Staatskapelle Berlin

The Staatskapelle Berlin (German: [ˈʃtaːtskaˌpɛlə bɛɐ̯ˈliːn]) is a German orchestra and the resident orchestra of the Berlin State Opera. Until the fall of the German Empire in 1918 the orchestra's name was "Königliche Kapelle", i.e. Royal Orchestra.

The orchestra traces its roots to 1570, when Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg established the rules for an orchestra at his court which had been constituted, at an unknown date. In 1701, the affiliation of the Electors of Brandenburg to the position of King of Prussia led to the description of the orchestra as Königlich Preußische Hofkapelle ("Royal Prussian Court Orchestra"), which consisted of about 30 musicians. The orchestra became affiliated with the Royal Court Opera, established in 1742 by Frederick the Great. Noted musicians associated with the orchestra have included Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Franz Benda, and Johann Joachim Quantz

The first concert by the ensemble for a wider audience outside of the royal courts was on 1 March 1783 at the Hotel Paris, led by Johann Friedrich Reichardt, the ensemble's Kapellmeister. After the advent of Giacomo Meyerbeer as Kapellmeister, from 1842, the role of the orchestra expanded and a first annual concert series for subscribers was launched. The orchestra gave a number of world and German premieres of works by Richard Wagner, Felix Mendelssohn, and Otto Nicolai.

The orchestra's music director, the Staatskapellmeister, holds the same post with the Berlin State Opera. The orchestra was in the eastern part of Berlin, and thus was part of East Germany from 1945 to 1990.

The current Staatskapellmeister of the orchestra and the opera has been Daniel Barenboim since 1992. Barenboim has had the title of "conductor for life" for the ensemble since 2000. In July 2013, the orchestra made its first-ever appearances at The Proms, performing the four operas of Der Ring des Nibelungen, the first complete Ring cycle to be given in a single Proms season. In January 2017, the orchestra and Barenboim performed the complete symphonies of Anton Bruckner at Carnegie Hall, the first live Bruckner symphony cycle ever performed in the USA. In July 2017, the orchestra was the first non-UK orchestra to perform the two completed symphonies of Edward Elgar at The Proms in a single season.

Barenboim and the orchestra have made several recordings for the Teldec and Decca labels.

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1937

Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group

Notes: Often identified as the Berlin State Opera Orchestra on U.S. releases.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 232 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick 1½bz 12-in. 1930 Court of the Castle of Antwerp State Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Berlin [Germany] ; Herman Weigert Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 6bm 12-in. 1926 Ein Heldenleben The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 180bm 12-in. Oct. 1926 Jupiter symphony no. 41 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 181bm 12-in. Oct. 1926 Jupiter symphony no. 41 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 182bm 12-in. Oct. 1926 Jupiter symphony no. 41 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 183bm 12-in. Oct. 1926 Jupiter symphony no. 41 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 184bm 12-in. Oct. 1926 Jupiter symphony no. 41 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 185bm 12-in. Oct. 1926 Jupiter symphony no. 41 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 186bm 12-in. Oct. 1926 Jupiter symphony no. 41 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 219bm 12-in. 1926 Death and transfiguration, op. 24 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 220bm 12-in. 1926 Death and transfiguration, op. 24 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 221bm 12-in. 1926 Death and transfiguration, op. 24 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 222bm 12-in. 1926 Death and transfiguration, op. 24 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 223bm 12-in. 1926 Death and transfiguration, op. 24 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 224bm 12-in. 1926 Death and transfiguration, op. 24 The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 225bm 12-in. 1926 Intermezzo : Act I The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 226bm 12-in. 1926 intermezzo : Act I (concluded) The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 227bm 12-in. 1926 Der Rosenkavalier : Waltz The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 228bm 12-in. 1926 Der Rosenkavalier : Waltz (concluded) The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 229bm 12-in. 1926 Intermezzo : Waltz The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 230bm 12-in. 1926 Intermezzo : Waltz The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin ; Richard Strauss Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 252bv 12-in. 1929 Symphony no. 2 Erich Kleiber ; The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 339½bg 12-in. 1926 Symphony No. 7 in A major The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 340bg 12-in. 1926 Symphony No. 7 in A major The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin Orchestra Musical group  
Brunswick 341bg 12-in. 1926 Symphony No. 7 in A major The State Opera Orchestra, Berlin Orchestra Musical group  
(Results 1-25 of 232 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Staatskapelle Berlin," accessed June 6, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103300.

Staatskapelle Berlin. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 6, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103300.

"Staatskapelle Berlin." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 6 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103300

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.