BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
The BBC Philharmonic, based in the city of Salford in northern England's Greater Manchester county, is one of the most important orchestras in the United Kingdom, distinguishing itself by its sheer visibility and solid commitment to contemporary British music that has included the establishment of a composer/conductor position. Its home concert venue is Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. The people of the Manchester area and the north of England are rightly proud of their radio orchestra. With so much British culture and finance administered in London, there is an independent spirit driving the culture of the north. The BBC Philharmonic has not only survived, but it has thrived. It has developed a character distinct from that of the larger BBC Symphony Orchestra, based in London: more populist, perhaps, but also more adventurous and -- with the orchestra's large recording catalog, generous outreach programs, and international tours -- more entrepreneurial.
The BBC Philharmonic's history is rather checkered, for it has had to endure numerous crises. In 1922, prior to the official establishment of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Manchester had a radio station known as 2YZ, housed on the premises of the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company. Early on, a small orchestra was established for broadcasts; it concentrated mainly on light music but expanded on occasion for performances of symphonic repertoire and opera. The station gained a reputation for broadcasting British music, including the first radio performances of music by Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst, and William Walton. When the BBC was established in 1927, the 2YZ orchestra was renamed the Northern Wireless Orchestra; later, it became the BBC Northern Orchestra. Its existence was always precarious, but the group's size and repertoire increased. During World War II, the orchestra gave concerts in various communities around the region, bringing it to a wider public. The BBC Northern Orchestra continued to gain a strong reputation for performing and broadcasting British music, particularly works by living composers who were often invited to conduct the orchestra.
In 1961, the BBC Northern Orchestra made its first appearance at the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts under the direction of George Hurst. The regional identity of the ensemble began from that point to evolve into a national and international one. After a difficult strike in 1980, the BBC committed to supporting a full orchestra in Manchester, and in 1982, the ensemble was given its current name. Its principal conductor at that time was Edward Downes, who was succeeded in 1991 by Yan Pascal Tortelier. The ensemble's reputation for adventurous programming has expanded to an international scope as well, as composers from various countries have come to conduct the orchestra.
In 1991, the post of composer/conductor was created, with Peter Maxwell Davies being the first appointment. Davies composed several works for the orchestra, including several symphonies culminating with Symphony No. 7, which premiered in 2000. Along the way, he has also recorded a number of his orchestral works for release. Composer James MacMillan was named his successor in 2001. The following year, Gianandrea Noseda was named principal conductor (the title changed to chief conductor in 2006). HK Gruber followed MacMillan as composer/conductor in 2009. In 2011, Noseda was named conductor laureate, and Juanjo Mena became the chief conductor. In 2015, the BBC Philharmonic changed the title of the composer/conductor role to composer in association and appointed Mark Simpson to the position. Mena served as chief conductor until 2018, and Omer Meir Wellber, following a successful guest conductor performance, assumed the chief conductor position in 2019. John Storgårds was named the orchestra's new chief conductor in 2023 after serving as chief guest conductor since 2017.
The BBC Philharmonic has a vast recording catalog comprising hundreds of albums, with the majority of them being on the Chandos label. It has also recorded for Naxos and Albany, among many other labels. In 2023, under conductor Rumon Gamba, it was heard on a recording of orchestral music by Malcolm Arnold, which also featured clarinetist Michael Collins, on the Chandos label.
© James Harley & Keith Finke /TiVo
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George Lloyd Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major: III. Rondo. Delicatamente scherzando (Single)
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, George Lloyd
Classique - Paru chez Lyrita le 16 févr. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Clarinet Concerto: IV. Hypertension
Robert Plane, Gould Piano Trio, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Resonus Classics le 7 juil. 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Busoni: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
Neeme Järvi, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Nelson Goerner
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 avr. 2005
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Matthews: The Music of Dawn, Concerto in Azzuro & A Vision and a Journey
Rumon Gamba, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Guy Johnston
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 févr. 2009
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Dukas: Symphony in C Major & Polyeucte
Yan Pascal Tortelier, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 févr. 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Szymanowski: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 4
Vassily Sinaisky, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Howard Shelley
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 mai 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Balakirev: Symphony No. 1, King Lear Overture & In Bohemia
Vassily Sinaisky, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 sept. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concerto pour Orchestre - Concerto pour violon & Orchestre
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Olivier Charlier, Gérard Schurmann
Musique symphonique - Paru chez Chandos le 11 févr. 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
LA SENSITIVA
Ingrid Attrot, Linda Finnie, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Hickox
Musique vocale (profane et sacrée) - Paru chez Chandos le 1 avr. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Academic Festival Overture - Symphony No.1
Günther Herbig, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Collins Classics le 2 juil. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MacMillan: Into the Ferment, The Berserking & Britannia
James MacMillan, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Martin Roscoe
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 juil. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gruber: Frankenstein!!, Perpetuum mobile/Charivari & Dancing in the Dark
HK Gruber, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 févr. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lipkin: The Symphonies
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Lyrita le 1 avr. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lloyd: The Piano Concertos
Martin Roscoe, Kathryn Stott, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, George Lloyd
Musique concertante - À paraître le 7 juin 2024 chez Lyrita
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Korngold: Sinfonietta & Sursum Corda
Matthias Bamert, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphonies - Paru chez Chandos le 1 janv. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ouverture de théatre - Concerto pour orchestre...
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Yan Pascal Tortelier
Musique symphonique - Paru chez Chandos le 1 avr. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonie n° 1
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Musique symphonique - Paru chez Chandos le 1 oct. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MacMillan: Symphony No. 4 & Viola Concerto
Lawrence Power, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classique - Paru chez Hyperion le 29 mai 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stevens: Violin Concerto - Symphony No. 2
Ernst Kovacic, Sir Edward Downes, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Classique - Paru chez Meridian Records le 8 sept. 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Lloyd Symphony No. 6: III. Vivace (Single)
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, George Lloyd
Classique - Paru chez Lyrita le 23 févr. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Piano Concerto No. 1 "Scapegoat": IV. Violente
Martin Roscoe, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, George Lloyd
Musique concertante - Paru chez Lyrita le 19 avr. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo