ABBA

Founded in 1881 by Charles Lamoureux as the Societe des Nouveaux-Concerts in Paris, France, this orchestra is also known by the names: Association des Concerts Lamoureux, the Lamoureux Concert Orchestra, and Orchestre Lamoureux.

Their first concert took place on 23^rd October 1881. Charles Lamoureux was their first conductor and led the orchestra until his death in 1899.

Camille Chevillard, who had been the second conductor since 1890, took over the reins. On his watch, the orchestra delivered the premieres of Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes, in 1900 and 1901, and La Mer, on 15^th October 1905. On 25^th May 1906, they gave the French premiere of The Dream of Gerontius by Edward Elgar.

Paul Paray assumed the conductorship in 1923. In 1927, the orchestra accompanied Lord Menuhin during his Paris debut.

Albert Wolff became the orchestra’s fourth conductor in 1928. On 11^th January 1930, they gave the premiere of “Bolero”, with Maurice Ravel conducting. They released Ravel’s “La Valse” and Cesar Franck’s “Symphonie d-moll” in 1931. “Bolero” was on the shelves in 1932. In 1933, they issued Ravel’s “Fanfare” from L’Eventail de Jeanne.

Eugene Bigot wielded the baton from 1935 to 1950. In 1943, the orchestra recorded “Air des letters” from Werther by Jules Massenet and “Ad lumen eternam” by Maximilien-Paul-Marie-Felix-d’Ollone. They had an unusual guest conductor in May 1947: Nine-year-old Pierino Gamba directed the orchestra in a double-header of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5” and Franz Schubert’s “Symphony No. 8” (“Unfinished”).

In 1948, they recorded Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Concerto No. 15 in B flat major, K. 450”. They immortalized Bela Bartok’s “Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra” and “Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 1” to vinyl in 1949.

In 1951, Jean Martinon succeeded Eugene Bigot at the podium. His tenure included several recordings, such as The Trojans at Carthage by Hector Berlioz in 1952. Jules Gressier directed the orchestra on recordings of Die lustige Witwe by Franz Lehar, Orphee aux Enfers by Jacques Offenbach, Le Petit duc by Charles Lecocq, and Veronique by Andre Messager. In 1953, the orchestra released Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande on the Philips label.

Igor Markevitch conducted the orchestra from 1957 to 1961. During this time, they recorded: Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture, Op. 62”, “Fidelio Overture, Op. 72”, “Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72a”, “Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67”, “Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68” (“Pastorale”), “Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93,“Die Weihe Hauses Overture, Op. 124” and “Zur Namensfeier Overture, Op. 115”; Hector Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust; George Bizet’s “Jeux D’Enfants – Petite Suite d’Orchestre, Op. 22”; Lili Boulanger’s “Du fond de l’abime”, “Pie Jeus”, “Psaume 24”, “Psaume 29” and “Vieille priere bouddhique”; Johannes Brahms’ “Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98”; Claude Debussy’s La Mer and “2 Danses pour harpe et orchestre d’instruments a cordes”; Charles Gounod’s “Symphony No. 2 in E flat major”; Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major, Hob. I:105”; Leopold Mozart’s “Toy Symphony”; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385” (“Haffner”); Jacques Offenbach’s La Perichole; Albert Roussel’s Bacchus et Ariane; Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32; and, Richard Wagner’s “Lohengrin – Act I Prelude”, “Lohengrin – Act III Prelude” and “Tannhauser Overture”.

Charles Munch led the orchestra on their 1962 recording, E. Lalo; C. Saint-Saens: Deux Concertos pour Violoncelle, with cellist Andre Navarra. In 1964, Jean Fournet conducted them on Ambroise Thomas’s Mignon, with Choeur Raymond St. Paul. Charles Munch was back at the helm for Albert Roussel: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4, and Jean-Baptiste Mari oversaw their rendering of N.C. Bochsa: Concerto pour Harpe No. 1 en re mineur (oeuvre 15); J.N. Hummel: Concerto pour Trompette en mi majeur, with soloists Lily Laskine and Maurice Andre, in 1965.

In 1970, Yvon Leenart led the charge on Franz Lehar’s Le pays du sourire. Jean Fournet reunited with the orchestra on Niccolo Paganini: Concerto pour Violon et Orchestra No. 4; Camille Saint-Saens: Concerto pour Violon et Orchestre No. 3 in 1972.

In 1979, Jean-Claude Bernede took over conducting duties. He directed them on the 1980 French confection, La Mer; Le Bolero; Pavane pour une infante defunte. Theodore Hollenbach was the conductor when they joined forces with the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and Rochester Oratio Society for Gioacchino Rossini’s Stabat Mater at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on 18^th July 1981. In 1987, Jean-Pierre Marty led them on a recording of extracts from Louis Ganne’s Les Saltimbanques.

Valentin Kojin led the orchestra from 1991 to 1993. In 1993, following a pair of guest appearances, Yutaka Sado (or Sado Yutaka) was hired as chief conductor. On his watch, they have recorded: Hommage a l’orchestre Lamoureux: Espana; Bolero; Jacques Ibert: Escales; Divertissement; Symphonie marine; Ma vie mon oeuvre; Picasso and Dance; and, Les Rita Mitsouko en Concert avec l’Orchestre Lamoureux.

In the last couple of years, the orchestra has raised the curtain on Le Concert au Theatre du Chatelet le vendredi with Tchaikovsky’s “Concerto pour violon et orchestre, Op. 35” and performed music of Bjork and The Verve for Chanel’s fashion show at the Grand Palais.

Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux recordings

Bacchanale (Jacques Ibert)

Conductor – Yutaka Sado

(CD: Jacques Ibert: Escales; Divertissement; Symphonie marine; Bacchanale; Ouverture de fete)

Sources: