Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the world's preeminent symphony orchestras, known for its distinctive "Philadelphia Sound" characterized by rich strings, warm sonority, and tonal beauty developed over more than a century of performance. Founded in 1900, the orchestra gained international reputation under music directors including Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy, making landmark recordings and pioneering innovations including the sound recording used in Disney's "Fantasia." The orchestra performs at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall and continues representing Philadelphia in the highest echelons of classical music.[1]
History
[edit | edit source]The Philadelphia Orchestra gave its first concert on November 16, 1900, at the Academy of Music under conductor Fritz Scheel. The orchestra developed rapidly under Scheel and his successor Carl Pohlig, establishing itself as a significant American orchestra. However, the transformative era began with Leopold Stokowski's appointment as music director in 1912.[1]
Stokowski led the orchestra for nearly three decades (1912-1941), developing the "Philadelphia Sound" and building international reputation. His innovations included free bowing for strings (allowing players to bow independently rather than in unison), revised seating arrangements, and attention to acoustic effects that produced the orchestra's distinctive sonority. Stokowski also pioneered orchestra recording, creating some of the most influential classical recordings of the early electrical era.[1]
Eugene Ormandy succeeded Stokowski and led the orchestra for an remarkable 44 years (1936-1980, overlapping and then succeeding Stokowski). Ormandy refined and perpetuated the Philadelphia Sound, making hundreds of recordings that brought the orchestra into homes worldwide. The Ormandy era established Philadelphia among the "Big Five" American orchestras alongside New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland.[1]
Subsequent music directors including Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Christoph Eschenbach, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin (current) have maintained excellence while adapting to changing audiences and financial realities. The orchestra's 2011 bankruptcy filing, from which it emerged successfully, reflected challenges facing orchestras nationally.[1]
The Philadelphia Sound
[edit | edit source]The "Philadelphia Sound" refers to the orchestra's distinctive tonal qualities: lush string tone, warm brass, and overall sonic richness that recordings captured and disseminated. This sound resulted from Stokowski's innovations, Ormandy's refinement, and generations of musicians trained in the tradition. While contemporary orchestras have converged somewhat in sound, the Philadelphia Orchestra retains distinctive characteristics recognizable to knowledgeable listeners.[1]
The sound was particularly suited to romantic repertoire—the Rachmaninoff symphonies and concertos recorded with the composer as pianist became definitive interpretations. The orchestra's recordings of Brahms, Sibelius, and other romantic composers similarly set standards. This repertoire specialization both reflected and reinforced the orchestra's sonic strengths.[1]
Fantasia
[edit | edit source]The orchestra's collaboration with Walt Disney on "Fantasia" (1940) represented a landmark in both film and music history. Stokowski conducted the orchestra in the film's classical music selections, which were synchronized with animated sequences. The innovative "Fantasound" system created for the film advanced audio technology significantly. "Fantasia" introduced classical music to audiences who might never have attended a symphony concert, extending the orchestra's influence far beyond the concert hall.[1]
Contemporary Operations
[edit | edit source]The orchestra performs a subscription season at Verizon Hall in the Kimmel Center, presenting symphonic repertoire alongside contemporary works, guest soloists, and collaborative productions. Summer performances at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Fairmount Park extend the season and reach broader audiences. Touring maintains international presence while broadcasts and recordings continue the media engagement Stokowski pioneered.[1]
Education and community engagement programs connect the orchestra to Philadelphia beyond subscription audiences. Youth concerts, school programs, and community performances extend classical music's reach. These efforts address the challenge facing orchestras of developing new audiences as traditional classical music subscribers age.[1]
See Also
[edit | edit source]- Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
- Academy of Music
- Leopold Stokowski
- Eugene Ormandy
- Philadelphia Arts