Munich Philharmonic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Münchner Philharmoniker | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Munich Philharmonic |
| Origin |  Munich, Germany |
| Genre(s) | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Symphony orchestra |
| Years active | 1893 |
| Website | www.mphil.de |
| Members | |
| Music Director Christian Thielemann Conductor Laureate Zubin Mehta |
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| Former members | |
| Founder Franz Kaim |
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The Münchner Philharmoniker (Munich Philharmonic) is one of three orchestras located in the city of Munich, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian State Orchestra. Since 1985, the orchestra has been housed in the Gasteig Culture Centre.
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[edit] History
The orchestra was founded in Munich in 1893 by Franz Kaim, son of a piano manufacturer, as the Kaim Orchestra. In 1895 it took up residence in the city's Tonhalle (concert hall). It soon attracted distinguished conductors: Gustav Mahler first directed the group in 1897 and premiered his Symphony No. 4 and Symphony No. 8 with the orchestra, while Bruno Walter directed the band for the posthumous premiere of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. Felix Weingartner was music director from 1898 to 1905, and the young Wilhelm Furtwängler made his auspicious conducting debut there in 1906. Meanwhile Anton Bruckner pupil Ferdinand Löwe established an enduring tradition of Bruckner performance which continues to this day.
Throughout this time the orchestra which by 1910 had become known as the Munich Konzertverein Orchestra, was privately funded, but during World War I finances became tight and players were called up for military service, forcing the orchestra to shut down. After the war the orchestra was taken over by the city of Munich and restarted under the leadership of composer Hans Pfitzner, soon replaced by Bruckner pioneer Siegmund von Hausegger. In 1928 the orchestra acquired its current name.
After the rise of the Nazi party in 1933, the orchestra stamped its scores with swastikas and the words "The Orchestra of the Fascist Movement".[1] In 1938, the fervently pro-Nazi Oswald Kabasta took the helm of the orchestra, raising its musical standards even as World War II began.
During the war, the Tonhalle was destroyed and the orchestra, homeless, was again shut down for a period. After the war fortunes recovered under the music directors Hans Rosbaud and Rudolf Kempe. In 1979, Sergiu Celibidache took over, raising the orchestra to the highest world-class standards. Notoriously demanding of his players, the Romanian created a unique sound for the orchestra.
After Celibidache's sudden death in 1996, James Levine took over as chief conductor of the orchestra, serving until 2004.[2] Christian Thielemann became the orchestra's music director in 2004, joined by Wouter Hoekstra as Intendant. However, in 2007, Hoekstra was dismissed from his post after reported disputes with Thielemann.[3]
Over the course of its history, the Munich Philharmonic has performed premieres of Günter Bialas, Anton Bruckner, Harald Genzmer, Luigi Nono, Gustav Mahler and others.
[edit] Music Directors
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[edit] References
- ^ William Osborne (1994). You Sound Like A Ladies Orchestra. osborne-conant.org. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
- ^ Anthony Tommasini. "Clarity and Atmospherics, Courtesy of Levine", New York Times, 19 February 2002. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
- ^ Vivien Schweitzer. "Munich Philharmonic Planning to Replace General Manager Following Feud With Christian Thielemann", Playbill Arts, 17 April 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
[edit] External links
- Münchner Philharmoniker official website
- Munich Philharmonic at Allmusic
- Article at oehmsclassics.com in German
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