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Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a symphony orchestra in London. The conductor Thomas Beecham founded it in 1946, having already founded the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1932. In 1946 he reached an agreement with the Royal Philharmonic Society, so that his new orchestra could bear the name Royal Philharmonic. It also became the house orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival and obtained lucrative recording contracts. The first rehearsal was on 11 September 1946, and the first concert four days later in Croydon. Within two years the orchestra had already made more than a hundred recordings.

Music and breakthrough

After Beecham's death in 1961 the orchestra ran into difficulties. Rudolf Kempe became principal conductor and in 1970 received the title of conductor for life. He was succeeded by Antal Doráti, and later Walter Weller and André Previn, among others, followed. In the mid-1960s a report by the Arts Council saved the orchestra's future, and it has received subsidy ever since. The orchestra developed a sound of its own, especially in the woodwinds.

Influence

In 1981 the orchestra was in the Dutch Top 40 with Hooked on Classics, a medley of well-known classical pieces with a solid beat. In 2004 it gained its first permanent home in London at Cadogan Hall. It also plays at the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall and has given concerts abroad. Since 2021 Vasily Petrenko has been its music director. The orchestra also takes part in pop recordings and film music, and so shuttles between the concert hall and popular culture.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Hooked on Classics and notice the continuous beat beneath the classical melodies. Can you hear how the fragments keep flowing seamlessly into one another?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists