Los Angeles Philharmonic
By the mid-2010s, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra had established itself as a model for the image and role of the symphony orchestra in contemporary society, and as one of the top orchestras in the U.S. and the world. Under the vibrant leadership of music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel, a product of Venezuela's innovative El Sistema program of classical music education, the orchestra has shown a commitment to foundational works and adventurous explorations.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic was founded in 1919 by Los Angeles multi-millionaire and avid amateur musician William Andrews Clark, Jr. The orchestra's first music director was Walter Henry Rothwell. The next year, the Philharmonic moved into The Temple, a church built in 1907 and renamed Philharmonic Auditorium. Despite the name change, the hall remained a place of worship, and the orchestra had to plan its activities around those of the church. The Philharmonic benefited from the attraction that California held for European expatriates; following Rothwell, its music directors were Georg Schnéevoigt (1927-1929), Artur Rodzinski (1929-1933), Otto Klemperer (1933-1939), Alfred Wallenstein (1943-1956), and Eduard van Beinum (1956-1959).
In 1945, Leopold Stokowski had founded the Hollywood Bowl Symphony for the summer concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, a striking art deco outdoor concert shell in a lovely natural amphitheater. The Los Angeles Philharmonic soon replaced it as the regular orchestra for this series, becoming a beloved part of the city's public cultural life. In 1962, Zubin Mehta began his long and productive tenure as music director, which lasted until 1978. He was succeeded by Carlo Maria Giulini (1978-1984), and in turn, by André Previn (1985-1989). The L.A. Philharmonic's music director from 1992 to 2009 was Esa-Pekka Salonen, the exciting young conductor and composer whose programming was built around the great established classics of the 20th century, new music, and a solid representation of established repertoire. Gustavo Dudamel assumed leadership of the orchestra in 2009.
In 1964, the L.A. Philharmonic moved into a new home, the Dorothy Chandler Music Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles. The hall was shared with the Civic Light Opera Association and other concert and theater companies, a situation that grew uncomfortable and limiting for the Philharmonic. A new permanent home for the orchestra, Walt Disney Hall, featuring a striking design by Frank Gehry and titanium and brushed stainless steel exterior, was inaugurated in October 2003. In 2007, inspired by the success of El Sistema, the L.A. Philharmonic and Dudamel established the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, which offers free music education and instruments to students in the Los Angeles area.
The L.A. Philharmonic gives an annual 30-week winter season. More than 250 concerts are either performed or presented at its two iconic venues: Walt Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. These presentations represent a breadth and depth unrivaled by other orchestras or cultural institutions. With a strong commitment to contemporary music from its earliest days, the Philharmonic remains noted for the extraordinary number and variety of new works it has commissioned.
© Joseph Stevenson & James Manheim /TiVo
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Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue / Copland: Appalachian Spring / Barber: Adagio for Strings (Live)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 1, 2007
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninoff: The Piano Concertos & Paganini Rhapsody
Yuja Wang, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Sep. 1, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Symphony No.3 in D Minor
Maureen Forrester, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan. 1, 2017
24-Bit 176.4 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E Flat, Op. 55
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carlo Maria Giulini
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Mar. 8, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Giulini in America (Complete Los Angeles Philharmonic Recordings)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carlo Maria Giulini
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Norman: Sustain
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Aug. 30, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler 9 (Live From Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles / 2012)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 25, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Adams: The Gospel According To The Other Mary
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, Los Angeles Master Chorale
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Mar. 10, 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Pärt: Symphony No. 4 "Los Angeles" (DG Concerts LA 2008/2009)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Star Wars Suite; Close Encounters of the Third Kind Suite
Zubin Mehta, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan. 1, 1978
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Frank Zappa: 200 Motels - The Suites (Live)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale
Rock - Released by Frank Zappa 200 Motels on Jan. 1, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Enigma Variations; Pomp & Circumstance Marches; Serenade for Strings
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta, London Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Bliss
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan. 1, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Var. 18. Andante cantabile
Yuja Wang, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Mar. 31, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Charles Ives: Complete Symphonies
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Aug. 28, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Copland: Fanfare For The Common Man / Barber: Adagio
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan. 1, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70, B. 141 & Overture, Op. 62, B. 125a "My Home"
André Previn, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Classical - Released by Telarc on Nov. 22, 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Falstaff
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carlo Maria Giulini
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart, Beethoven & Schubert: Orchestral Works (Live)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Classical - Released by Urania Records on Mar. 5, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
DG Concert - Salonen: Helix / Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand / Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suite (Live)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bernstein: West Side Story - Symphonic Dances (Live)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jun. 23, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Prologue to 'Orango'; Symphony No.4
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 1, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo