MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra
| MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra | |
|---|---|
| Orchestra | |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Principal conductor | Kristjan Järvi |
| Website |
www |
The MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra (also known as the MDR Sinfonieorchester in German) is the radio orchestra of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, the public broadcaster for the German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It is one of the oldest Radio orchestras in the world and the oldest in Germany. It was founded in Leipzig, Germany in 1923 and therefore 9 months earlier than the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. Apart from a short interval during World War II, it has been the main orchestra of the Central German Broadcasting Company (MDR) since 1924.[1][2] Chief conductors include Hermann Abendroth (1949–1956) and Herbert Kegel (1953–1977), Daniel Nazareth (1991-1996) and Fabio Luisi (1999–2007).
The orchestra was among the few to have played for the Pope in 1993 (under Daniel Nazareth) and in 2003. In 2012, the orchestra recorded the original soundtrack of the film Cloud Atlas composed by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil. On 5 and 6 July 2013 the orchestra joined the Finnish Cello Metal band Apocalyptica to perform Wagner Reloaded-Live in Leipzig.
History
The orchestra was founded as "Orchester des Konzertvereins" ("Orchestra of the Concert Society"). It became the "Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig" ("Radio Symphony Orchestra Leipzig") in 1924 and later adopted its present name.[3] The Orchestra was dissolved during World War II and reunited in 1946 under the tenure of the conductor Hermann Abendroth, later conducted by Herbert Kegel. During the late 1970s through the 1980s, the principal conductors were Wolf-Dieter Hauschild and Max Pommer.
In 1992 the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra merged with the Radio Philharmonic in Leipzig to form the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra.[1] Daniel Nazareth was the first Music Director of the newly formed MDR Symphony Orchestra after the German reunification.
Ensembles
Chamber music ensembles of the MDR Symphony Orchestra
- Arcato Streichquartett (since 1999)
- Döring-Bläserquintett (since 1982)
- Kammersymphonie Leipzig (since 2006)
- Leipziger Hornquartett (since 1996)
- Leipziger Schlagzeugensemble (since 1983)
- Leipziger Blechbläsersolisten (since 1992)
- MDR Bläserquintett (since 1995)
Other ensembles
- Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler (1970–1993)
- Ensemble Sortisatio (since 1992)
Principal conductors
- Alfred Szendrei (1924–1932)
- Carl Schuricht (1931–1933)
- Hans Weisbach (1934–1939)
- Reinhold Merten (1939–1940)
- Heinrich Schachtebeck (1945)
- Fritz Schröder (1945–1946)
- Gerhard Wiesenhütter (1946–1948)
- Hermann Abendroth and Gerhard Pflüger (1949–1956)
- Herbert Kegel (1953–1977)
- Wolf-Dieter Hauschild (1978–1985)
- Max Pommer (1987–1991)
- Daniel Nazareth (1992–1996)
- Marcello Viotti, Fabio Luisi and Manfred Honeck (1996–1999)
- Fabio Luisi (1999–2007)[4]
- Jun Märkl (2007–2012)
- Kristjan Järvi (2012–)
World premieres
This is a list of famous world premieres for the orchestra:[5]
- Franz Schreker: "Vom ewigen Leben" for soprano and orchestra (1929)
- Kurt Weill: "Der Silbersee" (1933)
- Fritz Geißler: Chamber Symphony (1955)
- Rudolf Wagner-Régeny: Genesis, Cantata for alto, chorus & orchestra (1956)
- Alan Bush: Symphony No. 3 "The Byron Symphony" with Baritone Solo and Mixed Chorus (1962)
- Günter Kochan: Symphony No. 1 (1963)
- Paul Dessau: Requiem for Lumumba (1964)
- Paul Dessau: "Deutsches Miserere" for mixed choir, children's choir, soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, large orchestra, organ and trautonium (1966)
- Wilhelm Neef: Piano Concerto (1971)
- Udo Zimmermann: L'Homme (1972)
- Edison Denisov: Cello Concerto (1973)
- Friedrich Schenker: Electrization (1975)
- Siegfried Thiele: Jeux pour harpe et orchestre (1975)
- Edison Denisov: Piano Concerto (1978)
- Georg Katzer: Piano Concerto (1980)
- Friedrich Schenker: Fanal Spanien 1936 (1981)
- Luca Lombardi: Symphony No. 2 (1983)
- Wilfried Krätzschmar: Heine Scenes (1983)
- Paul-Heinz Dittrich: "Etym" for orchestra (1984)
- Friedrich Goldmann: Symphony No. 3 (1987)
- Karl Ottomar Treibmann: Symphony No. 4 (1989)
- Paul-Heinz Dittrich/Sofia Gubaidulina/Marek Kopelent: Laudatio Pacis (1993)
- Krzysztof Penderecki: Concerto per violino ed orchestra No. 2 (1995)
- Carlos Veerhoff: Symphony No. 6 "Desiderata", for 3 soloists, speaker, chorus & orchestra, Op. 70 (1997)
- Milko Kelemen: Salut au monde (1999)
- Friedrich Schenker: Goldberg Passion (1999)
- Wolfgang Rihm: Penthesilea-Monolog for Soprano and orchestra (2005)
- Jean-Luc Darbellay: Requiem for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra (2005)
- Gene Pritsker: Cloud Atlas Symphony (2012)
- Apocalyptica: Wagner Reloaded-Live in Leipzig (2013)
References
- 1 2 "THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF THE MITTELDEUTSCHER RUNDFUNK". MDR. Archived from the original on 12 February 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ↑ "Leipzig MDR Symphony". Classics Online. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ↑ "Das MDR SINFONIEORCHESTER". MDR. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ↑ "Fabio Luisi - chief conductor of MDR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA". MDR. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ↑ Clemen/Lieberwirth 1999, pp. 185ff.
Sources
- Jörg Clemen; Steffen Lieberwirth: Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. Die Geschichte des Sinfonieorchesters. Verlag Klaus-Jürgen Kamprad, Altenburg 1999, ISBN 3-930550-09-1
External links
- MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra website