Staatskapelle Berlin
The Staatskapelle Berlin, or Berlin State Orchestra, has an extraordinarily long history the reflects much of the central European history of music in its relationship to the state. Since the ascension of international superstar conductor Daniel Barenboim to the podium in 1992, the group has emerged as a major force on the international concert and recording scene. Several dates may be given for the founding of what became the Staatskapelle Berlin, but it took shape in the middle and late 16th century as the court of the Elector of Brandenburg developed new musical ensembles and began to forge close ties with the Prussian monarchy. In 1701 it became the Royal Prussian Court Orchestra, and as such attracted top musicians including Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Johann Joachim Quantz. In 1783 the orchestra gave one of the first modern symphonic concerts, independently of the court, at the Hotel Paris, and through the 19th century it was a giant of European musical life, with conductors including Spontini, Meyerbeer, and, from 1899 to 1913, Richard Strauss. For all of this period, and down to the present day, the orchestra also served as the house orchestra of the Royal Court Opera, established in 1742 by Frederick the Great and in modern times renamed the Berlin State Opera. The same conductor serves as Staatskapellmeister or state music director of both ensembles. During World War II, Herbert von Karajan served as music director. After the war, due to its location in East Berlin, the orchestra came under the control of what would become East Germany. It maintained some connections with the non-Communist West; its conductor from 1964 to 1990 was the Austrian Otmar Suitner, who was able to travel fairly freely between East and West. After German reunification, Daniel Barenboim became the orchestra's first non-German conductor in modern times and has been successful in bringing the orchestra's international profile to a new level. The orchestra made its first appearance at the BBC Proms in 2013 (in a cycle of Wagner's Ring operas), and in 2017 performed a complete cycle of Bruckner's symphonies at Carnegie Hall in New York (the first-ever such cycle mounted in the U.S.). The orchestra has recorded prolifically for Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Teldec, Denon, Berlin Classics, and Warner Classics, among other labels, releasing a set of Brahms' four symphonies with Barenboim conducting in 2018.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral"
Staatskapelle Berlin, Hans Pfitzner
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1930
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Die Fledermaus: Part 5
Margret Pfahl, Waldemar Henke, Staatskapelle Berlin, Hermann Weigert
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1929
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bizet: Carmen, WD 31: Auf in den Kampf, Torero! (Sung in German)
Heinrich Schlusnus, Chor der Staatsoper Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Alois Melichar
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1933
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön
Koloman Von Pataky, Staatskapelle Berlin
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1927
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ein Opernabend mit Eberhard Büchner (John Gay - Anonymous - George Frideric Handel)
Eberhard Buchner, Staatskapelle Berlin, Heinz Fricke
Opera - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1977
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dessau: Puntila
Staatskapelle Berlin, Chor der Staatsoper Berlin, Paul Dessau
Full Operas - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1969
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
OFFENBACH, J.: Monsieur et Madame Denis [Operetta] (Sung in German)
Staatskapelle Berlin, Chor der Staatsoper Berlin, Robert Hanell
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MOZART / BEETHOVEN / LISZT: Piano Concertos (Gieseking, Rosbaud, Wood) (1932, 1936, 1937)
Walter Gieseking, Staatskapelle Berlin, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Rosbaud, Henry Wood
Classical - Released by Naxos on 18 Apr 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner, R. / Weber, C.M. Von / Mascagni, P.: Opera Choruses / Bruckner, A.: Symphony No. 7 (Oskar Fried, Vol. 4) (Fried) (1924, 1927)
Staatskapelle Berlin, Berlin State and Cathedral Choir, Oskar Fried
Classical - Released by Music and Arts Programs of America on 1 Apr 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Mazeppa / Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 (Fried) (78 Transfers, Vol. 2)
Staatskapelle Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Oskar Fried
Classical - Released by Music and Arts Programs of America on 22 Aug 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schuricht: Pre-war 78 rpm recordings
Studio chorus, Berliner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Berlin, Carl Schuricht
Classical - Released by Archiphon on 7 Aug 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zemlinsky: The Complete 78 rpm recordings
Unknown Artist, Berlin-Charlottenburg State Opera Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Alexander von Zemlinsky
Classical - Released by Archiphon on 7 Aug 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Great Conductors: Max von Schillings conducts Richard Wagner (Recordings 1926-1928) (Berlin Staatskapelle)
Staatskapelle Berlin, Max von Schillings
Classical - Released by Jube Classic on 7 Jan 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Tannhaüser (Dresden Version, Mono Version)
Elisabeth Grümmer, Hans Hopf, Staatskapelle Berlin, Franz Konwitschny
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Les ouvertures célèbres (Mono Version)
Staatskapelle Berlin, Artur Rother
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Préludes de Tristan et Isolde & Le vaisseau fantôme (Mono Version)
Staatskapelle Berlin, Artur Rother
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1958
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Tannhäuser, Extracts (Mono Version)
Staatskapelle Berlin, Richard Kraus, Hildegard Hillebrecht, Hans Beirer
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1963
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: La Traviata: Hat dein heimatliches Land (Sung in German)
Heinrich Schlusnus, Staatskapelle Berlin, Manfred Gurlitt
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1928
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Parsifal: Good Friday Music
Staatskapelle Berlin, Max von Schillings
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1927
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Le carnaval romain, Op. 9, H 95
Staatskapelle Berlin, Erich Kleiber
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1928
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ein Opernabend mit Reiner Süß
Reiner Süss, Staatskapelle Berlin, Heinz Fricke
Opera - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1970
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo