Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has just announced that the company joined the club of orchestras which distribute their own recordings by establishing the ‘Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings. The first recording is a Schumann cycle on CD and Blu-ray which will be released on 23 May 2014 with a vinyl edition to follow. Other releases this year include Bach’s St John Passion, conducted by Simon Rattle and staged by Peter Sellars, and a complete cycle of Franz Schubert’s symphonies with Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Releases on Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings will be available exclusively from the online shops of the Berliner Philharmoniker and from selected retailers.
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The Berliner Philharmoniker present their new label
Berlin (24 Mai 2014) – The Berliner Philharmoniker launch a new in-house label, Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings, to release selected future concert programmes, marking the first time the orchestra will be responsible for the technical and editorial presentation of its own recordings. The first recording on the new label is one of the Berliner Philharmoniker ’s most important musical projects in recent years: Robert Schumann’s complete symphonies conducted by chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle. In addition to a double CD, the lavishly designed edition also includes high-resolution video and audio on Blu-ray Disc.
Schumann’s four symphonies have always been part of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s core repertoire, and a 1953 Wilhelm Furtwängler recording, in particular, has long been held in the highest regard. The cycle of four symphonies presented now has accompanied the Berliner Philharmoniker through the whole of 2013 – in Berlin and on tour in Europe and Asia. The performances were called a “defining moment” by Tagesspiegel, while the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung praised the orchestra’s “truly sensational quality.” A special feature of this recording is the performance of the early version of the Fourth Symphony from 1841, which appealed to Simon Rattle for its extra “lightness, grace and beauty,” compared to the established later version.
Simon Rattle about this first release on Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings: “The Schumann Symphonies have never been considered one of the sure-fire big sellers of all music, but for us Berliner Philharmoniker, this music is closer to our hearts than almost any other. So we think it is wonderful to launch our new label with Schumann. We believe that these recordings are something special, and that we have a very distinct point of view on these wonderful pieces. So we said, let’s share our interpretations with others. And hopefully this is really the start of a new wave of orchestraproduced recordings.”
The presentation of the product goes far beyond that of standard recordings. The linen-bound hardcover edition contains the Schumann cycle in the traditional audio format on two CDs, as well as on Blu-ray Disc which enables music lovers to listen to the recording in audiophile studio quality of 96 kHz/24-bit or as HD video. If you are looking for even higher resolution, there is an accompanying code which allows you to download a version online in up to 192 kHz/24-bit. An additional code grants seven days free access to the Berliner Philharmoniker’s video platform, the Digital Concert Hall. The bonus material comprises behind-the-scenes videos, including a conversation with Simon Rattle, and a comprehensive booklet with articles about the composer, his symphonies and the history of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Schumann tradition.
Olaf Maninger, media board member and principal cellist of the Berliner Philharmoniker says: “Our orchestra has had a presence on the international recorded music market for over 100 years. The founding of Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings represents a new chapter in our media history. We now have the ability to control the selection of our repertoire, the product features and marketing. Here, we can realise a technical and editorial standard which meets the highest of demands. But above all, the new label allows us to build on the rewarding experience of our work with the Digital Concert Hall: direct contact with our friends around the world.”