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Columbia Symphony Orchestra

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was not a permanent orchestra with a concert hall of its own, but a recording orchestra of Columbia Records. The record company founded it so that it could make recordings using only its own resources. The musicians were hired by the session. They were freelancers and often members of the New York Philharmonic or the Los Angeles Philharmonic, depending on whether the recording took place in the studio on the East Coast or the West Coast.

Music and breakthrough

The first recordings under this name date from as early as 1913, when Felix Weingartner made song recordings in New York with the soprano Lucille Marcel. In the 1950s the orchestra grew into the regular ensemble for Columbia's well-known conductors and soloists. In 1949 Sir Thomas Beecham, with a group of his own under this name, recorded Dance of the Hours and Carmen Suite, among other things. Later came Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 and Pastorale in 1958 and 1959, Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris in 1959, and piano concertos by Beethoven, Mozart and Bartók.

Influence

The list of recordings shows how broad the work was: from Baroque and classical to Gershwin and modern composers. In 1983 an album of works by Varèse also appeared, including Ionisation and Poème Électronique. The orchestra is important as an example of the studio culture of the big record labels. They put classical music on record with their own musicians and their own technology, and in this way built up a catalogue that stayed in circulation for decades.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Rhapsody in Blue from 1959 and notice the studio sound. Can you hear how clearly the different instrumental groups stand out on the record?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists