Philharmonic orchestra of Saint-Pétersbourg

The Philharmonic orchestra of Saint-Pétersbourg is oldest Symphony orchestra of Russia. Considered in the whole world, he celebrated in 2007 his 125e birthday.

History

The imperial time

Founded in 1882 in the city which was the capital of the imperial Russia of then, the orchestra plays only for the tsar Alexandre III and its court and has as a name “imperial Chorus of music”. Its concert of inauguration takes place on December 25th, 1882.

In the years 1900, it starts to give concerts in front of a larger audience and opens on the music not-Russian: Richard Strauss directs it for a concert in 1912.

Soviet years

An orchestra which is affirmed, of the chiefs who emigrate…

The Russian Révolution of 1917 transforms it into an orchestra of State. One year later, it is integrated into the new whole Philharmonic orchestra of Petrograd (new name of Saint-Pétersbourg) directed by Serge Koussevitzky. But this one emigrates with the the United States in 1920 and it is Emil Cooper which succeeds to him for three years. Emigrating him also in America, it is with the turn of Valery Berdyaev then of Nikolai Malko to take the head of the orchestra. During the four years when he exerts this function, this one creates in particular the first two symphonies of Dmitri Chostakovitch. But in 1930, him also flees in the West. Meanwhile, the orchestra starts to be recognized internationally and from the famous guests come to direct it, in the USSR or at the time of rounds abroad: Bruno Walter, Ernest Ansermet, Hans Knappertsbusch…

To note that since 1924, the orchestra has a new name: Petrograd was famous in Leningrad in posthumous homage to Lenine; the Philharmonic orchestra of Petrograd thus became Philharmonic orchestra of Leningrad .

The years Mravinsky (1938-1988)

It is this new name which as from 1938 the young chief Evgeny Mravinsky will make shine; who would have to think in this day before Second world war that it would take the reins for one half-century of them, a record in annals of the music! Mravinsky marks its “reign” by the creation of many works of Soviet type-setters: it leads in particular the first of eight of the Symphonie S of Chostakovitch, one of his friends. It in addition does not miss an effector good number of recordings, mainly of concerts, not liking the catches in studio.

It is surrounded assistants: Kurt Sanderling (of 1941 to 1960), Arvid Jansons (1948 to 1961) and as from 1973 of the son of this one, Mariss Jansons, which today, in addition to carrying out a brilliant career abroad, continues to direct the Russian orchestra occasionally.

Among the chiefs invited since the end of the Second world war, still let us quote the names of Leopold Stokowski, Charles Münch, André Cluytens, Igor Markevitch, Josef Krips, Zoltan Kodaly and Benjamin Britten.

In 1988, Mravinsky, weakened by the disease, is withdrawn and died.

Today

It is Iouri Temirkanov which succeeds to him like Musical director of the orchestra, a station which it occupies still nowadays.

In 1991, the orchestra finds its original name of Philharmonic orchestra of Saint-Petersbourg , the dislocation of the USSR having made found in Leningrad its name prérévolutionnaire.

The majority in the concerts of the orchestra takes place today to the Philharmonie of Saint-Pétersbourg, a building of the beginning of last century, restored since.

Summary of the successive musical directors

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