Staatskapelle Dresden
The Staatskapelle Dresden (or Dresden State Orchestra), also known as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, is one of Europe's oldest continuously operating performing arts organizations. It has numbered some of Europe's most famous composers and conductors among its music directors, and amid changing fashions, it has enjoyed an almost unbroken reputation for high quality.
The orchestra dates back to 1548, when Dresden was part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was founded by the Elector Moritz of Saxony to accompany the court chorus in the new large choral compositions of the time. It evolved from an even older group, the Kurfürstlich-Sächsische und Königlich-Polnische Kapelle. During the 17th century, its music directors included Heinrich Schütz, who was closely associated with the orchestra for over half the century. As opera grew at the Dresden court, one of the orchestra's main functions was to accompany the leading German opera company of the day, and Johann Adolf Hasse was the Kapellmeister (or music director) from 1734 to 1763. The orchestra and opera persisted through the unrest of late 18th century Europe, emerging as an operatic center under Carl Maria von Weber in the early Romantic era. Other famous names to conduct the orchestra in opera were Richard Wagner -- who called it a "magic harp" and premiered Rienzi, Die fliegende Holländer, and Tannhäuser there -- and, later, Richard Strauss.
In 1858, the Staatskapelle Dresden began giving concerts of symphonic music, and here again, its reputation grew quickly. Music directors since the turn of the 20th century have included Fritz Reiner, Karl Böhm, Herbert Blomstedt, Bernard Haitink, and, since 2012, Christian Thielemann. In 2013, the Staatskapelle Dresden became the resident ensemble of the Salzburg Easter Festival, where Thielemann also serves as artistic director. In the 21st century, the orchestra began a composers-in-residence program; holders of position have included Hans Werner Henze, Sofia Gubaidulina (twice), Arvo Pärt, and, in 2021 and 2022, Matthias Pintscher.
The orchestra's recording catalog is large, including multiple releases almost every year since 1990 on such labels as Berlin Classics, Denon, and Deutsche Grammophon. In 2017, the orchestra, under Thielemann, released a recording of Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 in E flat major ("Romantic"), on the Profil - Edition Günter Hänssler label. A live recording of Bruckner's Symphony No. 1, with Thielemann once again leading the orchestra, was issued in 2021. Many of the Staatskapelle Dresden's historical performances have also been remastered and re-released.
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Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37; Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique"
Anna Gourari, Staatskapelle Dresden, Sir Colin Davis
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Winterstürme
Staatskapelle Dresden, Anja Kampe, Stephen Gould, René Pape, Christian Thielemann
Opera - Released by Profil on 1 Jul 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Elektra (Stereo Version)
Inge Borkh, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Staatskapelle Dresden, Karl Böhm
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 7 Oct 1997
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Eugen Onegin (2 CD's)
Staatskapelle Dresden, James Levine
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg on 1 Jan 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Aus Italien, Op. 16 & Macbeth, Op. 23
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 7 Jun 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 & Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 28 Jun 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Idomeneo
Staatskapelle Dresden, Karl Böhm
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana: Má Vlast - Dvořák: Slavonic Rhapsody No. 3 & Scherzo capriccioso
Paavo Berglund, Staatskapelle Dresden
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 23 Feb 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner : Symphony No. 7
Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 8 Jun 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan & Suite from Le bourgeois gentilhomme
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 28 Jun 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Divertimenti KV 136-138 / Adagio und Fuge C-Moll
Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert Blomstedt
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1978
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
Staatskapelle Dresden, Eugen Jochum
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: St. Matthew Passion
Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Peter Schreier
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1985
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 6
Staatskapelle Dresden, Eugen Jochum
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 28 Feb 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Fidelio
Jessye Norman, Reiner Goldberg, Kurt Moll, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bernard Haitink
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 "Haffner" & Symphony No. 36 "Linz"
Staatskapelle Dresden, Otmar Suitner
Classical - Released by Eterna on 17 May 1970
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 3
Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tonight - Welthits von Berlin bis Broadway (Live)
Renée Fleming, Klaus Florian Vogt, Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 10 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler, G.: Symphony No. 4 (Edition Staatskapelle Dresden, Vol. 21)
Juliane Banse, Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Classical - Released by Profil on 1 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
J.S. Bach: The Great Choral Masterpieces
Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Peter Schreier
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Une vie de héros, Op. 40 (Mono Version)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Karl Böhm
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1958
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo