Philharmonia Hungarica
The Philharmonia Hungarica has a unique history emerging from one of the darkest weeks of the Cold War. After World War II, Hungary, a country that had allied itself with Nazi Germany, was occupied by Red Army troops, who backed a Communist party that seized control of the country. In 1956, a popular movement for freedom arose and ousted the Communists. Unable to tolerate this, the Soviet Union in October launched a massive tank attack on Hungary and after a few days of resistance, their overwhelming strength destroyed the fledgling free government's forces. Tens of thousands fled before the advancing Soviet forces. Austria, the only non-Communist country bordering Hungary, opened its borders to this flow of humanity, and on its soil the first displaced persons' camps since the post-War years reopened.
Among them were some of the most talented musical artists of Hungary. A young conductor, Zoltan Rozsnyai had the idea of forming an orchestra in exile from the refugees in the camps. He gathered 75 musicians. They put together a concert program and performed as the Philharmonia Hungarica in the Vienna Konzerthaus on May 28, 1957. They had spirit and passion, but they performed like an ad hoc, one-shot group. The members and Rozsnyai determined that they would build the group into a genuine professional ensemble. They were motivated by their own sense of professional pride, but also were in hopes of making permanent jobs for the orchestral players, who were refugees and homeless, in addition to being subject, should they return to the Eastern Bloc, to the death penalty.
International Refugee Aid Organizations and other sponsors, including leading musicians of many nationalities, supported this effort. Among them was the perpetual humanitarian Yehudi Menuhin and the internationally known conductor Antal Dorati. Dorati, a Hungarian who had left his homeland before World War II, now had a reputation as one of the greatest living orchestra-building conductors. He agreed to work with the orchestra as their artistic mentor. He built them up, led some of the first recordings (including music of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály) and took them on their first international tour. Such support enabled the orchestra to negotiate a guaranteed loan for operating expenses. Then the small city of Marl, on the Ruhr in West Germany, invited the Philharmonia Hungarica to become its resident orchestra. The musicians were delighted to find a permanent home. They continued to be an active recording orchestra with Rozsnyai, Dorati, and others, and participated in one of the most honored projects in phonograph history, the first integral set of all Joseph Haydn symphonies, conducted by Dorati. This set won virtually all international recording prizes.
Since then the Hungarica has released over 130 discs and performed in 250 cities all over the world. It has accompanied great stars like Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Heinrich Schiff, and Menuhin.
Following the death in 1989 of artistic mentor Dorati, the orchestra appointed Menuhin as its honorary president and new artistic mentor. Menuhin conceived the successful plan to redirect the identity of the orchestra, establishing it as the cultural ambassador of the newly united Free Europe. Due to the great support Menuhin gave to the orchestra, it and the city of Marl have named the Hungarica's concert venue Lord Menuhin Hall.
The orchestra now has 80 full-time members of 14 nationalities. In 1990, following the fall of Communism in Europe, it gave its triumphant first concert in Budapest, Hungary. In 1997, Justus Frantz was appointed its chief conductor.
© TiVo
-
Rózsa: Sinfonia concertante & Tripartita
András Ágoston, Laszlo Fenyo, Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Clásica - Editado por CPO el 17 may. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BRAHMS : Symphony No. 2
Philharmonia Hungarica, Libor Pešek
Clásica - Editado por Naxos el 1 ene. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 & No. 2
Julian von Karolyi, Philharmonia Hungarica
Clásica - Editado por Past Classics el 1 nov. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raff: Symphony No. 7 "In den Alpen" & Jubel-Ouverture, Op. 103
Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Clásica - Editado por CPO el 1 ene. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonie n°6
Philharmonia Hungarica, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Gilbert Varga, Michael Halasz
Clásica - Editado por Naxos el 9 dic. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert - Rosamunde
Peter Maag, Philharmonia Hungarica, Philharmonia Vocal Ensemble, Franz Schubert, Oksana Sowiak
Clásica - Editado por Denon el 18 may. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner : Te Deum & Verdi : Te Deum (- Apex)
Clásica - Editado por Warner Classics International el 8 jun. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Symphonie No. 1, D. 82 - Symphonie No. 2, D. 125
Philharmonia Hungarica, Peter Maag
Clásica - Editado por Adora el 22 ene. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Eastern Myths & Legends: The Music of Prokofiev, Kodály & Bartók
London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Clásica - Editado por Jube Classic el 5 may. 2017
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bela Bartók: Dance Suite, Deux Portraits Op. 5, Mikrokosmos - Bourrée, From the Diary of a Fly
Clásica - Editado por Soundmark el 14 feb. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Grandes de la Musica Clasica - Hector Berlioz Vol. 2
Symphonic Orchestra Bamberg, Philharmonia Hungarica
Clásica - Editado por ClassicalPirosDigital el 20 jun. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
TANEYEV, A. S.: Symphony No. 2 / Suite No. 2
Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Clásica - Editado por Marco-Polo el 2 abr. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kodály: Danses de Galánta & Danses de Marosszék (Mono Version)
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Varios - Editado por BNF Collection el 1 ene. 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Taneyev: Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 21- Suite No. 2 in F Major, Op. 14
Philharmonia Hungarica, Werner Andreas Albert
Clásica - Editado por Amadis el 2 abr. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat, S. 124 - Piano Concerto No. 2 in A, S. 125 (Album of 1960)
Julian von Karolyi, Philharmonia Hungarica, István Kertész
Clásica - Editado por Goldberg el 31 ago. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Romantic Piano Concertos, Vol. 9
Michael Ponti, Philharmonia Hungarica, Othmar Maga
Música concertante - Editado por Vox el 1 ene. 1969
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
RUBINSTEIN: Symphony No. 6
Philharmonia Hungarica, Gilbert Varga
Clásica - Editado por Marco-Polo el 31 dic. 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorak / Fibich: Symphony No. 9 in E, Op. 95 / Twilight (With Poema)
Philharmonia Hungarica, Jan Valach
Clásica - Editado por Etcetera el 1 ene. 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Antiche danze et arie per liuto, Suite Nos. 1-3 (Remastered 2023)
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Clásica - Editado por Artemisia el 9 feb. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz & Fauré: Orchestral Works
Philharmonia Hungarica, Luxembourg Radio Orchestra, Richard Kapp, Louis De Froment
Clásica - Editado por Vox el 1 ene. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: 24 Minuets
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti
Clásica - Editado por Decca Music Group Ltd. el 1 ene. 1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo