The Philharmonic orchestra of Vienna (in) is a Symphony orchestra Austrian considered as one of most prestigious in the world. It is a symbol of the culture and history Vienneses. The “sound” of the orchestra is refined, silky and is coloured with a tendency to the prevalence of serious sonorities, a single and easily discernible sonority.

It is founded in 1842 and, after difficult beginnings, becomes one of the best orchestras of Vienna. The most famous chiefs will improve excellence of it. The orchestra counted in its manpower of the prestigious members like Hans Richter, Arthur Nikisch, Franz Schmidt, Willi Boskovsky. Its members are recruited exclusively among those of the Orchestra of the Opéra of State of Vienna.

The main home of the orchestra is the Musikverein , a splendid rectangular concert hall, with let us tons ivories and gilded and with exceptional acoustics. It occurs each summer with the Festival of Salzburg. Since 1941, the orchestra gives each January 1st a concert dedicated to the music of the Strauss family: famous the concert of the New year.

Origin

The origin of the orchestra goes up with 1842, when Otto Nicolai form what was called then the philharmonic Académie . It was a completely independent orchestra which made its decisions starting from a democratic vote of all its members: these are the same principles which govern the orchestra still today.

When Nicolai leaves Vienna in 1847, the orchestra is almost dismantled and little credit until in 1860, when Carl Eckert takes the direction. It gives a series in four concerts in subscription and, since then, the orchestra did not cease playing. Will follow Otto Dessoff of 1860 to 1875 and Wilhelm Jahn in 1882 and 1883. The Philharmonic one of Vienna then will attract many famous and acclaimed chiefs.

Chiefs in the concerts of subscription (1842-1933)

The Philharmonic one of Vienna does not have a permanent chief. Every year, an artist is selected to direct all the concerts of the season in Musikverein of Vienna. These chiefs are named " Abonnementdirigenten" quite simply because the concerts which they must direct are included in the subscription in Musikverein. Some of these engagements are renewed during many years, others finish at the end of little time.

Of 1875 with 1898 (except at the time of the season 1882-1883 when it was in conflict with the orchestral committee) Hans Richter is principal chief.

Under its direction the orchestra will be recognized, play the large contemporary type-setters, Wagner, Liszt, Verdi, will create important works like the Variations on a topic of Haydn (1873), 2nd and 3rd symphonies (1877 - 1883) and the tragic Ouverture (1880) of Brahms, 3rd (1877), 4th (1888), 6th (1899) and 8th (1892) symphonies of Bruckner.

Gustav Mahler occupies the station of 1898 with 1901 and it is with him that the orchestra plays for the first time abroad at the time of the World Fair of 1900 to Paris.

The following chiefs will be Joseph Hellmesberger of 1901 with 1903, Felix Weingartner of 1908 with 1927, Wilhelm Furtwängler of 1927 with 1930, Clemens Krauss of 1929 with 1933.

With the Anschluss (1938), the German authorities will exclude the Jewish instrumentalists from the orchestra: one will need the intervention of Wilhelm Furtwängler so that the half-Jews can continue to play in the orchestra.

In same time, the Philharmonic one works with other chiefs, with the Festival of Salzburg, for recordings or particular occasions. With the widening of its activities, the orchestra decides to give up this system in 1933. Since, only of the invited chiefs are engaged for each concert, both in Vienna and in the other places.

Invited chiefs

Since 1933 the orchestra thus does not have any more a permanent chief but chiefs invited, among largest and most famous:

The list of the invited chiefs is long and prestigious, of Richard Strauss, Hans Knappertsbusch, John Barbirolli, Josef Krips, Willi Boskovsky, Hermann Scherchen, Georg Solti, Erich Kleiber, James Levine, Leonard Bernstein, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Pierre Boulez, Carlos Kleiber, Bernard Haitink, Zubin Mehta, Simon Rattle, Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, Seiji Ozawa, Riccardo Muti, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Georges Prêtre , Charles Mackerras, Daniele Gatti, Christian Thielemann, Ingo Metzmacher, Philippe Jordan, Franz Welser-Möest, Daniel Barenboim, Markus Stenz, Daniel Harding with Paavo Järvi.

Among the famous chiefs who directed it to other titles, are detached Arturo Toscanini from 1933 with 1937 and again Wilhelm Furtwängler, of 1933 with 1945 then, after the Second world war, from 1947 to its death in 1954.

The names of three of these chiefs are more particularly associated with the period of post-war period: Karajan and Böhm, which were named honorary chiefs, and Leonard Bernstein, distinguished in honorary membership from the orchestra.

Operating process

Its members are recruited exclusively among those of the Orchestra of the Opéra of State of Vienna, which not only makes it possible to ensure the artistic quality of the unit, but also to guarantee the financial balance of the formation - since it is the Opera which takes for example charges the retirements with them - and to increase the incomes of the musicians concerned, who share the receipts in the concerts and the recordings.

The process of integration is very long: the musicians must initially prove their capacities while playing for the Opera and the Ballet lasting a three years minimum. It is only then that they can present their candidature near the board of directors of Wiener Philharmoniker.

The orchestra particularly has an operation self-managed which does not exclude however a tendency to conservatism (it accepted women in its rows only in 1997) and a tendency to balk to open to the foreign instrumentalists, thecontinental ones.

To the leaders, it is famous for its restive character but also its technical and artistic excellence.

Sonority and instruments

Its characteristic of the philharmonic orchestra of Vienna can be allotted on the one hand to the use of instruments and a style of play basically different from those from the other full orchestras.

  • the Clarinette has a system of special tact

  • the Basson has a sheer and a special tact
  • the Trompette has a system of rotary valves and a less dimension
  • the Trombone and the tuba has a tact and a system of different valves
  • the drinking cups uses natural goatskins instead of synthetic skins
  • the double basses find the traditional placement on line behind coppers
  • the oboe Viennese has a borer, a size, a sheer and a special system of tact. It is very different from the " oboe français" generally used.
  • the horn Viennese is an alternative of the natural Cor with several " tons" (tubes various lengths) connected in order to be able to play the chromatic scale. With finer but longer borer, it is equipped with a system with pallets which with the advantage of producing more flexible attacks and cast bound notes. Moreover, the horn Viennese is manufactured in an alloy more resistant than the traditional French horn (double horn in F B flat).

These instruments and their characteristic sound color were the subject of a vast scientific study undertaken by Professor Gregor Widholm of the Institut for the culture of its Viennese to.

Popularity

The Philharmonic one of Vienna was seen conferring the title of better European orchestra by the leader-writers of seven musical publications, two radio stations and a daily newspaper at the time of a survey carried out in 2006.

To hear the philharmonic one of Vienna concerns the feat of ingenuity. In international round, the price of the places is at least the double of that paid to hear a local orchestra. In Musikverein, all the concerts are announced complete on the site of the orchestra. The waiting list for the concerts of subscription in week is six years and thirteen years for the subscriptions in weekend.

Sexism and racism

Although the orchestra is largely recognized like one of best in the world, since the years 1990, it makes the object of criticism on behalf of feminist groups because, until 1997, it did not admit women in its rows in membership to whole share. Only some women had been able to play in additional .

In 1997, a first woman, Anna Lelkes, Harpiste, become member after having played with the orchestra except statute during a few twenty years. After the departure with the retirement of Miss Lelke, another harpist Charlotte Balzereit becomes in his turn the only woman member of the orchestra.

No woman had either never directed the orchestra. In January 2005, the Australian Leader Simone Young becomes the first woman of the history to direct the philharmonic one of Vienna.

In addition, historically, the orchestra did not accept either members of obviously different ethnos groups. An Asian half violonist becomes about it member only in 2001. Persons in charge of the orchestra make the object of criticism to have supported that the maintenance of its ethnic, white uniformity, European, was necessary to preserve the high-quality of execution.

In 1970, Otto Strasser, former president of the Philharmonic society of Vienna, written in its memories:

“ I hold for incorrect that today the candidates play behind folding screen, an arrangement brought after the second world war to ensure of the objective judgments. I continuously fought this measurement, in particular starting from my nomination with the president's function of the Philharmonic one, because I am convinced that the artist as formed part of the person, as one must not only hear but also see, in order to consider his personality whole. … A grotesque situation that even my departure was not able to make change. There after a candidate had qualified himself as being the best, when the folding screen was withdrawn, was held a Japanese, in front of the jury jellyfish. He was consequently not engaged, his aspect not being adapted to the " Pizzicato Polka" concert of the New year. ”
The first flute of Philharmonic of Vienna declared during an interview for a radio station in 1996:
“ Since the beginning we spoke about particular Vienneses qualities, in the way in which the music is done here. The way in which we make music here is not only dependant on one technical capability, but also with something which has to see much with the heart. The heart does not separate from the cultural roots which we have here in Central Europe. She does not admit either to be separate kind. Thus, if it is thought that the world should function with quotas, he is natural to be irritated by the fact that we are a group of white male musicians, who plays exclusively of the music of white male type-setters. It is a racist irritation of order and sexist. I believe that can be posed thus. If a surface egalitarianism is established, one will lose something of essence. However, I am convinced that it is worth to accept this racist irritation and sexist, because something produced by a surface comprehension of the human rights could not have the same standards. ”
In 2003, a member of the orchestra declared in an interview for a magazine:
“ Three women it already is too. When we have twenty percent of them, the orchestra will be ruined. We made a large error, and will regret we it bitterly. ”

In 2007, the orchestra counts in its rows four women, that is to say two percent of manpower: a harpist, a violonist, a altist and a violoncellist. A conflict remains concerning nonthe establishment of a violonist.

Helene Kenyeri and Konstanze Brosch, which integrated the desk of oboe of the orchestra of the Opera of State of Vienna in January 2007, is highly likely to be allowed quickly at the two vacant posts or on the way to be it of Walter Lehmayer and Günter Lorenz with the Philharmonic one: if it is not they, it is probable that other women are it insofar as the class of oboe of the academy counts only three boys for seventeen girls and that the oboe Viennese is not taught nowhere elsewhere.

Selective discography

The recordings of the Philharmonic orchestra of Vienna are innumerable, it is one of the orchestras having recorded more in the world.

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