Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
By the mid-2010s, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra had established itself as a model for the image and role of the symphony orchestra in contemporary society, and as one of the top orchestras in the U.S. and the world. Under the vibrant leadership of music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel, a product of Venezuela's innovative El Sistema program of classical music education, the orchestra has shown a commitment to foundational works and adventurous explorations.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic was founded in 1919 by Los Angeles multi-millionaire and avid amateur musician William Andrews Clark, Jr. The orchestra's first music director was Walter Henry Rothwell. The next year, the Philharmonic moved into The Temple, a church built in 1907 and renamed Philharmonic Auditorium. Despite the name change, the hall remained a place of worship, and the orchestra had to plan its activities around those of the church. The Philharmonic benefited from the attraction that California held for European expatriates; following Rothwell, its music directors were Georg Schnéevoigt (1927-1929), Artur Rodzinski (1929-1933), Otto Klemperer (1933-1939), Alfred Wallenstein (1943-1956), and Eduard van Beinum (1956-1959).
In 1945, Leopold Stokowski had founded the Hollywood Bowl Symphony for the summer concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, a striking art deco outdoor concert shell in a lovely natural amphitheater. The Los Angeles Philharmonic soon replaced it as the regular orchestra for this series, becoming a beloved part of the city's public cultural life. In 1962, Zubin Mehta began his long and productive tenure as music director, which lasted until 1978. He was succeeded by Carlo Maria Giulini (1978-1984), and in turn, by André Previn (1985-1989). The L.A. Philharmonic's music director from 1992 to 2009 was Esa-Pekka Salonen, the exciting young conductor and composer whose programming was built around the great established classics of the 20th century, new music, and a solid representation of established repertoire. Gustavo Dudamel assumed leadership of the orchestra in 2009.
In 1964, the L.A. Philharmonic moved into a new home, the Dorothy Chandler Music Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles. The hall was shared with the Civic Light Opera Association and other concert and theater companies, a situation that grew uncomfortable and limiting for the Philharmonic. A new permanent home for the orchestra, Walt Disney Hall, featuring a striking design by Frank Gehry and titanium and brushed stainless steel exterior, was inaugurated in October 2003. In 2007, inspired by the success of El Sistema, the L.A. Philharmonic and Dudamel established the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, which offers free music education and instruments to students in the Los Angeles area.
The L.A. Philharmonic gives an annual 30-week winter season. More than 250 concerts are either performed or presented at its two iconic venues: Walt Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. These presentations represent a breadth and depth unrivaled by other orchestras or cultural institutions. With a strong commitment to contemporary music from its earliest days, the Philharmonic remains noted for the extraordinary number and variety of new works it has commissioned.
© Joseph Stevenson & James Manheim /TiVo
Discography
11 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Saariaho: Du cristal - …à la fumée - 7 Papillons - Nymphéa
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kronos Quartet, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Anssi Karttunen, Kaija Saariaho, Petri Alanko
Classical - Released by Ondine on Jul 12, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Holst: The Planets, Op. 32 - Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 - Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, Sz. 106 - Loeffler: A Pagan Poem, Op. 14
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski Symphony Orchestra, Léopold Stokowski, Unknown Artist
Classical - Released by Urania Records on Apr 29, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Michael Gordon : Dystopia - Rewriting Beethoven's 7th
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker, David Robertson, Jonathan Nott
Symphonic Music - Released by Cantaloupe Music on Feb 24, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stafford Smith: The Star Spangled Banner - Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Wwv 96 - Ives: The Unanswered Question, Ici 16 - Mozart: Symphony NO. 35, K. 385 - R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, OP. 40 (Live)
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, David Frisina
Concertos - Released by Altair on Jul 12, 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Laud to the Nativity - Monteverdi: Magnificat
Marie Gibson, Marilyn Horne, Charles Bressler, Roger Wagner Chorale, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Clarion on Aug 31, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Planets
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Planet Blue Records USA on May 9, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2, Op. 27
Sir Simon Rattle, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jan 1, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Harold Shapero: Symphony for Classical Orchestra/Nine-Minute Overture
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by New World Records on Jan 1, 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Erich Leinsdorf Conducts Wagner, Strauss & Rimsky-Korsakov
Concert Arts Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Israel Baker, Erich Leinsdorf
Classical - Released by Urania Records on May 31, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carpenter/Gilbert/Powell/Weiss
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by New World Records on Jan 1, 1977
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zino Francescatti, Vol. 1: Bach & Paganini
Zino Francescatti, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein, Unknown Artist
Classical - Released by DOREMI on Mar 5, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo