Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra has generally been highly regarded among Russian orchestras of the twentieth and twenty first centuries. In the twentieth century, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic was, on the whole, viewed as the finest Russian orchestra, with the MPO probably a close second. In recent times, however, some critics have hailed the MPO as Russia's finest, comparing it with the Chicago Symphony and Cleveland Orchestras. Over the years the MPO has concertized throughout the world, giving more than 4,000 concerts and making over 300 recordings. The list of conductors leading the ensemble has included some of the most respected artists and composers of the day: Samosud, Kondrashin, Mravinsky, David Oistrakh, Benjamin Britten, Stravinsky, Rozhdestvensky, Kitayenko, Maazel, Mehta, and Penderecki. Most of the MPO's early recordings were made available on the old Soviet label Melodiya, but many of those have been reissued on Brilliant Classics, Moscow Studio Archives, Live Classics, and Globe, while some of the MPO's efforts in the West, such as the Britten and Van Cliburn recordings, have been re-released on EMI and RCA. Newer recordings have appeared on Naxos and other major labels.
The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1951, but did not adopt its current name until 1953. Its founder was veteran Bolshoi Opera conductor Samuel Samosud. The ensemble was initially established for broadcast performances of operatic music. But its mission quickly expanded in the early '50s, when it began playing much contemporary Russian music, as well as repertory standards.
In 1958 Kiril Kondrashin was appointed music director, and under his leadership the ensemble became one of the Soviet Union's finest and most prominent orchestras. Kondrashin used the MPO for the first International Tchaikovsky Competition, famously won (in the piano division) by American Van Cliburn.
Kondrashin recorded heavily with the orchestra, his Shostakovich symphony series being among his most memorable efforts. Dmitri Kitayenko succeeded Kondrashin in 1976, and led the ensemble until 1990. The MPO has had two additional music directors since: Mark Ermler (1996-1998) and Yuri Simonov, who took the helm in 1998.
Simonov has led the orchestra on highly successful tours of the U.S., U.K., and throughout much of Europe. The MPO's 2006-2007 concert schedule included tours of Japan, Germany, and Croatia. Among the MPO's later recordings is the 2004 Naxos CD of the Tischenko Symphony No. 7, led by the orchestra's principal guest conductor, Dmitry Yablonsky.
© TiVo
Similar artists
-
Saint-Saëns: Concerto pour piano No. 5 "Égyptien" (Mono Version)
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin, Sviatoslav Richter
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
House of Frankenstein
Classical - Released by Naxos on 1 Jan 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
STEINER: Lost Patrol (The) / Virginia City
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, William Stromberg
Classical - Released by Marco-Polo on 19 Nov 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Kremlin / From the Middle Ages / Poeme Lirique
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Konstantin Krimetz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 29 Apr 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
KORNGOLD: Another Dawn / Escape Me Never
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, William Stromberg
Classical - Released by Marco-Polo on 28 Nov 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Sea - Melodies Ecossaises
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Frédéric Devreese
Classical - Released by Marco-Polo on 24 Nov 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonie en mi bémol majeur - Tableaux maritimes
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Adriano
Classical - Released by Marco-Polo on 9 Aug 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Roi Arthur (Le) / Die Nacht
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Adriano
Classical - Released by Naxos on 20 Nov 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BRIAN: Symphony No. 2 / Festival Fanfare
Classical - Released by Naxos on 1 Apr 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Glinka: The best of Glinka
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Lounge - Released by Digital Classic on 2 Mar 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 and Encores
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kyril Kondrashin, Byron Janis
Classical - Released by Revolver Records on 1 Jan 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Acuarelas Chapinas - Guatemala I & II
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonio de Almeida
Classical - Released by Marco-Polo on 12 Nov 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Henri Sauguet : Symphonie n° 1 "Expiatoire"
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonio de Almeida
Classical - Released by Marco-Polo on 3 May 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, William Stromberg
Classical - Released by Naxos on 27 Aug 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MALIPIERO: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonio de Almeida
Classical - Released by Marco-Polo on 1 Dec 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Suites Nos. 1-3
Classical - Released by Naxos on 18 Nov 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies n°2 & 4
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonio de Almeida
Classical - Released by Marco-Polo on 1 Dec 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 - Rubinstein: Piano Concerto No. 4
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 1 Jan 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 - The Mercury Masters, Vol. 6
Byron Janis, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin, Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1963
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
King Kong (1933)
Classical - Released by Naxos on 1 Jan 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les Symphonies (Volume 3)
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonio de Almeida
Classical - Released by Naxos on 1 Jan 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo