Minnesota Orchestra
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The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra that was founded in 1903 by Emil Oberhoffer as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. The group's first performance took place on November 5 of that year. The name was changed in 1968, and in 1974, the organization moved from its regular performance venue of Northrop Memorial Auditorium at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus to Orchestra Hall in the city's downtown district.
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is another noted ensemble based in the Twin Cities.
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[edit] Staff
[edit] Music Directors
Oberhoffer was the Minnesota Orchestra's principal conductor until 1922. He has been followed by Henri Verbrugghen (1923–31); Eugene Ormandy (1931–36); Dimitri Mitropoulos (1937–49); Antal Doráti (1949-60); Stanisław Skrowaczewski (1960–79); Neville Marriner (1979–86); Edo de Waart (1986–95); and Eiji Oue (1995–2002). In 2002, Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä was appointed the ensemble's 10th music director and took the podium in September 2003. In 2005, Vänskä extended his tenure with the Minnesota Orchestra through 2011.
[edit] Musicians
Jorja Fleezanis serves as concertmaster for the Orchestra. Section Leaders include Manny Laureano (Trumpet), Doug Wright (Trombone), Adam Kuenzel (Flute), Vali Phillips (Second Violin), Thomas Turner (Viola), Anthony Ross (Cello), Peter Lloyd (Bass), Basil Reeve (Oboe), Burt Hara (Clarinet), John Miller, Jr. (Bassoon), and Michael Gast (Horn).
Visit http://www.mnorch.org/music/musicians.cfm for more information on the Minnesota Orchestra's musicians.
[edit] Administrative Staff
Since 2003, Anthony Woodcock has been the Orchestra's President and CEO, and he will vacate these posts in June 2007 to take up the post of president of the New England Conservatory of Music[1]. Paul Grangaard serves as Chairman of the Board. Robert Neu serves as Vice President and General Manager. The finance chief is Holly Duevel, and the personnel manager is Julie Haight. The orchestra's artistic staff is based at Orchestra Hall, but a lack of office space forces many support staff to work in two adjoining buildings, the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel and Symphony Place.
[edit] Recordings
The orchestra first began recording in 1924, producing a significant number of records through the Great Depression, including a series of 78-rpm discs for RCA Victor with Eugene Ormandy. In 1954, the group made the first complete recordings of Tchaikovsky's three ballets: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. That same year, they also made the first recording of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture to include actual cannon fire. This recording was in monophonic sound, so the performance was repeated in 1958 for a stereo production. These recordings were made for Mercury Records as part of the "Living Presence" series. In the 1970s, the orchestra made compatible stereo/quadraphonic recordings for Vox Records.
[edit] Vänskä's Beethoven Cycle
More recently, the group has begun recording the Beethoven symphony cycle beginning with the Fourth and Fifth in 2004. The second installment of the 5 year series, featuring the Third and the Eighth Symphonies, was recently released.
[edit] Disk 1: Symphonies 4 and 5
"Yet another Beethoven cycle in the making? Yes, and it may be the definitive one of our time." - New York Times (December 16, 2005). Minnesota Orchestral Association (2006). Recordings: BEETHOVEN. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-8-26.
When the Orchestra released its first CD under the direction of Vänskä, it was to wide local, national and international acclaim.
[edit] Disk 2: Symphonies 3 and 8
Vänskä struck gold a second time with the release of the second Beethoven CD featuring the revolutionary third symphony "Eroica" and Beethoven's "Little One," his eight symphony. “This is, quite simply, one of the very best discs we have ever made,” says BIS founder and President Robert von Bahr. Minnesota Orchestral Association (2006). BIS TO RELEASE NEW BEETHOVEN CD FEATURING OSMO VÄNSKÄ AND MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-8-26.
[edit] Disk 3: Symphony 9
Early reviews of what will likely be the signature CD in this cycle have been extremely strong. Classics Today gave it a 10/10 for both artistic quality and sound quality, with reviewer David Hurwitz positing that "This probably is the finest Scherzo on disc. Once again Vänskä achieves miracles of textural transparency." Audiophile Audition was bullish on the consistently high quality of BIS's SACD technology, and added, "Sonics aside, this is the most powerful and exciting Ninth I have ever heard." The CD was released in early October 2006.
[edit] Summer Festival
Begun in 1980 with Leonard Slatkin at the helm, the orchestra's summer festival has been known by several names, beginning with Viennese Sommerfest, changing to MusicFest in 2001, and eventually reverting to Sommerfest in 2003. Sommerfest concerts are held over a four-week period in midsummer at Orchestra Hall, and local restaurants pitch tents on adjoining Peavey Plaza for the duration, offering concertgoers a place to relax and grab a bite before and after concerts. The orchestra also offers free live music on the plaza before and after each show, with genres varying from folk to jazz to polka band.
Since 2003, Sommerfest has been kicked off with a massive round-the-clock musical smorgasbord known as the Day of Music. Stages are set up at both ends of Peavey Plaza, as well as in the Orchestra Hall lobby and in a backstage rehearsal space, and local musicians crossing all genres perform continuously from noon Friday to noon Saturday. There is no admission charge during the Day of Music - all performances are free, and lines to see the more high-profile acts frequently stretch around the block. The centerpiece is supposedly the orchestra's Friday evening concert, but in a city that has always had a thriving rock scene, the real impact of the event has been to provide a showcase for all that the Minneapolis music scene has to offer.
[edit] External links
- Minnesota Orchestra Web Site
- Regional and National Radio Broadcasts by Minnesota Public Radio
- Minnesota Orchestra Archives home page
[edit] References
- Tim Gihring (August 2004). The Beethoven Sessions. Minnesota Monthly. Retrieved on February 13, 2006.
