Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona

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The Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra) (OBC) is a symphony orchestra in Barcelona, Spain. From 1944 to 1967 it was named Orquestra Municipal de Barcelona (Barcelona Municipal Orchestra). In 1967 it changed its name to Orquestra Ciutat de Barcelona (City of Barcelona Orchestra, or OCB) until the 1994/95 season, which took the current name of Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra), known as OBC.

1 History
2 Music directors
3 Performances
4 Premières performed
5 Overseas Tours
6 See also

[edit] History

In addition to the Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, founded in 1847 and devoted to opera and ballet, Barcelona have had several symphonic orchestras since 1888. From 1910 to 1924 a private-based Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona gave its concerts in Teatre Eldorado, conducting Joan Lamote de Grignon. After it, the most relevant orchestra in the town was the excellent Orquestra Pau Casals (1920-1936), conducted by Pablo Casals and linked to the Associació Obrera de Concerts (Workers' Society for Concerts). After the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), both orchestra and society were forbidden and Casals exiled to France.

In 1944, a new Barcelona public stable orchestra --the current Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona-- was founded with the name of Barcelona Municipal Orchestra, created by the City Hall and promoted by the Catalan conductor and composer Eduard Toldrà. The drive of the personality of Eduard Toldrà at the forefront of the orchestra meant that it consolidated its presence very early in the cultural life of the city. Barcelona has since had a regular cycle of symphonic concerts with the collaboration of the main national and foreign performers and with the aim to make classical music reach the greater public and especially to spread the work of Catalan composers.

After the death of Eduard Toldrà in 1962, Rafael Ferrer took over at the head of the orchestra until 1967, when he was succeeded by Antoni Ros-Marbà. From this moment, it received the name of Orquestra Ciutat de Barcelona (City of Barcelona Orchestra, or OCB) until the constitution of the Consortium made up of the Government of Catalonia and Barcelona City Hall, in the 1994/95 season, which gave it the current name of Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra), known as OBC.

In 1994/1995 season a Consortium made up of the Government of Catalonia and Barcelona City Hall was constituted. Current music and artistic director, and head conductor: Eiji Oue.

[edit] Music directors

Eiji Oue (2006—present)
Ernest Martínez Izquierdo (2002—2005)
Lawrence Foster (1994—2002)
Antonio García Navarro (1991—1993)
Franz-Paul Decker (1986—1991)
Antoni Ros-Marbà (1981—1986)
Salvador Mas (1978—1981)
Antoni Ros-Marbà (1967—1978)
Rafael Ferrer (1962—1967)
Eduard Toldrà (1944—1962)

As well as Antoni Ros-Marbà, the lead conductor until 1978 and for the period 1981-1986, the Orchestra has also been led by Salvador Mas (1978-1981), Franz-Paul Decker (1986-1991) and Antonio García Navarro (1991-1993). In 1994 Franz-Paul Decker was appointed Guest Lead Conductor and Lawrence Foster was the lead conductor from 1996 to 2002, when Ernest Martínez Izquierdo took over. Current conductor, from 2005 is Eiji Oue.

[edit] Performances

The orchestra gives an average of ninety concerts a year (usually, three a week (Friday 21 pm, Saturday 19 pm and Sunday 11 am), during the season) with tours in several cities in Catalonia and Spain, and contributes to the repertoire of Catalan music with many premières and recordings. Its stable season brings together more than 10,000 subscriptions and 145,000 spectators.

In its more than 50 years, the OBC has programmed numerous first performances and has made several recordings including recordings with Decca, EMI, Auvidis, Koch, Claves and Naxos Records. Works by Xavier Montsalvatge, Frederic Mompou, Roberto Gerhard, Manuel de Falla, Joaquin Homs, Mestres Quadreny, Xavier Benguerel, Salvador Brotons, etc., were performed.

[edit] Premières performed

As the main orchestra in the town, the OBC has performed many world premières of musical compositions, including the following:

1948 Xavier Montsalvatge's Simfonia mediterrània (Mediterranean Symphony).
1952 Jaume Pahissa's El camí (The way).
1960 Xavier Montsalvatge's Càntic espiritual.
1961 Frederic Mompou's Variacions sobre un tema de Chopin for orchestra.
1963 Xavier Montsalvatge's Desintegració morfològica de la xacona de J. S. Bach (Morphological desintegration of J.S. Bach's chaconne), as other of the author's works.
1964 Joaquin Homs' Invention for orchestra; other Homs' works have had their premieres by OBC: Presències (1967), Brief symphony (1972), Nonet (1979)...
1974 Josep Soler's opera-oratory Oedipus et Iocasta (many of Soler's work has been first performed by OBC).
1997 Salvador Brotons' oratory Stabat Mater

Many of the world's best soloists and conductors have played with OBC, among them Daniel Barenboim, Gil Shaham, Radu Lupu, Maria Joao Pires, Josep Carreras, Montserrat Caballé, Franz Peter Zimmermann, Gidon Kremer, or Victoria de los Ángeles.

[edit] Overseas Tours

Furthermore, the OBC has maintained continuous artistic activity abroad, with tours in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Korea, Japan, Romania and Puerto Rico. In 2002, it toured the United States, culminating in the Carnegie Hall in New York City, and in the summer of the same year, another tour to Germany, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the BBC Proms in London.

Since April 1999, the Orchestra has had its new headquarters for its musical activity in the new auditorium in Barcelona, L'Auditori, designed by Rafael Moneo. From its foundation to 1998, orchestra was resident at Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona.