The London Classical Players (LCP) was a British orchestra that specialized in music following historically informed performance (HIP) practices and orchestral performances on period musical instruments. Sir Roger Norrington founded the LCP in 1978. From 1978 to 1992, the concertmaster of the London Classical Players was baroque violinist John Holloway.[1] The LCP made a variety of recordings for EMI Classics. Many of the players in the LCP overlapped with four other major HIP orchestral ensembles, the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Concert, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the English Baroque Soloists.[2]

Among their famous concert series was "The Beethoven Experience" in 1987,[3] and "The Berlioz Experience" in 1988.[4] In 1996, the LCP was invited to open the Prague Spring Festival in the traditional opening festival concert of Bedrich Smetana's Ma Vlast, a controversial decision at the time.[5]

In 1997 the LCP formally dissolved and its work was absorbed into the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.[6]

Selected discography

References

  1. ^ Artist Profile: John Holloway, Aloysia Assenbaum and Lars-Ulrik Mortensen. Saint Paul Sunday, American Public Media (radio program)]
  2. ^ Helen Wallace, "Who needs a director?" BBC Music Magazine, September 2006.
  3. ^ John Rockwell, "Music: In-Depth Beethoven Experience". New York Times, 10 February 1987.
  4. ^ Michael Walsh, "Only Poetry Played Here". Time, 21 March 1988. Archived 29 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Notes to CD recording of Ma Vlast, London Classical Players, Roger Norrington, conductor; Virgin Veritas 5453012.
  6. ^ "Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment | Linn Records".

External links

Major orchestras based in London
Authority control databases
Categories