Anthology 7

This seventh installment of the Anthology of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (2000- 2010) covers a period in the orchestra's history largely characterised by changing perspectives in a new century. Indeed, it was in 2004 that Riccardo Chailly relinquished his position as chief conductor after a 16-year-long tenure, whereupon the orchestra managed to forge what would be a long-term relationship with the renowned maestro Mariss Jansons. A specialist in Romantic, and particularly Italian, opera repertoire, Chailly was also an advocate of the modern classics and of contemporary music. His collaboration with the RCO resulted in internationally acclaimed recordings of works by such composers as Varese, Stravinsky and Berio.

The Latvian maestro Jansons, a passionate orchestral conductor particularly of the late Romantic repertoire, shifted the orchestra's focus more towards Tchaikovsky, Richard Strauss and Shostakovich, invariably endeavouring to strike a careful balance between clarity of form and aesthetics. In addition, Jansons successfully continued the tradition of high-profile co-productions between the RCO and De Nederlandse Opera with performances of Shostakovich's 'Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District' and Tchaikovsky's 'Yevgeny Onegin'. The orchestra itself also underwent changes. A generation of orchestral players, including the illustrious principal wind instrumentalists who had laid the foundations for the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, retired and were succeeded by a group of outstanding young musicians, most of them hailing from outside the Netherlands, resulting in a growing internationalisation of the RCO. There were also changes in the orchestra's business and artistic management and its concert programming policy also saw a shift in direction. The 'Picasso/Rembrandt formula' was retired to make way for the new A Series, featuring more firmly embedded contemporary, often Dutch, repertoire. The launch of the orchestra's own in-house record label, RCO Live, breathed new life into its rich recording tradition. The identity of a modern, 21st-century orchestra would be further bolstered by the RCO's active online presence, its own Web channel, effective use of social media, and the successful digital platform RCO Universe, a novelty in the orchestral world. This CD box set constitutes the final volume of the Anthology of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, a musical journey through time in seven installments, each made up of fourteen CDs of live concert recordings. Drawing on the wealth of recordings in the Dutch public broadcasting network archives, the compilers set out to create a colourful historical overview and sound mosaic whilst doing justice to the unique history of the orchestra from 1935, the year from which its oldest surviving radio recording dates. Repertoire, performance, conductors, soloists and recording quality were the criteria which, in the proper interrelationships, proved to be decisive. Working to document such a vast musical legacy has been a privilege, the compilers having been aware that the making of choices brings with it the duty to showcase as many aspects of this rich history as possible.

The compilers wish to dedicate this series to all the musicians who have been part of the orchestra over the past 125 years. It is hoped that all seven volumes will be re-released as a 'superbox' to celebrate the RCO's anniversary. 

Adès:
 Asyla
 Daniel Harding 

Beethoven:
 Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral'
 Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano), Marianne Cornetti (mezzo), Robert Dean Smith (tenor), Franz-Josef Selig (bass)
 Mariss Jansons 

Berio: 
 Rendering
 Heinz Holliger 

Brahms: 
 Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
 Herbert Blomstedt 

Britten: 
 Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20
 Stefan Asbury 

Bruckner: 
 Symphony No. 8 in C minor
 Zubin Mehta 

Busoni: 
 Berceuse élégiaque, Op. 42
 Ed Spanjaard 

Debussy: 
 La Mer
 Bernard Haitink 

Diepenbrock: 
 Elektra - symphonic suite
 Waltraud Meier (mezzo), Robert Dean Smith (tenor), Marcel Reijans (tenor), Juha Uusitalo (bass-baritone),
 Jan-Hendrik Rootering (bass-baritone), Johan Leysen (speaker)
 Claus Peter Flor 

Dutilleux:
 Tout un monde lointain (Concerto for cello and orchestra)
 Godfried Hoogeveen (cello)
 Yan Pascal Tortelier 

Escher: 
 Musique pour l’esprit en deuil
 Bernard Haitink 

Haydn: 
 Symphony No. 97 in C major
 Nikolaus Harnoncourt 

Hindemith: 
 Konzertmusik, Op. 50 for strings & brass
 Kurt Masur 

Janacek: 
 Jealousy (original prelude to Jenufa)
 Sir Mark Elder

 Taras Bulba
 Sir Mark Elder 

Keulen: 
 Fünf tragische Lieder
 Detlef Roth (baritone)
 Lothar Zagrosek

Lutoslawski: 
 Piano Concerto
 Lars Vogt (piano)
 Daniel Harding 

Mahler: 
 Das Lied von der Erde
 Anna Larsson (contralto), Robert Dean Smith (tenor)
 Fabio Luisi 

Martinu: 
 Les Fresques de Piero della Francesca, H. 352
 Leonard Slatkin 

Messiaen: 
 Les Offrandes oubliées (1930)
 George Benjamin 

Mozart: 
 Symphony No. 41 in C major, K551 'Jupiter'
 Ivan Fischer 

Nas: 
 No reason to panic
 David Robertson 

Prokofiev: 
 Autumnal sketch, Op. 8
 David Robertson 

Ravel: 
 Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No. 2
 Mariss Jansons 

Rihm: 
 Marsyas, rhapsody for trumpet with percussion & orchestra
 Reinhold Friedrich (trumpet), Gustavo Gimeno (percussion)
 George Benjamin 

Schat: 
 Symphony No. 3, Op.45 'Gamelan'
 Hans Vonk 

Schubert: 
 Symphony No. 3 in D major, D200
 Ivan Fischer

Schumann: 
 Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61
 Kurt Masur 

Shostakovich: 
 Symphony No. 13 in B flat minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar'
 Sergei Leiferkus (baritone)
 Kurt Masur 

Sibelius: 
 Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49
 Sir Colin Davis

 Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82
 Paavo Berglund 

Strauss, R: 
 Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 53
 Lorin Maazel

 Der Rosenkavalier - Suite
 Mariss Jansons 

Stravinsky: 
 Oedipus Rex
 Riccardo Chailly

 Violin Concerto in D
 Alexander Kerr (violin)
 Riccardo Chailly 

Szymanowski: 
 Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35
 Vesko Eschkenazy (violin)
 Sir Mark Elder

Verbey: 
 Lied for trombone and orchestra
 Jorgen van Rijen (trombone)
 Markus Stenz 

Webern: 
 Six Pieces for Orchestra Op. 6
 Pierre Boulez 

Zuidam: 
 Adam-Interludes
 Ingo Metzmacher

"Throughout this set it's the astonishing consistency of the orchestral playing that is most vivid...regardless of the conductor or the repertoire, the depth and eloquence of the strings, the quick-witted brilliance of the woodwind and the rounded security of the brass are unfailing."
The Guardian - 3rd January 2013

"Anyone who has been collecting this series will certainly want this latest addition, for the unusual repertoire as much as for the performances … the live sound is tremendous."
International Record Review - February 2013