BBC National Orchestra Of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is an integral part of Welsh culture, giving frequent premieres of works by Welsh composers. The orchestra is often active beyond Wales, recording a variety of material that includes many BBC television soundtracks.
The origins of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales lay in the Cardiff Station Orchestra, which was founded in 1924. In 1928, it was renamed the National Orchestra of Wales. This orchestra dissolved under funding pressures in 1931 but was revived as the BBC Welsh Orchestra in 1935. Wartime restrictions led the orchestra to disband in 1939, but after the war, it was revived once again and grew consistently, from 31 members to 66 members by 1976, when it was renamed the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. The group now has 78 members. It took its present name in 1993, and an associated chorus was also named the BBC National Chorus of Wales. Notable among the orchestra's performances have been some 50 world premieres, most of which have been of music by Welsh composers, including more than 20 by Alun Hoddinott, whose namesake Hoddinott Hall now houses the orchestra's administrative offices (its concerts mostly take place at St. David's Hall in Cardiff). The orchestra and chorus also gave the world premiere of Arvo Pärt's In spe in 2010. The orchestra has helped nurture several international conducting careers, including those of Richard Hickox (principal conductor from 2000-2006), Thierry Fischer (2006-2012), Thomas Søndergård (2012-2017), and Xian Zhang (2017-2020, the first female principal conductor of any BBC orchestra. Ryan Bancroft was named principal conductor in 2020; Lisa Tregale was named artistic director, becoming the first woman to hold the post.
The orchestra has a large catalog of more than 65 recordings that is by no means restricted to the music of Welsh composers. That total does not include BBC television soundtrack recordings for, among other programs, Doctor Who. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales has recorded for the Hyperion, BIS, and Chandos labels, as well as for Linn, where it released a complete cycle of Sibelius symphonies. The year 2014 saw the release of no fewer than seven recordings by the group. In 2020, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales was heard on Beethoven Reimagined, an album by composer/DJ Gabriel Prokofiev.
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Prokofiev: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Matthew Trusler, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Grant Llewellyn
Classical - Released by Orchid Classics on 2/06/2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Œuvres orchestrales (Volume 1)
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, John Scott, Richard Hickox
Classical - Released by Chandos on 1/05/2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schmitt: La tragédie de Salomé; Psalm 47 etc.
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Thierry Fischer
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1/06/2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rubbra: Symphony No. 4, Symphony No. 10 & Symphony No. 11
Richard Hickox, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/10/1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies n° 3 & 7
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1/06/1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Symphony No. 1
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Tadaaki Otaka
Classical - Released by BIS on 30/06/1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rubbra: Symphony No. 1, A Tribute & Sinfonia Concertante
Richard Hickox, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Howard Shelley
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/05/1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brian: Symphony No. 1 "The Gothic Symphony"
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 25/11/2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies n° 5 & 8 - Ode to the Queen, op. 83
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Susan Bickley, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1/03/1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Emily Beynon Plays British Flute Concertos
Bramwell Tovey, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Emily Beynon
Concertos - Released by Chandos on 1/04/2012
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Glazunov: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Tadaaki Otaka
Classical - Released by BIS on 1/06/2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kenneth Hesketh: In Ictu Oculi - Orchestral Works
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Christoph-Mathias Mueller
Classical - Released by paladino music on 1/09/2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sir Lennox Berkeley: Voices of the Night, Symphony No. 2 - Michael Berkeley: Organ Concerto, Viola Concerto
Richard Hickox, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Paul Silverthorne, Thomas Trotter
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/01/2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies n° 2 & n° 6
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1/08/1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Edition Berkeley, volume 5
Howard Shelley, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Celia Craig, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Steven Burnard, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1/03/2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
On Chesil Beach (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Dan Jones, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales
Film Soundtracks - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 11/04/2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Edition Berkeley, volume 3
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Alban Gerhardt, Richard Hickox
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1/06/2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5, 6 & 10
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Mark Wigglesworth
Classical - Released by BIS on 31/03/2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bridge: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3
Richard Hickox, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Howard Shelley
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/11/2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vincent d'Indy: Wallenstein & Other Orchestral Works
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Thierry Fischer
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1/02/2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Glazunov: Symphony No. 3, Op. 33 / Ballade, Op. 78
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Tadaaki Otaka
Classical - Released by BIS on 1/11/2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo