Staatskapelle Berlin

The Staatskapelle Berlin is regarded as one of the leading orchestras in the world. Mentioned in documents in 1570, resides the ensemble since 1742 at the Opera House on the Unter den Linden boulevard and plays both concerts and opera and ballet performances.

History

The tradition of a Chapel, from 1570 suggests that the former " Electoral Court Orchestra " earlier existed. With it, justified the long tradition of today's orchestra. 1684 the orchestra plays the first opera performances in a hall of the Berlin City Palace. When able increase of the Brandenburg Elector Frederick III. King of Prussia, the ensemble 1701 renamed Royal Chapel. At this time it consisted of about 30 musicians. After a temporary transformation into a military orchestra, the musicians are brought together in 1741 by Frederick the Great with the orchestra from Rheinberg. This Royal Court Orchestra Berlin denies then in 1742 the opening of the Staatsoper. As nowadays most famous musicians were at this time Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Franz Benda members of the court orchestra, which was led by Johann Joachim Quantz. More and more characterize the musicians of the court orchestra and the concert life of Berlin. On 1 March 1783 the orchestra are in the Hotel Paris under Kapellmeister Johann Friedrich Reichardt 's first concert for a wider public.

1811, the Berlin Opera and the National Theatre and its orchestra are combined. 1820 appoints the king with Gasparo Spontini the first ( ( General Music Director) ). This increases the quality of the orchestra significantly and founded the " Spontini trust " for needy Hofkapelle. 1829 the Royal Court Orchestra musicians take part in the legendary revival of the "St. Matthew Passion" by Johann Sebastian Bach under the baton of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. With the following general music director Giacomo Meyerbeer, the tasks of the orchestra will be expanded in 1842 and launched a regular series of concerts for subscribers to life. Destroyed by fire in 1843 to the foundation walls, the Opera House is Unter den Linden, headed by Carl Ferdinand Langhans within an abundant year rebuilt including a hall with 1800 seats. In the following years the court orchestra participates in a number of premieres and first performances, including under Richard Wagner, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Otto Nicolai, who is appointed Kapellmeister in 1848. Since April 14, 1890, the symphony concerts take place not in the Apollo room, but in that very large Langhans hall.

Richard Strauss, First Kapellmeister since 1898, in 1908 the General Music Director of the orchestra, 1913 receives Leo Blech this item also. In the twenties, so conduct major artists such as Hermann Abendroth, Fritz Busch, Bruno Walter and Wilhelm Furtwängler. 1923 Erich Kleiber is music director. 1934 sets Furtwängler his position as director of the opera down, the house is retained as a conductor. Clemens Krauss, Johannes Schüler, Werner Egk conduct during the thirties. From 1938 onwards, Herbert von Karajan several opera performances. In 1940 he conducted his first symphonic concert with the Staatskapelle before it is 1941-1945 GMD. Under his leadership, the first stereo recording made ​​in 1944.

Six weeks after the war ended, the Staatskapelle plays her first concert and opened on June 30, 1945, the first post-war season. The first concerts will be making music, among others, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Joseph Keilbertstraße, Yehudi Menuhin and Erich Kleiber. The latter calls for the reconstruction of the traditional venue Unter den Linden and takes over the musical direction of the Deutsche Staatsoper. The admiral palace until the reopening in 1955 with "Die Meistersinger of Nuremberg " by Richard Wagner for alternative venue in the heart of Berlin. In the same year Franz Konwitschny GMD is. As a further conductor Lovro von Matacic, Horst Stein, Hans Löwlein, Heinz Rogner and Heinz Fricke be required. In the period 1964-1991 is Otmar Suitner chief conductor of the orchestra and the one which the reputation of the Staatskapelle very supporting, through a lively Tonproduktions and touring with her abroad. On December 30, 1991 Daniel Barenboim conducts his first concert as principal conductor of the orchestra and music director of the Staatsoper.

Presence

Today, the Staatskapelle Berlin is one of the leading orchestras in the world. While many concert tours and opera tours, it has been called with its special warm, dark, by connoisseurs as " German sound ", achieved international recognition and especially by cyclic performances of selected composers extraordinary recognition in Vienna, New York, Tokyo and, not, of course, also in Berlin acquired. In particular, are the Beethoven cycle with all the symphonies and piano concertos, directed and played by pianist Daniel Barenboim, Schumann / Brahms cycle, cycles of all Mahler symphonies, all of Bruckner's symphonies as well as the legendary Wagner Festival in 2002 with ten operas in a fortnight expression of particular artistic force of this orchestra and his boss for life Daniel Barenboim. Important artists such as Claudio Abbado, Zubin Mehta, Sir Simon Rattle, Placido Domingo, Waltraud Meyer, René Pape, Alfred Brendel, Maurizio Pollini, the first guest conductor Michael Gielen, the honorary conductor Pierre Boulez and many others have defined and characterized by the qualities of this ensemble sustainable. The Orchestra Academy of the Staatskapelle Unter den Linden, founded in 1997, is in very profound and complex manner of young instrumentalists. Regular lessons at Kapellmitgliedern own chamber music concerts, preparation for auditions and of course playing along beside experienced colleagues on the desk in concerts, operas, ballets, traveling and recording is the academy students invaluable experience along the way. Many of you are found not only in other outstanding orchestras, but also in his own ensemble at the front positions worked.

Awards

The orchestra has won a number of awards in recent years:

• Orchestra of the Year 2008 ( Award from the opera world):

• Echo Klassik 2007 ( Ensemble / Orchestra of the Year, Category New Music ):

• Orchestra of the Year 2006 ( Award from the opera world):

• Grammy Award 2003 ( Best Opera Recording):

• Wilhelm Furtwängler Prize in 2003, together with Daniel Barenboim.