London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the central institutions of the busy London concert scene, has long been recognized as one of the world's great ensembles, an assertion borne out by continued acclaim from audiences and critics alike. When the venerable Royal Philharmonic Society faced a financial crisis in the late 1920s, Sir Thomas Beecham proposed a plan to form a permanent orchestra for the first time in the Society's 115-year history. It was proposed that the ensemble, to be called the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, would serve as the orchestra for both the BBC and the Royal Philharmonic Society. The scheme collapsed, however, when the BBC independently elected to form an orchestra of its own. In 1932 Beecham received the Society's commitment and patronage and at last founded a permanent orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to serving as the Society's official ensemble, the Philharmonic performed in other engagements as well, including Beecham's own series of concerts, the Courtauld-Sargent concerts, and, in summer, a Covent Garden opera series. Under Beecham's guidance the Philharmonic rapidly attained a high level of excellence and dominated the concert scene in London until World War II. At the outbreak of the war, Beecham departed England for the United States, leaving the Philharmonic to fend for itself. Instead of dissolving the leaderless organization, the Philharmonic's members reconstituted the ensemble as co-op and chose their own management board. When the BBC evacuated the BBC Symphony Orchestra from London during the German bombings of 1940 - 41, the Philharmonic remained, taking over the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts at Queen's Hall and maintaining without interruption the Philharmonic Society's own yearly slate of eight concerts. In 1941 Queen's Hall was destroyed by bombs, leaving the immense Royal Albert Hall as London's only concert venue; consequently, both the Proms and the Philharmonic Society concerts were transferred there. The Philharmonic continued to be the official orchestra of the Royal Philharmonic Society Concerts until 1945. Beginning in that season, the Society changed its arrangement: The Philharmonic gave only three of the eight annual concerts a year, while the remaining five were divided among the BBC Orchestra, the London Symphony, the Hallé Orchestra, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. From the time of Beecham's departure, the Philharmonic demurred in naming a music director, engaging a string of guest conductors until the appointment of Eduard van Beinum as Principal Conductor in 1949. The withdrawal of the Philharmonic's government grant in 1951created grave financial difficulties that threated the ensemble's very existence; unable to pay its players on the basis of a year-round contract, the Philharmonic in 1957 resorted to booking and renumerating its players on a by-the-concert basis. From this lowlight the Philharmonic's standards and financial situation slowly improved through the 1960s and 1970s, aided by the leadership and acumen of such distinguished figures as Adrian Boult, William Steinberg, John Pritchard, and Georg Solti. Among the more auspicious moments in the Philharmonic's history are its 1973 tour to China, the first ever by a Western orchestra, and its performances in South Africa in 1993 as the first orchestra to visit the country since the abolition of apartheid. In its recent history, the ensemble has performed under the leadership of Bernard Haitink, Franz Welser-Möst, and Kurt Masur. In 1990 the Philharmonic was named the official resident orchestra of the Royal Festival Hall. Since 1964 it has also served as the resident orchestra for the Glyndebourne Opera Festival.© Joseph Stevenson /TiVo Read more
The London Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the central institutions of the busy London concert scene, has long been recognized as one of the world's great ensembles, an assertion borne out by continued acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
When the venerable Royal Philharmonic Society faced a financial crisis in the late 1920s, Sir Thomas Beecham proposed a plan to form a permanent orchestra for the first time in the Society's 115-year history. It was proposed that the ensemble, to be called the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, would serve as the orchestra for both the BBC and the Royal Philharmonic Society. The scheme collapsed, however, when the BBC independently elected to form an orchestra of its own.
In 1932 Beecham received the Society's commitment and patronage and at last founded a permanent orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to serving as the Society's official ensemble, the Philharmonic performed in other engagements as well, including Beecham's own series of concerts, the Courtauld-Sargent concerts, and, in summer, a Covent Garden opera series. Under Beecham's guidance the Philharmonic rapidly attained a high level of excellence and dominated the concert scene in London until World War II.
At the outbreak of the war, Beecham departed England for the United States, leaving the Philharmonic to fend for itself. Instead of dissolving the leaderless organization, the Philharmonic's members reconstituted the ensemble as co-op and chose their own management board. When the BBC evacuated the BBC Symphony Orchestra from London during the German bombings of 1940 - 41, the Philharmonic remained, taking over the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts at Queen's Hall and maintaining without interruption the Philharmonic Society's own yearly slate of eight concerts. In 1941 Queen's Hall was destroyed by bombs, leaving the immense Royal Albert Hall as London's only concert venue; consequently, both the Proms and the Philharmonic Society concerts were transferred there. The Philharmonic continued to be the official orchestra of the Royal Philharmonic Society Concerts until 1945. Beginning in that season, the Society changed its arrangement: The Philharmonic gave only three of the eight annual concerts a year, while the remaining five were divided among the BBC Orchestra, the London Symphony, the Hallé Orchestra, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
From the time of Beecham's departure, the Philharmonic demurred in naming a music director, engaging a string of guest conductors until the appointment of Eduard van Beinum as Principal Conductor in 1949. The withdrawal of the Philharmonic's government grant in 1951created grave financial difficulties that threated the ensemble's very existence; unable to pay its players on the basis of a year-round contract, the Philharmonic in 1957 resorted to booking and renumerating its players on a by-the-concert basis.
From this lowlight the Philharmonic's standards and financial situation slowly improved through the 1960s and 1970s, aided by the leadership and acumen of such distinguished figures as Adrian Boult, William Steinberg, John Pritchard, and Georg Solti. Among the more auspicious moments in the Philharmonic's history are its 1973 tour to China, the first ever by a Western orchestra, and its performances in South Africa in 1993 as the first orchestra to visit the country since the abolition of apartheid. In its recent history, the ensemble has performed under the leadership of Bernard Haitink, Franz Welser-Möst, and Kurt Masur. In 1990 the Philharmonic was named the official resident orchestra of the Royal Festival Hall. Since 1964 it has also served as the resident orchestra for the Glyndebourne Opera Festival.
© Joseph Stevenson /TiVo
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Holst: The Planets
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Neville Creed
Classical - Released by London Philharmonic Orchestra on Oct 1, 2010
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Symphony No. 4
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski, Sofia Fomina
Classical - Released by London Philharmonic Orchestra on Jul 19, 2019
Gramophone Editor's ChoiceAh yes, glissandos galore! How we have missed them. While it sometimes seems as though every contemporary conductor, both young and old, feels obliged ...
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55 & Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Apr 1, 2007
When the names of Sir Edward Elgar and Sir Adrian Boult appear together in the same sentence, chances are good that it's in the context of the latter' ...
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Spatial Audio - The 3D Classical Collection
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ben Gernon
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jul 9, 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Pini di Roma, Impressioni brasiliane & Belkis, regina di Saba
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Alessandro Crudele
Classical - Released by Linn Records on Jun 3, 2022
This colourful journey across different times and places marks the first recording of Italian conductor Alessandro Crudele and the London Philharmonic ...
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Boult Conducts Butterworth, Warlock, Hadley & Howells
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Apr 1, 2007
Essential for any collection of twentieth century English music, this disc contains the four extant orchestral works of George Butterworth -- his Two ...
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Johannes Brahms : Symphony No. 3 - Haydn Variations
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Marin Alsop
Classical - Released by Naxos on Jan 25, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Boyer: Symphony No. 1
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Peter Boyer
Classical - Released by Naxos on Feb 4, 2010
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Serge Koussevitzky Conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Live)
Classical - Released by SOMM Recordings on Aug 19, 2022
The symphonies are heard in performances Koussevitzky conducted with the LPO in London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1950. Both have been expertly restored b ...
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Finzi: Orchestral Works
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Rodney Friend, Peter Katin, Sir Adrian Boult, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Vernon Handley
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Feb 1, 2007
Gerald Finzi is no Ralph Vaughan Williams but he often comes quite close. In this disc, the twentieth century English composer sounds enough like Vaug ...
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Messiaen: Des Canyons aux étoiles
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach, Tzimon Barto, Andrew Barclay, Erika Öhman, John Ryan
Classical - Released by London Philharmonic Orchestra on Mar 1, 2015
Commissioned in 1971 by Alice Tully, Olivier Messiaen's Des canyons aux étoiles (From the canyons to the stars) was planned for the celebration of the ...
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Boult Conducts Bax
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Nov 1, 2006
If you've never heard the music of Arnold Bax, this is the disc for you. Of course, you'll have to have a predisposition toward early twentieth centur ...
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 & Egmont Overture (Live)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt
Classical - Released by London Philharmonic Orchestra on May 1, 2015
Between 1978 and 1994, Klaus Tennstedt made most of his recordings, including a number of highly regarded live radio broadcasts with the London Philha ...
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Moeran: Sinfonietta, Symphony in G Minor & Overture for a Masque
London Philharmonic Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Feb 1, 2007
Nearly as fine an English symphony as was composed in the '30s -- and that list includes Walton's First, Vaughan Williams' Fourth, and Britten's Sinfo ...
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Complete Symphonic Poems (4 CD)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1972
The Qobuz Ideal DiscographyAt one point back in the days of LPs it seemed that conductor Bernard Haitink was waging an Ormandy-like campaign to record all of the Western orchest ...
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bax: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Myer Fredman, Raymond Leppard
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Mar 31, 2008
Before Vernon Handley and Bryden Thomson's digital cycles of the complete symphonies of Arnold Bax, there were only single symphonies in scattered ste ...
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johannes Brahms : Symphony No. 4 - Hungarian Dances Nos. 2, 4-9
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Marin Alsop
Classical - Released by Naxos on Sep 1, 2007
Reviews of Marin Alsop's recordings of Brahms' symphonies for Naxos have been mixed, partly because of her variable tempos and occasionally lax handli ...
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Portrait, Vol. 3: Jascha Horenstein (Remastered 2022)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Margaret Price, Jascha Horenstein
Classical - Released by Urania Records on Jun 17, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hitchcock The Great Movie Thrillers
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Herrmann
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Dec 15, 1969
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johannes Brahms : Symphony No. 2 - Hungarian Dances
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Marin Alsop
Classical - Released by Naxos on Oct 11, 2005
While an improvement over her earlier recording of Brahms' First Symphony, American conductor Marin Alsop's new recording of Brahms' Second is still n ...
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maconchy: Symphony for Double String Orchestra - Serenata Concertante
London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Manoug Parikian, Vernon Handley, Barry Wordsworth
Classical - Released by Lyrita on Apr 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo