Chamber Orchestras

[Alison]

Have there always been chamber orchestras?

If not, who thought of them first? Sir Neville? Harry Blech?

[doversoul1]

Have there always been chamber orchestras?

If not, who thought of them first? Sir Neville? Harry Blech?

Weren’t all the orchestras that Dukes, Princes, Emperors, and Popes in the Baroque era had in their palaces and courts chamber orchestras?

[Bryn]

Have there always been chamber orchestras?

If not, who thought of them first? Sir Neville? Harry Blech?

All Beethoven's concertos, and his symphonies, bar the 9th, were first performed by what today would be considered chamber orchestras, I think. When the term "chamber orchestra" was intrduced, I don't know.

[Padraig]

Have there always been chamber orchestras?

I've heard mention of the Basle Chamber Orchestra several times recently, which reminded me that my first purchase of a Bach piece was Brandenburg 3, with Paul Sacher and The Basle CO in 1956. I still have it - a little Philips Classical Favourites EP.

[french frank]

Weren’t all the orchestras that Dukes, Princes, Emperors, and Popes in the Baroque era had in their palaces and courts chamber orchestras?

I thought so. The big symphony orchestras didn't come until people started composing big symphonies.

But there were also string orchestras - Mozart wrote for that ensemble.

[cloughie]

Boyd Neel, Thurston Dart and Karl Munchinger come to mind as part of the rise in popularity/revival? of the Chamber Orchestra in the late 40s/early 50s.

[BBMmk2]

Boyd Neel, Thurston Dart and Karl Munchinger come to mind as part of the rise in popularity/revival? of the Chamber Orchestra in the late 40s/early 50s.

The modern day chamber orchestra yes, was begun around the time of those artists as mentioned above.

[teamsaint]

The St Paul Chamber Orchestra has a really superb website.

https://www.thespco.org/blog/category/music/

Excellent concert archives are just a part of it.

[Pulcinella]

Do Sinfoniettas (London, Bournemouth, City of London) count?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Do Sinfoniettas (London, Bournemouth, City of London) count?

I think so - and "Cameratas".

[cloughie]

I think so - and "Cameratas".

Or even a Concert!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Or even a Concert!

... not to mention an Academy!

A quick visit to Wikiland suggests that the Boyd Neel and Jacques Orchestras were the first in England to use what we'd call "Chamber Orchestra" dimensions - the former debuting in 1933 (22nd June - after which the maestro left the concert hall to go to his surgery and deliver a baby) the latter in 1936. (Munchinger founded the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in 1945. Richter's Munich Bach Orchestra was established in 1953).

[Bryn]

... not to mention an Academy!

A quick visit to Wikiland suggests that the Boyd Neel and Jacques Orchestras were the first in England to use what we'd call "Chamber Orchestra" dimensions - the former debuting in 1933 (22nd June - after which the maestro left the concert hall to go to his surgery and deliver a baby) the latter in 1936. (Munchinger founded the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in 1945. Richter's Munich Bach Orchestra was established in 1953).

Or the Austro/German version, as in Orchester Wiener Akademie, whose recordings of the Beethoven Symphonies are worthy of attention.

[Richard Barrett]

A quick visit to Wikiland suggests that the Boyd Neel and Jacques Orchestras were the first in England to use what we'd call "Chamber Orchestra" dimensions - the former debuting in 1933 (22nd June - after which the maestro left the concert hall to go to his surgery and deliver a baby) the latter in 1936. (Munchinger founded the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in 1945. Richter's Munich Bach Orchestra was established in 1953).

Interesting... still, these ensembles were generally much larger than those originally used in the repertoire they played. "Sinfonietta" on the other hand tends to indicate an ensemble with (usually) single players on the string parts and specialising in 20th century and later repertoire, although of course it corresponds more closely to the "orchestras" maintained by princely courts etc. in the 18th century.

I have the impression that "chamber orchestras" as such are on the wane these days, as their principal repertoire has been taken over by HIPP ensembles, leaving not much that's legitimately "theirs", with some prominent exceptions like all the pieces commissioned by Paul Sacher for his Basel ensemble.

[Pulcinella]

Interesting... still, these ensembles were generally much larger than those originally used in the repertoire they played. "Sinfonietta" on the other hand tends to indicate an ensemble with (usually) single players on the string parts and specialising in 20th century and later repertoire, although of course it corresponds more closely to the "orchestras" maintained by princely courts etc. in the 18th century.

I have the impression that "chamber orchestras" as such are on the wane these days, as their principal repertoire has been taken over by HIPP ensembles, leaving not much that's legitimately "theirs", with some prominent exceptions like all the pieces commissioned by Paul Sacher for his Basel ensemble.

And what a legacy we have as a result!