Symphony orchestra of Madrid

The Symphony orchestra of Madrid ( Orquesta Sinfónica of Madrid ) is a Symphony orchestra Spanish founded in 1903. It is about the symphony orchestra oldest of Spain.

History

After the crisis which has occurred in 1903 between the members of the orchestra of the Sociedad de Conciertos of Madrid, which had been founded in 1866 by Barbieri, the majority of them which had posts of teachers to the Conservatorio of Corte, decided to gather in a new formation. The intention was to maintain alive to musical environment inhabitant of Madrid, in substituent with the orchestra of the Sociedad at the time to program symphonic concerts. The initial idea of a new orchestra in Madrid was conceived in the house of the Violoniste Jose del Hierro, with the support of his/her usual companions of Chamber music at the time of its rounds, Julio Francés (viola) and Victor de Mirecki (Violoncelle), to which was added two members of the Capilla Real, Francisco González (Flûte) and Miguel Yuste (Clarinette). After an intesive work of persuasion of the remainder of the members of the Sociedad de Conciertos of Madrid , practically 80% of the orchestra joined the new formation. As most of the heads of section were also professors with the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música of Madrid , one quickly filled the vacant posts with young talents. In the room of the repetitions of the Teatro Real, in December 1903, was held the first meeting at the time which Association was created and one decided on his name: Orquesta Sinfónica of Madrid . It is about a private company of musicians, to which the Masters bring the initial funds for its operation, purchase of chairs and desks, hiring of the room of repetition, partitions, etc, but which will live income in the concerts and recordings, without resorting nor to depend on other organizations, public, or deprived, which could intervene in its operation and condition the Masters, as that had arrived in late the Sociedad de Conciertos of Madrid.

The first season

Via Jose del Hierro and of Víctor de Mirecki, one contacted the Spanish Leader Alonso Cordelás, to assume the artistic director of association. This one left Munich to come to occupy its station, and brought with him the partitions for the first concerts.

Under the direction of the Cordelás Master, the February 7th 1904, the Symphony orchestra of Madrid offers its first public concert to the Teatro Real, in a program which included/understood the Ouverture of Don Juan of Mozart, In the steppes of the Central Asia of Borodine, a paraphrase for violin and orchestra on the Chanson of the price of the Masters singers of Wagner, written by Wilhelmj, with Jose del Hierro as soloist, the Ouverture " Faust" of Wagner, Romeo and Juliette of Tchaïkovski and the Fourth Symphony of Schumann.

Cordelás tried to force the beginning to break with the practices like the execution in concerts in two parts (and not into three), and early in the afternoon (at three o'clock in the afternoon). But as of the third concert, one had totaled two intervals, to the sixth one returned to the night schedule (nine hours minus the quarter of the night), according to the tradition inhabitant of Madrid. But the problems of Cordelás did nothing but start: initially, a confrontation with the heads of section for the repetitions and the organization in the concerts; then, with the owners of the rooms, for the schedule in the concerts; and, finally, bad criticisms and the rejection of the public in front of its artistic options; all that made him present its resignation at the end of the season, training with him the concert performer founder, Jose del Hierro.

The concerts of this first season had a great repercussion and transfer a good multitude of the public, which saved the orchestra economically; one played there in first execution with Madrid the Fourth Symphony of Tchaïkovski and the First Symphony of Brahms.

The period of Arbós

After the departure of Cordelás], Enrique Fernández Arbós, Violonist and Leader, is selected to direct the Symphony orchestra. Its work was very important as of the beginning, by operating a total reorganization. and by presenting the new face of the whole in a great concert given the April 16th 1905.

The direction of Arbós will be uninterrupted during thirty years: for this period, the orchestra fixes its artistic priorities (promotion in priority of the type-setters and Spanish soloists), finds its style sound particular, and establishes the principles of a musical socialization which lead it to the realization in didactic concerts and arrival the new public ones: lower price, larger number of places, rounds. However it succeeds in attracting other international musicians to direct the orchestra, of which Igor Stravinski and Richard Strauss.

Thus, under the direction of Arbós, are programmed with the Symphony orchestra of Madrid almost all the active Spanish type-setters during the first third of the 20th century; one will note more especially two creations which had an particular importance: the Noches in los garden of España (Nights in the gardens of Spain) of Manuel of Falla, the April 9th 1916, with the Teatro Real with Jose Cubiles as soloist; and the Second concerto for violin and orchestra of Sergueï Prokofiev, on February 1st 1935, with Robert Soëttens playing the soloist part and with the author present in the room of the Monumental Teatro .

Time of crisis

With the War of Spain, the musical activity was stopped. The orchestra tried to assemble some concerts in Madrid besieged, but the number of the heads of section was very reduced, and those were devoted to earn their living from day to day.

After civil war for the Symphony orchestra of Madrid the one long period beginning of crisis involved, which started with death, in June 1939, of Enrique Fernández Arbós, after the first concerts. To that was added the absence of several heads of section either deceased during the war, or exiled after the victory of the General Franco. Lastly, in 1940, is founded the National orchestra of Spain, having its seat with Madrid. The possibility of entering a fixed orchestra with wages of civil servant, attracts most of the heads of section of the orchestra, except those which remain by fidelity or those which are “suspect” with the eyes of the new mode. The situation was particularly critical for the section of the cords, which had lost most of its members; these places were difficult to fill for three reasons: the faulty operation of musical teaching during the Second Spanish Republic, the disappearance of most of these instrumentalists during the war or alive in exile, and impossibility of engaging of the European professors, in this world period of war. In 1940, the musical direction was ensured for this period disturbed by Enrique Jordá (which will be maintained until in 1945).

The orchestra in the pit

The activity of the orchestra changes radically into 1958, when it is engaged by the Teatro of Zarzuela like titular orchestra, and that it starts to alternate its activity in the pit and on the scene. For this reason, one names a new permanent chief, Vicente Spiteri, station which had been irregularly occupied since the death of Enrique Fernández Arbós. The activity during these years is ceaseless, with the organization of various rounds in all the Spain and abroad, especially with the Portugal and in Latin America.

In 1965, the creation of a new orchestra having its seat in the capital, the Orquesta Sinfónica of RTVE, involved a depopulation of Symphonic, which maintained, lasting all the decade 1970, a musical life very related to the representations of Teatro of Zarzuela. At that time also, it took part, with the recording company Hispavox, with the recording of a great number of Zarzuela S and Spanish operas, collection very invaluable by its quality and because it was the first to accommodate without complexes the Spanish incidental music.

It took part in all the assemblies carried out in Teatro of Zarzuela, and, as from 1971, with the musical production Antología of Zarzuela , directed by Jose Tamayo. On the other hand, the number of symphonic concerts that it offers during these years is very reduced, and, in the majority of the cases, on scenes of second zone.

This situation of the orchestra influences its holders, of them being about to take the retirement much, which touch low seals for an intesive work very. To fill the vacancies becomes in a major problem and the musical quality of the orchestra feels some.

Rebirth of an orchestra

The stability of the institution, its experiment, its historical fame and its localization with Madrid encourages Soledad Becerril, at this time Minister for the Culture, to offer to the Symphony orchestra of Madrid the signing of a contract which stipulates that it will deal exclusively with the musical needs for Teatro for Zarzuela in his three activities for the opera, of the Ballet and the Zarzuela. This contract was signed in July 1981 and, to serve the interests of Teatro of Zarzuela, the orchestra restructures and little by little finds its quality.

The inauguration of the National Auditorium of Music in Madrid provides him new prospects, especially as regards symphonic activity. This ideal was maintained after the signing of an new agreement, this time with the Communauté of Madrid, for the programming of annual cycle of concerts in the new auditorium.

In 1997, the Orchestra leaves Teatro of Zarzuela to become the titular orchestra of the Teatro Real of Madrid recently reopened. This short contract until 2009.

In 1999 were carried out new nominations - a new titular chief, Luis Antonio García Navarro, an honorary chief, Kurt Sanderling and an associated type-setter, Cristóbal Halffter - and, at the instigation of the Fundación Teatro Lírico, is created a chorus depend on the orchestra, directed by Martin Merry.

Extremely of its special position in the institutional medium of the culture inhabitant of Madrid, the Symphony orchestra starts to develop a didactic project, with the creation of a orchestra-school , which is put under the direction of Andrés Zarzo.

Since 2002, after the death of García Navarro, the direction of the orchestra is assumed by the musical chief of the Teatro Real, Jesús López Cobos.

Principal chiefs

External bonds

  • Official site
  • Site Teatro Real
  • Página oficial del Teatro of Zarzuela of Madrid.

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