OUT NOW | Orpheus Chamber Orchestra to Release 55-CD Set

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the ensemble is releasing its complete recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon label

Deutsche Grammophon announced the upcoming release of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra's complete recordings with their label in a 55-CD box set.

The set is a celebration of the orchestra's upcoming 50th anniversary in 2022. It will feature the ensemble's recordings of Mozart, Haydn, Ives, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Rossini, Vivaldi, and more — as well as an unpublished 2018 recording of Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony, a 148-page booklet of orchestra archives, and 14 albums that have not previously been digitally accessible.

Featured soloists in the collection include Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, and Gil Shaham.

"The recordings in this collection represent the first fruits of the historic collaboration that is Orpheus," Orpheus artistic director and violist Dov Scheindlin told The Violin Channel.

"Born of our time, we embody the democratizing wave that is still cresting in classical music. These recordings helped to demolish the Maestro myth, that leadership must be assigned to one firm hand, and brought a spirit of participation and equality to the fore. These recordings document the success of that vision."

The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a world-renowned ensemble known especially for its cooperative mindset and flexible, unconventional interpretations, due in part to its conductorless nature.

The ensemble's formation in 1972 was "facilitated by the zeitgeist: the antiestablishment values of the protests against the American war in Vietnam, as well as the cooperative spirit fostered by the rising ideal of collective artistic leadership," according to the Deutsche Grammophon release.

"I hope these recordings make our listeners feel as alive as we did when we made them," Scheindlin said. "They are the result of decades of vibrant dialogue amongst ourselves and with our audiences. We’d like to think the spirit of collaborative music-making is infectious, and we hope to transmit the love and joy we feel about this music to the public."

Pre-order or pre-save the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra's "Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon" on the label's website.