Sinfonieorchester Basel
The Sinfonieorchester Basel, in various incarnations that date back to the 19th century and even earlier, has long had a strong international reputation and gave the premieres of several major works in the classical repertory. With the exception of Mario Venzago (1997-2003), all of its conductors since the orchestra took its current name have come from outside Switzerland.
The modern Sinfonieorchester Basel (known in German-speaking realms as SOB) was formed in 1997 from the merger of two orchestras, the Basler Sinfonie-Orchester and the Radio Sinfonieorchester Basel. The former of these dated back to 1876, when the group took up residence at the new Stadtcasino Basel, where the current orchestra still performs most of its concerts. That orchestra, in turn, had roots in the Collegium Musicum Basel, first formed in 1692. The Basler Sinfonie-Orchester's first conductor, Alfred Volkland, was succeeded in 1902 by Hermann Suter, whose tastes ran toward modern music and who programmed the premieres of works by Bartók, Bohuslav Martinů, and Arthur Honegger (Pacific 231), often in the face of audience opposition. Both Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler conducted their works with the orchestra in the early 20th century. The orchestra grew in size and professionalism under subsequent conductors Felix Weingartner and Hans Ziegler, who led the group for four decades. An orientation toward contemporary music remained; French modernist Pierre Boulez conducted the group in the 1960s.
The Basler Sinfonie-Orchester and the Radio Sinfonieorchester Basel, which had been formed by the same administrative bodies, were joined together in 1997 under financial pressure to form the new Sinfonieorchester Basel. Its first conductor was Venzago, who was tasked with managing the difficult transition. He was succeeded by Marko Letonja (2003-2006) and then Dennis Russell Davies, who turned the group in the direction of American music and new minimalist repertory generally, including the works of Philip Glass. The group continued to suffer financial difficulties resulting in part from its complex administrative structure; these are explored in unusual detail on the orchestra's website. However, in the 2010s, the orchestra has drawn consistently strong audiences to its concerts and its operatic and ballet appearances at the Theater Basel. Since 2016, the orchestra's conductor has been Ivor Bolton. The orchestra returned to a renovated Stadtcasino Basel in 2020.
The Sinfonieorchester Basel has a large recording catalog, much of it on Novalis, CPO, and, most recently, Sony Classical; the orchestra has also operated its own label. In 2019, the orchestra issued the album Luciano Berio: Transformation on Sony Classical.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Weingartner: Lustige Ouvertüre & Symphony No. 3 in E Major
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Marko Letonja
Classical - Released by CPO on 1 Jun 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milhaud: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Alun Francis
Classical - Released by CPO on 29 Sep 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Popper: Works for Cello & Orchestra
Antônio Meneses, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Ronald Zollman
Classical - Released by Pan Classics on 4 Nov 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Messe de Requiem, Op. 48/N 97b/VII. In Paradisum
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 24 Apr 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Weingartner: Symphony No. 2, Op. 29 & Das Gefilde der Seligen, Op. 21
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Marko Letonja
Classical - Released by CPO on 17 Jan 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Orchestral Works
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Karl Engel, Mario Venzago
Classical - Released by Pan Classics on 21 May 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 - Sonata in B Minor - Totentanz
Benedek Horvath, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Hans Drewanz
Concertos - Released by Prospero Classical on 9 Oct 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Raff: Symphony No. 10 in F Minor, Op. 213 "Zur Herbstzeit" & Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, Op. 127
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Francis Travis, Pinchas Steinberg
Classical - Released by Tudor on 3 Nov 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arthur Honegger : Symphony Nos. 2 & 4 "Deliciae Basiliensis"
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Dennis Russell Davies
Symphonies - Released by Basel Symphony Orchestra on 25 Nov 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Secret Fauré 3: Sacred Vocal Works
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Ivor Bolton, Balthasar-Neumann-Chor
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 15 May 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Weingartner: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 71 & Aus ernster Zeit, Op. 56
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Marko Letonja
Classical - Released by CPO on 29 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Igor Stravinsky: Ballet Music
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Maki Namekawa, Dennis Russell Davies
Classical - Released by Sinfonieorchester Basel on 11 Nov 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Masques et Bergamasques Suite, Op. 112/I. Ouverture
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 3 May 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Lalo: Symphony in G Minor, Rapsodie norvégienne, Scherzo in D Minor & Divertissement
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Giancarlo Andretta
Classical - Released by CPO on 1 Jan 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berceuse for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 16
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 26 Apr 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Weingartner: Symphony No. 4 in F Major, Op. 61 & Der Sturm
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Marko Letonja
Classical - Released by CPO on 1 Jun 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milhaud: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Chor des Theater Basel, Alun Francis
Classical - Released by CPO on 19 Jan 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Dennis Russell Davies, Maki Namekawa
Classical - Released by Sinfonieorchester Basel on 25 Nov 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raff: Orchestral Works
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Mario Venzago, Andres Joho
Classical - Released by Tudor on 3 Nov 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Passion, N 109: Prélude
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 8 May 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Honegger: Symphony No. 2 - Symphony No. 4, "Deliciae Basiliensis"
Sinfonieorchester Basel, Dennis Russell Davies
Classical - Released by Sinfonieorchester Basel on 25 Nov 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo