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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | image = The 22nd Macao International Music Festival--Royal Philharmonic Orchestra .jpg|caption =The 22nd Macao International Music Festival| image_size =| background = classical_ensemble| alias = RPO| origin = London , England , United Kingdom|UK | genre = Classical music|Classical , popular music , soundtrack , film score , television score , New Age music|new age | occupation = Philharmonic orchestra | years_active = 1946–present| associated_acts = Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Crouch End Festival Chorus | website = http://www.rpo.co.uk www.rpo.co.uk| current_members = Principal Conductor and Artistic Director Charles Dutoit Principal Guest Conductor Leonard Slatkin Principal Associate Conductor Owain Arwel Hughes Conductor Laureate Yuri Temirkanov , Daniele Gatti | past_members = Founder Thomas Beecham|Sir Thomas Beecham | notable_instruments =The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( RPO ) is a United Kingdom|British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra". The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that it was "formed in 1946 by Thomas Beecham|Sir Thomas Beecham , who wanted a first rate ensemble that would attract the country's top musicians." Since his death, it has come under various music maestros including André Previn and Louis Clark (who was behind its biggest sellers).cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 473
History
In 1946, Thomas Beecham|Sir Thomas Beecham founded the RPO, which played its first concert in Croydon on 15 September of that year. Beecham was the RPO's music director until his death in 1961. Rudolf Kempe , who became assistant conductor in 1960, became principal conductor in 1961 and music director in 1962. The RPO gave him the title of Conductor for Life in 1970, and he stepped down from the orchestra in 1975. Subsequent music directors and principal conductors have been Antal Doráti , Walter Weller , André Previn , Vladimir Ashkenazy , and Yuri Temirkanov . Daniele Gatti was music director from 1996 to 2009. Both Temirkanov and Gatti currently hold the title of RPO conductor laureate. In 2009, Charles Dutoit became artistic director and principal conductor of the RPO.Martin Cullingford, "Charles Dutoit takes over Royal Philharmonic Orchestra". Gramophone, 20 April 2007.
The orchestra toured the United States in 1950, thus becoming the first British orchestra to visit America since the London Symphony Orchestra in 1912.
A review of the orchestral scene of 1950 said of the RPO:
:Leader David McCallum Sr.|David McCallum … Royal Philharmonic Society concerts (Beecham 4, Celibidache , Malcolm Sargent|Sargent ). Number of concerts: 32 (approx)…. The Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic share a very serious disability: that neither is a permanently constituted orchestra. Both assemble and disperse more or less at random…there is no style which is distinctively RPO or Philharmonia.cite book | last=Hill | first=Ralph (ed) | coauthors= | title=Music 1951 | location=Harmondsworth, England | publisher=Penguin Books | year=1951 | oclc=26147349
Later the orchestra began to develop its own character, particularly in the woodwind section, led by Jack Brymer (clarinet), Gwydion Brooke (bassoon), Terence McDonagh (oboe), and Gerald Jackson (flute), sometimes referred to as ‘The Royal Family’.cite journal | url= http://www.emiclassics.com/releasedetails.php? rid=23555 | author=Lyndon Jenkins | title=Bizet: Symphony in C/L'Arlésienne Suites 1 & 2 | version=724356723122 | publisher=EMI Classics | year=2000 | format=CD liner notes
After Beecham's death, the orchestra reorganised itself as a self-governing limited company. and soon encountered difficulties.cite book | last=Arts Council of Great Britain | pages=9 | title=Report Orchestral Resources in Great Britain | location=London | publisher=The Arts Council | year=1970 | isbn=011981062X The Royal Philharmonic Society decided not to engage the RPO for its concerts in 1963, Glyndebourne engaged the London Philharmonic instead of the RPO from 1964 onwards and the management of the Royal Festival Hall also severed its connections with the orchestra. Some senior players left, and Kempe resigned as chief conductor, though he returned shortly afterwards. Helped by strong support from Malcolm Sargent|Sir Malcolm Sargent , the orchestra successfully mounted its own concerts at a cinema in the London inner suburb, Swiss Cottage .cite book | last=Reid | first=Charles | pages=429–434 | title=Malcolm Sargent a biography | location=London | publisher=Hamish Hamilton Ltd | year=1968 | isbn=0800850807
A further threat to the orchestra's existence came in 1984, when a review carried out on behalf of the Arts Council by the journalist William Rees-Mogg opined that England lacked 'a great eastern symphony orchestra': the suggestion was that the RPO should move to Nottingham . However, another Arts Council report of the same period recommended that the RPO should supplement the London Symphony Orchestra as resident orchestra at the Barbican Centre ; neither proposal came to fruition.cite book | last=Morrison| first=Richard| pages=152| title=Orchestra| location=London | publisher=Faber| year=2004| isbn=057121584x
In 1987 , the RPO performed the theme to " The Chipmunk Adventure " for both the movie and its The Chipmunk Adventure#Soundtrack|soundtrack .
In 1992 the orchestra appointed Peter Maxwell Davies as associate conductor and composer. The same year, UEFA commissioned the orchestra to sing the UEFA Champions League Hymn Citation needed|date=May 2009. In July 2008, the RPO announced that it would continue its residency in Lowestoft for a fifth year, bringing four concerts a year to England's most easterly town.In the autumn of 2009 it was announced that the residency would continue for a record sixth year.
On April 7, 1994, the Royal Philharmonic under the direction of Sir Gilbert Levine performed at the Apostolic Palace|Vatican in the historic "Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust", with cellist Lynn Harrell and Academy Award -winning actor Richard Dreyfuss as narrator.
Recordings
From its earliest days to the end of Beecham's life, the RPO made numerous recordings for Columbia Records , RCA Victor , and EMI under his baton. Among their first stereophonic recordings was the 1955 performance of the symphonic poem Tapiola (Sibelius)|Tapiola by Sibelius , recorded by EMI. Some of the more memorable recordings included:
Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven Ruins of Athens, Symphony No. 2, Symphony No. 3, Symphony no. 5, Symphony No. 6, Symphony No. 7, Symphony No. 8
Hector Berlioz|Berlioz Harold in Italy, King Lear Overture, Le Corsaire Overture, Les Francs-Juges Overture, Les Troyens Overture, Roman Carnival Overture, Symphonie Fantastique, Trojan March, Waverley Overture
Leonard Bernstein|Bernstein Candide, Symphony no. 1-3, West Side Story
Georges Bizet|Bizet "Roma" Symphony (Bizet)|Symphony "Roma" , La Jolie Fille de Perth suite, L'Arlésienne Suites 1 & 2, Patrie Overture, Boccherini Overture in D
Claude Debussy|Debussy Cortčge & Air de danse, Prélude ŕ l'aprčs midi
Léo Delibes|Delibes Le Roi s'amuse
Frederick Delius|Delius Brigg Fair, Dance Rhapsody No. 2, Fennimore & Gerda Intermezzo, Florida Suite Daybreak & Dance, Irmelin Prelude, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Sleighride, Song Before Sunrise, Summer Evening, Summer Night on the River
Antonín Dvorák|Dvorák Legend in G minor, Symphony No. 8
Karl Goldmark|Goldmark Rustic Wedding Symphony
Charles Gounod|Gounod Faust ballet music, Le sommeil de Juliette
André Grétry|Grétry Zémire et Azore ballet music
Edvard Grieg|Grieg Symphonic dance in A, Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 (Rene Liebowitz)
George Frideric Handel|Handel Amaryllis, Love in Bath, Messiah, Solomon, The Faithful Shepherd, The Gods Go A'Begging
Joseph Haydn|Haydn Symphonies 93–104, The Seasons
Gustav Holst|Holst The Planets Suite + St. Paul's Suite
Illayaraja aka Gnanadesikan, the first Asian composer to score a symphony for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Johann Pachelbel|Pachelbel aka Yusuf Calvin Pachelbel's Canon
Gustav Mahler|Mahler Symphony no. 1-10
Jules Massenet|Massenet Last sleep of the Virgin, Waltz from Cendrillon
Felix Mendelssohn|Mendelssohn Fair Melusine Overture, Symphony No 4, Italian
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart Clarinet Concerto, Die Zauberflöte Overture, Flute & Harp Concerto, German Dance K. 605, Haffner March K. 249, Haffner March K. 249, Minuet from Divertimento in D K. 131, Symphony No 41, Thamos Entr'acte, The Seraglio.
Modest Mussorgsky|Mussorgsky Khovantschina Dance of the Persian Slaves, Pictures at an Exhibition (Ravel)
Jacques Offenbach|Offenbach Les Contes des Hoffman suite
Sergei Rachmaninoff|Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op. 43 ( Yuri Temirkanov )
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
Gioachino Rossini|Rossini , La Gazza Ladra Overture, Le Cambiale di Matrimonio Overture, Semiramide Overture
Camille Saint-Saëns|Saint-Saëns Rouet d'Omphale, Samson & Dalila Dance of the Priestesses/ Bacchanale
Franz Schubert|Schubert Symphony No 1, Symphony No 2, Symphony No 3, Symphony No 5, Symphony No 6, Symphony No 8
Jean Sibelius|Sibelius Valse Triste, Symphonies 6 and 7
Bedrich Smetana|Smetana Die Moldau, Bartered Bride Overture & Polka
Johann Strauss II|Johann Strauss Die Fledermaus, Emperor Waltz
Franz von Suppé Morning Noon & Night in Vienna, Poet & Peasant Overture
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin - waltz, Symphony No 4, The Nutcracker
Richard Wagner|Wagner Die Meistersinger Suite, Flying Dutchman Overture, Götterdämmerung Funeral March and Rhine Journey, Lohengrin Prelude, Parsifal Karfreitagszauber, Die Meistersinger Prelude, Ride of the Valkries
Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi La traviata, E-Strano
In 1964, Igor Stravinsky recorded his opera The Rake's Progress with the RPO. From 1964 to 1979 the RPO was engaged by Decca Records to record the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company .
In 1986, the orchestra launched RPO Records, claimed to be 'the world's first record label to be owned by a symphony orchestra.Notes to CD TRP024 on the RPO Record label
As well as performing works from the classical repertoire, the RPO has recorded a number of film scores, including those for Michael Powell (director)|Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger 's The Red Shoes (1948 film)|The Red Shoes and The Tales of Hoffmann (film)|The Tales of Hoffmann .
An extensive collection of budget-priced CDs recorded by the RPO has been released by The International Music Company AG in Germany. These CDs are mainly available on the European market.
Music directors and principal conductors
Thomas Beecham (1946–1961, Music Director)
Rudolf Kempe (1961–1962, Principal Conductor; 1963–1975, Music Director)
Antal Doráti (1975–1978, Principal Conductor)
Walter Weller (1980–1985, Principal Conductor)
André Previn (1985–1988, Music Director; 1988–1992, Principal Conductor)
Charles Dutoit (2009–present, Principal Conductor)
Non-classical work
Associated with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, currently managed by Elli Appleby, which is devoted to playing lighter classics. It was formed in 1987, in succession to the Royal Philharmonic Pops Orchestra.
RPO players have been involved with many performances away from the classical repertory, including Yanni Live at the Acropolis , a concert held in Greece in 1993, conducted by Shardad Rohani ; the Hooked on Classics series of records; orchestral arrangements of rock music by the likes of Pink Floyd , Elkie Brooks (on the album Amazing ), Oasis (band)|Oasis , Queen (band)|Queen , George Michael , R.E.M. , U2 , and ABBA ; the song/album, Art of Life by Japanese rock band X Japan , composed by Yoshiki (musician)|Yoshiki Hayashi ; the official theme music of the UEFA Champions League ( UEFA Champions League Anthem ), http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/music/index.html UEFA Champions League anthem UEFA.com. Retrieved March 6, 2011 tracks on the British folk metal band Skyclad (band)|Skyclad 's 2004 album A Semblance of Normality the http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000284AE2 Symphonic Rock: A Symphony of Hits 2004 album; and the BBC Grandstand Theme in 1982; Seotaiji Symphony, a concert held in Seoul in 2008, with South Korean rock star Seo Taiji , conducted by Tolga Kashif . The orchestra also recorded in 1998 the CD "Material Girl, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays the music of Madonna". In 2011, the RPO recorded the score for Fantasmic! at Tokyo DisneySea . In November 2011, the orchestra will be playing Final Fantasy concerts#Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy|Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy , a concert based on the music of the Final Fantasy series at the Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra scored a #10 hit single in the United States in early 1982 with the track, "Hooked On Classics", a medley derived from the Hooked on Classics|album series of the same name .
The orchestra recorded the theme for Radio Mercury , who were also patrons of a number of concerts.
See also
Pride: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays U2
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
UEFA Champions League Hymn
UEFA Champions League
References
Reflist
External links
Official website| http://www.rpo.co.uk/ RPO principal conductorsLondon orchestras Category:London orchestras Category:Musical groups established in 1946 Category:Brit Award winners Category:1946 establishments in England
