The Original Recordings 1951-1966
Willem van Otterloo
CC 72383 - 0608917238327
Van Otterloo’s recording career began in 1946, while he was still conductor of the Utrechts Stedelijk Orkest. He made twenty recordings for Decca with The Hague Philharmonic, all on fragile 78-rpm black shellac discs, mainly accompanying Dutch opera singers and a single violin soloist, Zoltan Szekely (Glazunov’s Violin Concerto). One exception – much to the displeasure of The Hague Philharmonic’s then-conductor – was Brahms’s Tragic Overture, recorded in 1947. In 1950 Philips introduced the long-playing record, the ‘LP’, and from the outset Van Otterloo was the label’s ‘house conductor’ and The Hague Philharmonic the house orchestra.
Of Philips’ first eight LPs releases, half are with WvO/RO. This collaboration would continue until 1961: he recorded a total of 121 compositions with The Hague Philharmonic, all but one in the spacious acoustics of the Concert-gebouw in Amsterdam. In addition to his own orchestra (RO), Van Otterloo made two recordings with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, two with the Berliner Philharmoniker, seventeen with the Wiener Symphoniker and two with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for Philips Phonographische Industrie. Philips also brought Van Otterloo to Paris in 1953 to record six compositions by Hector Berlioz with the Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux – works that by all rights should have been included in this collection, were it not for the fact that they are substandard recordings, made in a bone-dry hall devoid of all acoustics.
After the contract with Philips ended in 1961, WvO/RO made six recordings for DGG, including two particularly fine performances of Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 and Symphony No. 55 (WvO/RO Box 1, Challenge Classics CC 72142).
Following a lull in his recording career – just ten recordings for the budget label Muzikale Meesterwerken (Concert Hall) – Van Otterloo resumed his recording activities in Australia: six recordings with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for ABC and twentysix with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, issued by WRC, ABC, AMC, RCA and Chandos. In addition to a number of contemporary Australian composers, highlights from this period include Mozart (Gran Partita), Frank Martin (Petite Symphonie Concertante), various works by Debussy and Ravel, and an album with seven works by Beethoven. In July 1978 he recorded Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Two days after the final recording session Van Otterloo was killed in an automobile accident in Melbourne. He was 70 years old. (source: linernotes with cd The Original Recordings 1951-1966 )
"Dit is een buitengewoon interessante productie."
Aarnout Coster - Opusklassiek.nl - Juni 2011
"This is an extraordinary interesting production."
Aarnout Coster - Opusklassiek.nl - June 2011
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1The Bartered BrideOverture06:32
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2The Bartered BridePolka, Fyriant Dance of the Comedians12:11
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3Les Eolides08:39
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4Symphony in dLento Allegro non troppo Allegro17:23
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5Symphony in dAllegretto10:22
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6Symphony in dAllegro non troppo09:31
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1Symphony no. 5 in c op. 67Allegro con brio07:28
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2Symphony no. 5 in c op. 67Andante con moto10:27
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3Symphony no. 5 in c op. 67Allegro05:12
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4Symphony no. 5 in c op. 67Allegro08:41
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5Overture Fidelio06:13
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6Symphony no. 5 in B flat D 485Allegro06:41
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7Symphony no. 5 in B flat D 485Andante con moto10:28
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8Symphony no. 5 in B flat D 485Minuetto - Allegro molto04:52
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9Symphony no. 5 in B flat D 485Allegro Vivace05:16
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10Akademische Festouvertüre op. 8010:31
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1Symphony no. 7 in EAllegro moderato18:24
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2Symphony no. 7 in EAdagio24:54
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3Symphony no. 7 in EScherzo - Trio09:43
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4Symphony no. 7 in EFinale11:05
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1Siegfried Iddyll16:41
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2Symphony no. 3 in c op. 78Adagio - Allegro moderato08:35
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3Symphony no. 3 in c op. 78Poco Adagio08:41
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4Symphony no. 3 in c op. 78Allegro moderato - Presto06:52
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5Symphony no. 3 in c op. 78Maestoso - Allegro07:06
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6Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 1 in f sharp op. 1Vivace12:23
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7Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 1 in f sharp op. 1Andante05:43
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8Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 1 in f sharp op. 1Allegro vivace07:32
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1Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 2 in c op 18Moderato10:30
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2Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 2 in c op 18Adagio sostenuto11:32
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3Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 2 in c op 18Allegro Scherzando11:44
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4PsychéLe sommeil de Psyché07:04
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5PsychéPsyché enlevée pas les Zephirs02:19
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6PsychéLes jardin d'Eros03:18
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7PsychéPsyché et Eros13:55
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8PsychéLe Châtiment15:36
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1Symphony no. 6 in F op. 68 'Pastoral'Allegro ma non troppo11:37
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2Symphony no. 6 in F op. 68 'Pastoral'Andante molto mosso12:48
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3Symphony no. 6 in F op. 68 'Pastoral'Allegro05:27
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4Symphony no. 6 in F op. 68 'Pastoral'Allegro03:27
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5Symphony no. 6 in F op. 68 'Pastoral'Allegretto09:20
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6Concerto for piano an orchestra no. 3 in c op. 37Allegro con brio16:02
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7Concerto for piano an orchestra no. 3 in c op. 37Largo08:44
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8Concerto for piano an orchestra no. 3 in c op. 37Rondo08:55
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1Turkish March op. 11301:45
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2Violin Romance no. 1 G op. 4008:02
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3Violin Romance no. 1 G op. 4009:11
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4Overture Rosamunde D 64409:54
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5Rákoczy March04:15
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6Symphony no. 2 in CAllegro07:09
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7Symphony no. 2 in CAdagio ma non troppo05:03
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8Symphony no. 2 in CMinuetto (Allegro)01:58
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9Symphony no. 2 in CFinale (Scherzo - Presto)02:52
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10Coronation March(opera 'Le Prophete')03:56
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11Overture der Freischütz08:44
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12Two Elegiac Melodies op. 34 for string orchestraHeart Wounds03:39
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13Two Elegiac Melodies op. 34 for string orchestraLast Spring05:05
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14March op. 33 bis01:36
Willem van Otterloo - The Original Recordings 51 - 66 - Opusklassiek.nl - Juni 2011
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