Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg
The Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg (since 1997 National Orchestra ) is the symphony and opera orchestra in the city of Strasbourg in Alsace. It was founded in 1855 and is the oldest orchestra in France.
His heyday it reached the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, when Alsace -Lorraine was German Empire country. The imperial administration supported after initial reorganization of the orchestra, which was a showcase for German music culture. Influential personalities of the time included the General Music Director Hans Pfitzner and the chief conductor Otto Klemperer. Several concerts were conducted in this era of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. Other well-known chef or guest conductors have included the Strasbourg Charles Munch, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Hermann Scherchen, George Szell (successor of Klemperer ), Hans Rosbaud, Ernest Bour, Theodor Guschlbauer and Marc Albrecht. Since September 2012, the orchestra is led by Marko Letonja.
The root orchestra currently includes 110 musicians, for monumental works of the late Romantic other musicians of the University Orchestra are used.
Venues
Main venue of the Orchestre de Strasbourg philharmonique has long been the 1901-1903 in Art Nouveau style built Palais des Fêtes ( until 1918 Singer House ), whose premises were remodeled in the 30's in the style of New Objectivity. Since 1976, play and rehearse the Strasbourg Philharmonic mainly in 1974-1976, built by the architect François Sauer and Paul Ziegler Palais de la Musique et des congrès, which was expanded in the 90s.
Conducted
- Franz Stockhausen, 1871-1907
- Hans Pfitzner, 1907-1918
- Otto Klemperer, 1914-1917, as assistant to Hans Pfitzner
- George Szell, 1918-1924
- Guy Ropartz, 1919-1929
- Hans Rosbaud, 1940-1945
- Ernest Bour, 1950-1963
- Alceo Galliera, 1964-1972
- Alain Lombard, 1972-1983
- Theodor Guschlbauer, 1983-1997
- Marc Albrecht, 2004-2011
- Marko Letonja since September 2012
Discography
Under the leadership of Alain Lombard produced numerous recordings in the 70s and early 80s, including star-studded opera recordings for EMI. Under his successors Theodor Guschlbauer and Jan Latham Koenig, this policy was not continued. But images still appeared regularly, but - also because of falling demand - rare and less well-known labels. Since the late 1990s, the orchestra is also involved in DVD opera recordings.