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.
© James Manheim /TiVo
Similar artists
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Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 39 & 41
Sir Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart, W.A.: Overtures
Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Classical - Released by CapriccioNR on 1 Jan 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 (1890 Version)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Eugen Jochum
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 6 Mar 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Fidelio
Staatskapelle Dresden, Karl Böhm
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1969
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Prager Sinfonie / Jupiter-Sinfonie
Staatskapelle Dresden, Otmar Suitner
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The World's Greatest Orchestras - Staatskapelle Dresden
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 9 Jan 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 8 (Remastered)
Herbert Blomstedt, Staatskapelle Dresden
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1981
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Live aus der Semperoper - The Lehár Gala From Dresden
Angela Denoke, Ana Maria Labin, Piotr Beczala, Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Klarinettenkonzert & Fagottkonzert
Oskar Michallik, Gunter Klier, Staatskapelle Dresden, Siegfried Kurz
Classical - Released by Eterna on 18 Jan 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: A Faust Symphony, S.108 (Live)
Vinson Cole, Chor der Staatsoper Dresden, Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Alle Menschen Werden Brüder
Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert Blomstedt, Rundfunkchor Leipzig
Classical - Released by Brilliant Classics on 20 Jun 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Pariser Sinfonie / Prager Sinfonie
Staatskapelle Dresden, Otmar Suitner
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1970
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Adagios
Classical - Released by Brilliant Classics on 1 Jun 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Edition Staatskapelle Dresden, Vol. 35: Giuseppe Sinopoli (Live)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Kai Vogler, Peter Bruns, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Peter Ruzicka, Sylvain Cambreling
Classical - Released by Profil on 2 Sep 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Sinfonia domestica, Op. 53 & Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Op. 28
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 28 Jun 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Réflexions
Hélène Grimaud, Staatskapelle Dresden, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 28, 29 & 34
Sir Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jul 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" (Remastered)
Herbert Blomstedt, Staatskapelle Dresden
Symphonic Music - Released by Eterna on 1 Jan 1977
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Weber - Strauss : Overtures & Orchestral Music
Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Edition Staatskapelle Dresden, Vol. 40 (Live)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Bernard Haitink
Symphonic Music - Released by Profil on 6 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peter Schreier sings Mozart Arias
Peter Schreier, Staatskapelle Dresden, Otmar Suitner
Miscellaneous - Released by Berlin Classics on 1 Jan 1989
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo