Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes called "Britain's national orchestra".

1 History
2 Recordings & films
3 Principal Conductors/Music Directors
4 Trivia
5 Reference
6 Notes
7 External links

[edit] History

The RPO was founded in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham and played its first concert in Croydon on September 15, 1946. Beecham was principal conductor until his death in 1961. He was followed by then assistant conductor Rudolf Kempe, who was given the title of Conductor for Life in 1970. Subsequent musical directors and principal conductors have been Antal Doráti (1975-78), Walter Weller (1980-85), André Previn (1985-92), Vladimir Ashkenazy (1987-94). Yuri Temirkanov was appointed principal conductor in 1992, and Daniele Gatti music director in 1996.

The orchestra toured the United States in 1950, thus becoming the first British orchestra to visit America since the London Symphony Orchestra in 1912.

The Penguin book Music 1951, reviewing the orchestral scene of 1949/50 said of the RPO:

…leader David McCallum … Royal Phiharmonic Society concerts (Beecham 4, Celibidache, 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.

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), widely known as ‘The Royal Family’^[1].

After Beecham’s death, the orchestra reorganised itself as a self-governing limited company.^[2] It soon encountered difficulties. 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 Sir Malcolm Sargent the orchestra successfully mounted its own concerts at a cinema in the London inner suburb, Swiss Cottage.^[3]

[edit] Recordings & films

From 1964 to 1979 the RPO was engaged by Decca to record the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. As well as performing works from the classical repertoire, the RPO has recorded a number of film scores, including those for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Red Shoes.

Associated with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, which is devoted to playing lighter classics. It was formed in 1987.

They had a single in the summer of 1981 called Hooked on Classics and also another single which was the BBC Grandstand Theme in 1982.

[edit] Principal Conductors/Music Directors

Thomas Beecham (1946–1961)
Rudolf Kempe (1962–1975)
Antal Doráti (1975–1978)
Walter Weller (1980–1985)
André Previn (1985–1992)
Vladimir Ashkenazy (1987–1994)
Daniele Gatti (1996–)

[edit] Trivia

The RPCO is the featured orchestra for the live CD and video, Yanni Live at the Acropolis a concert held in Greece in 1993, and conducted by Shardad Rohani.
The RPO recorded the Hooked on Classics series of records, and has also recorded several orchestra arrangements of pop tunes by the likes of Pink Floyd, Queen and ABBA.
The RPO provided the orchestral backing to the song/album, Art of Life by Japanese rock band X Japan. The music was composed by band member Yoshiki Hayashi.
The RPO has become closely associated with Classic FM.
The official version of the theme music for the UEFA Champions League was recorded by the RPO and the chorus of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.
In October 2003, 14 of the RPO's musicians recorded string parts for several tracks of the British folk metal band Skyclad's 2004 album A Semblance of Normality.
The only Asian to have composed a symphony for RPO is Ilayaraaja (an Indian composer).
Works frequently with the Royal Choral Society.

[edit] Reference

Hill, Ralph (ed): Music 1951, London, Penguin Books, 1951
Reid, Charles: Malcolm Sargent a biography. London, Hamish Hamilton Ltd, 1968.
Jenkins, Lyndon, liner notes to EMI CD 7243-5-67231-2-2, 2000
Peacock, Alan: A Report on Orchestral Resources in Great Britain, 1970, London, The Arts Council, 1970