bühl
Klassiek - Released by CapriccioNR on 7 mei 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schmidt: Fredigundis (Live)
Ernst Märzendorfer, Dunja Vejzovic, Reid Bunger, Werner Hollweg, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Martin Egel
Opera - Released by Orfeo on 5 apr. 2024
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
R. Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 (Re-Orchestrated by G. Mahler)
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 28 okt. 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104 "Romantic" (2nd Version)
Bruckner Orchester Linz, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Markus Poschner
Klassiek - Released by CapriccioNR on 6 mei 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Dawson & Kay: Orchestral Works
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Fagen
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 26 jun. 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Henze: Das Floß der Medusa (Live)
Klassiek - Released by CapriccioNR on 1 sep. 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Messiaen: Poèmes pour Mi, I/17b & Other Works
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Gielen, Sarah Leonard
Klassiek - Released by Orfeo on 1 jul. 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo