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London Philharmonic Orchestra

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

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, LPO for short, is a British orchestra founded in London in 1932 by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent. It was intended as a rival to the existing London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The founders wanted to build an orchestra that could match any European or American competitor. Between 1932 and the Second World War, by the judgement of most assessors, they succeeded. When the war began, the private backers withdrew, and the players turned the LPO into a self-governing cooperative.

Music and breakthrough

In the 1960s the orchestra regained its old standard, and in 1964 it received an important appointment at the Glyndebourne summer festival. In 1993 it became the resident orchestra of the Royal Festival Hall on the Thames. Since Beecham, its principal conductors have included Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt and Vladimir Jurowski, and since 2021 it has been Edward Gardner. The LPO has worked in recording studios since its beginnings and recorded hundreds of works for EMI, Decca and other labels. The list of records includes Peter and the Wolf from 1949, Messiah from 1956 and The Planets from 1956.

Influence

The LPO is therefore one of the best-known sounds of London, both in the concert hall and on record. The orchestra brought large parts of the symphonic repertoire to a wide audience, far beyond the British borders as well.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to The Planets and notice how the brass and percussion set up a menacing rhythm in the opening movement. Try to hear how the sound changes when the strings take over.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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