Colin Davis and the Concertgebouw Orchestra: A Harmonious Partnership

A Dutch Orchestra with a Strong Bond with a Master British Conductor

The complete Philips recordings of British virtuoso conductor Colin Davis and the Concertgebouw Orchestra are released for the first time in a limited edition 18-CD box set. Recorded in the orchestra’s acoustically perfect home base in Amsterdam, the set features works by Haydn, Berlioz, Dvorak, and Stravinsky that are characteristic of the orchestra’s classical performances.

Colin Davis made his debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1966 and quickly established a good relationship with the orchestra. Davis gave the musicians a lot of freedom, but he also controlled them well and was very popular. His first recordings came eight years later. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (with Arthur Grumiaux) and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique were widely praised for their rhythmic sense and the humble dignity that characterized Davis’ conducting.

Davis’ sympathies are evident in the light rhythms, the refined 18th-century phrasing, and the usual joy of his symphonies. The “Paris” Symphony (except No. 85) was followed by the complete “London” Symphonies (Nos. 93-104). The set also includes No. 84, which Davis recorded with the English Chamber Orchestra at Oiseau-Lille in 1960. This is also the first time that Davis and the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s Haydn symphonies have been released together.

His highly acclaimed recordings of Dvorak include the composer’s last three symphonies, the Violin Concerto (with Salvatore Accardo), and the Cello Concerto (with Heinrich Schiff). Throughout his long career, Davis has particularly enjoyed bringing out the nostalgic aspects and Czech rhythms of Dvorak’s music, and his astute approach to Stravinsky is also evident in his recordings of the three ballets.

These recordings were popular and never disappeared from the catalogue, but listening to them together highlights the strength of Davis’ partnership with a distinctive and remarkable Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Tracklist

CD1: Haydn

• Symphony No. 82 in C major Ho.bI:82 “Bear” (1-4)
• Symphony No. 83 in G minor, Hob.I:83 “The Hen” (5-8)
• Symphony No. 84 in E flat major, Hob.I:84 (9-12)
• Recorded: January 1986 (1-8), October 1960 (9-12)

CD2: Haydn

• Symphony No. 86 in D major Hob.I:86 (1-4)
• Symphony No. 98 in B flat major Hob.I:98 (5-8)
• Recorded: May 1979

CD3: Haydn

• Symphony No. 103 in E-flat major, Hob.I:103 “Drum Beats” (1-4)
• Symphony No. 87 in A major Hob.I:87 (5-8)
• Recorded: November 1976

CD4: Haydn

• Symphony No. 88 in G major Hob.I:88 “V” (1-4)
• Symphony No. 99 in E flat major, Hob.I:99 (5-8)
• Recorded: November 1975

CD5: Haydn

• Symphony No. 92 in G major, Hob.I:92 “Oxford” (1-4)
• Symphony No. 91 in E flat major, Hob.I:91 (5-8)
• Recorded: January 1983

CD6: Haydn

• Symphony No. 93 in D major, Hob.I:93 (1-4)
• Symphony No. 94 in G major Hob.I:94 “Surprise” (5-8)
• Symphony No. 96 in D major Hob.I:96 “Miracle” (9-12)
• Recorded: November-December 1981

CD7: Haydn

• Symphony No. 95 in C minor, Hob.I:95 (1-4)
• Symphony No. 97 in C major, Hob.I:97 (5-8)
• Recorded: December 1980

CD8: Haydn

• Symphony No. 100 in G major Hob.I:100 “Military” (1-4)
• Symphony No. 104 in D major Hob.I:104 “London” (5-8)
• Recorded: November 1977

CD9: Haydn

• Symphony No. 101 in D major Hob.I:101 “The Clock” (1-4)
• Symphony No. 102 in B flat major Hob.I:102 (5-8)
• Recorded: May 1979

CD10: Beethoven

• Violin Concerto in D major, Op.61 (1-3)
• Performer: Arthur Grumiaux (violin)
• Recorded: January 1974

CD11: Berlioz

• Symphonie Fantastique, Op.14 (1-5)
• Recorded: January 1974

CD12: Mussorgsky

• Pictures at an Exhibition (orchestral arrangement by Ravel) (1-12)
• Symphonic poem “Night on Bare Mountain” (arranged by Rimsky-Korsakov) (13)
• Recorded: November 1979

CD13: Dvorak

• Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op.70 (1-4)
• Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op.88 (5-8)
• Recorded: November 1975 (1-4), November 1978 (5-8)

CD14: Dvorak

• Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 “From the New World” (1-4)
• Recorded: November 1977

CD15: Dvorak

• Violin Concerto in A minor, Op.53 (1-3)
• Romance in F minor (4)
• Performer: Salvatore Accardo (violin)
• Recorded: November 1979

CD16: Dvorak

• Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104 (1-3)
• Silence of the Forest Op.68 No.5 (4)
• Performer: Heinrich Schiff (cello)
• Recorded: December 1980

CD17: Stravinsky

• The Firebird (1910 version) (1-15)
• Recorded: November 1978

CD18: Stravinsky

• Ballet “The Rite of Spring” (1-13)
• Ballet “Petrushka” (1947 version) (14-28)
• Recorded: November 1976 (1-13), October 1977 (14-28)

*First CD release

World’s first CD

Performance

• Colin Davis (Conductor)
• Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
• English Chamber Orchestra (CD1: 9-12 only)

Recording Location

• Amsterdam
• London (CD1:9-12 only)