BBC National Orchestra Of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is an integral part of Welsh culture, giving frequent premieres of works by Welsh composers. The orchestra is often active beyond Wales, recording a variety of material that includes many BBC television soundtracks.
The origins of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales lay in the Cardiff Station Orchestra, which was founded in 1924. In 1928, it was renamed the National Orchestra of Wales. This orchestra dissolved under funding pressures in 1931 but was revived as the BBC Welsh Orchestra in 1935. Wartime restrictions led the orchestra to disband in 1939, but after the war, it was revived once again and grew consistently, from 31 members to 66 members by 1976, when it was renamed the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. The group now has 78 members. It took its present name in 1993, and an associated chorus was also named the BBC National Chorus of Wales. Notable among the orchestra's performances have been some 50 world premieres, most of which have been of music by Welsh composers, including more than 20 by Alun Hoddinott, whose namesake Hoddinott Hall now houses the orchestra's administrative offices (its concerts mostly take place at St. David's Hall in Cardiff). The orchestra and chorus also gave the world premiere of Arvo Pärt's In spe in 2010. The orchestra has helped nurture several international conducting careers, including those of Richard Hickox (principal conductor from 2000-2006), Thierry Fischer (2006-2012), Thomas Søndergård (2012-2017), and Xian Zhang (2017-2020, the first female principal conductor of any BBC orchestra. Ryan Bancroft was named principal conductor in 2020; Lisa Tregale was named artistic director, becoming the first woman to hold the post.
The orchestra has a large catalog of more than 65 recordings that is by no means restricted to the music of Welsh composers. That total does not include BBC television soundtrack recordings for, among other programs, Doctor Who. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales has recorded for the Hyperion, BIS, and Chandos labels, as well as for Linn, where it released a complete cycle of Sibelius symphonies. The year 2014 saw the release of no fewer than seven recordings by the group. In 2020, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales was heard on Beethoven Reimagined, an album by composer/DJ Gabriel Prokofiev.
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British Flute Concertos
Emily Beynon, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Bramwell Tovey
Concertos - Released by Chandos on Apr. 1, 2012
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
RUBBRA: Sinfonia concertante / A Tribute / The Morning Watch / Ode to the Queen
Howard Shelley, BBC National Chorus of Wales, Susan Bickley, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on Nov. 1, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bliss: Colour Symphony (A) / Violin Concerto
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Lydia Mordkovitch, Richard Hickox
Classical - Released by Chandos on Sep. 1, 2006
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Œuvres pour orchestre (volume 1)
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on Oct. 1, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
British Cello Concertos
Raphael Wallfisch, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, William Boughton
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Nov. 1, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Great Animal Orchestra, Symphony for Orchestra and Wild Soundscapes
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales
Classical - Released by Nimbus Alliance on Oct. 1, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 & 3
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales
Classical - Released by Nimbus Records on Jan. 1, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christopher Gunning: Symphonies 10, 2 and 12
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Kenneth Woods
Classical - Released by Signum Classics on Dec. 6, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Lieghton: Orchestral Music, Vol. 3
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Howard Shelley, Martyn Brabbins
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on Nov. 1, 2003
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Maw: Orchestral Works
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Harriet Mackenzie, William Boughton
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Feb. 7, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Edition Berkeley, volume 2
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Nicholas Daniel, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on Nov. 1, 2002
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
ELGAR: Symphony No. 1, Op. 55 / Organ Sonata, Op. 28
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on Jun. 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rubbra: Symphony No. 1, A Tribute, Sinfonia concertante
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Howard Shelley, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on May 1, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hoddinott: Symphony No. 6, Lanternes des morts, A Contemplation upon Flowers & Scene for Strings
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Lillian Watson, Bryden Thomson
Classical - Released by Chandos on Mar. 1, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Takemitsu: Flock Descends Into the Pentagonal Garden (A)
Paul Watkins, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Tadaaki Otaka
Classical - Released by BIS on Jul. 31, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
(Dal) Yn Rio
Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales
Jazz - Released by Légère Recordings on May 5, 2023
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Berkeley, L. / Berkeley, M.: Berkeley Edition, Vol. 6
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Kathryn Stott, Richard Hickox, Howard Shelley
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on Mar. 1, 2007
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
John Joubert: Piano Concerto, Op. 25 & Symphony No. 3, Op. 178
Martin Jones, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, William Boughton
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Sep. 7, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Takemitsu: String Around Autumn (A) / I Hear the Water Dreaming / A Way A Lone Ii
Sharon Bezaly, Philip Dukes, Noriko Ogawa, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Tadaaki Otaka
Classical - Released by BIS on Sep. 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonie n° 4, 10 & 11
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on Oct. 1, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Œuvres orchestrales (Volume 2)
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Richard Hickox
Classical - Released by Chandos on Sep. 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo