The Philharmonia Hungarica was a

symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...

, based in

Marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, which existed from 1956 to 2001. It was first established in

Baden bei Wien Baden (German for " Baths"; Central Bavarian: ''Bodn''), unofficially distinguished from other Badens as Baden bei Wien (Baden near Vienna), is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of Lower Austria. Loc ...

near

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

by Hungarian musicians who had fled their homeland after it was invaded by Soviet troops. This

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

ensemble gathered together some of Hungary's finest musical talent and was directed by Zoltán Rozsnyai, former conductor of the

Hungarian National Philharmonic The Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra ( hu, Nemzeti Filharmonikus Zenekar; formerly, the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, hu, Magyar Állami Hangversenyzenekar) is one of the most prestigious symphony orchestras in Hungary. Based in t ...

. Through the ardent efforts of Rozsnyai and honorary president

Antal Doráti Antal Doráti (, , ; 9 April 1906 – 13 November 1988) was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1943. Biography Antal Doráti was born in Budapest, where his father Alexander Doráti was a vi ...

, the Philharmonia Hungarica quickly matured into one of Europe's most distinguished orchestras. During the 1970s, Doráti and the orchestra, under contract with

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

, made a recording of the complete cycle of

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...

; only two other ensembles, the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, conducted by

Ádám Fischer Ádám Fischer (born 9 September 1949 in Budapest) is a Hungarian conductor. He is the general music director of the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, chief conductor of the Danish Chamber Orchestra, and chief conductor of the Düsseldorfer Sym ...

, and the

Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra (Stuttgarter Kammerorchester) is a German chamber orchestra based in Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar ...

, conducted by

Dennis Russell Davies Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American conductor and pianist, He is currently the music director and chief conductor of the Brno Philharmonic. Biography Davies studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard Sch ...

have since repeated this feat. Doráti's recording has been widely reported as a world-first. However, this was not the case.

Ernst Märzendorfer Ernst Märzendorfer (26 May 192116 September 2009) was an Austrian conductor. Märzendorfer was born in Oberndorf bei Salzburg. He studied with Clemens Krauss at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and was appointed as first conductor of the Graz Opera i ...

earlier recorded the complete Haydn symphonies with the

Vienna Chamber Orchestra The Vienna Chamber Orchestra (Wiener Kammer Orchester, or WKO) is an Austrian chamber orchestra based at the Vienna Konzerthaus. History The WKO was founded in 1946, and its first artistic directors were Franz Litschauer, Heinrich Hollreiser, Pa ...

, although it was given a very limited release.Music Web International
/ref> In 1976 the Philharmonia Hungarica recorded

Jon Lord John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...

's critically acclaimed 'Sarabande' album, an original collection of movements inspired by the baroque dance suites. From the orchestra's inception, the West German government sought to harness its anti-

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

potential. As a result, the government generously funded the orchestra throughout the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

and continued extending subsidies even after the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...

fell in 1990. The full withdrawal of state subsidies at the start of 2001, combined with the long-term decline in concert attendances, aggravated the financial problems that threatened the orchestra's survival. The beleaguered Philharmonia Hungarica finally disbanded after giving a farewell concert in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

on 22 April 2001, featuring a performance of

Anton Bruckner Josef Anton Bruckner (; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-Germ ...

's Symphony No. 9 including the Finale (Ed.

Nicola Samale Nicola Samale (born 14 September 1941 in Castelnuovo d'Istria, Italy, now Podgrad, Ilirska Bistrica in Slovenia), is a composer and conductor. Biography Nicola Samale studied 1959–72 at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome, Flute ( ...

, John A. Phillips,

Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs (born 21 September 1965, in Hameln) is a German conductor, scholar, and publicist on music. Early career Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs gave his early conducting debut 1984 with the orchestra of the Youth Music School in Hameln, ...

and Giuseppe Mazzuca) conducted by Robert Bachmann, as well as the German first performance of the Documentation of the Finale Fragment, edited by John A. Phillips, conducted and presented by

. The concert was attended by an estimated audience of 150 in a concert hall meant to hold 2000 (Tonhalle Düsseldorf), after members of the German Orchestral Union had falsely announced in public that the concert would be cancelled. Plans to rescue the orchestra failed, because there was no political interest any longer to keep it alive.

References

External links

Philharmonia Hungarica official website
archived at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

Rozsnyai's establishment of the Philharmonia HungaricaMatthew Westphal, "Philharmonia Hungarica Play Final Concert and Disbands", ''Andante'' (April 24, 2001)
{{Authority control German symphony orchestras Hungarian orchestras Musical groups established in 1956 Musical groups disestablished in 2001 Disbanded orchestras 1956 establishments in West Germany 2001 disestablishments in Germany