Fast Forward
By Lucy Kraus
Go online, download your favorite tunes, grab your MP3 player and take the New York Philharmonic with you! The Orchestra, whose first commercial recording was made in 1917 on an acoustical disc, has leaped into the digital age. Two pioneering recording deals have been inked that will yield a total of seven recordings of live Philharmonic performances a year — four as downloadable concerts, three in the form of CDs, but also available online.
The downloads, called DG Concerts, come courtesy of a three-year agreement with Deutsche Grammophon (DG), which will distribute four live concerts per year as downloads — on iTunes — as well as an additional concert on CD. The first DG Concert — Mozart's final three symphonies, Nos.39, 40, and 41, "Jupiter," recorded live at Avery Fisher Hall in February 2006, led by Music Director Lorin Maazel — reached the iTunes Music Store at the end of March and immediately shot to the top of the iTunes classical chart. The New York Times, in reviewing the concerts, spoke of the "elegance" of playing, and noted that "Mr. Maazel and his orchestra were sophistication and attentiveness themselves." iTunes listeners have offered their own comments: "This CD definitely shows how exciting classical music could be," wrote one; "The recordings are pure delights in every way," said another; a third noted that, "Even if you know these works, these are eye-opening, toe-tapping performances." The symphonies are available individually or as a package of all three.
The second download is also now available, and features performances of Brahms's Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Kodály's Dances of Galánta, and Dvořák's Symphony No. 7. The program was recorded live on March 31, 2006, conducted by Mr. Maazel.
In commenting about the arrangement with Deutsche Grammophon, New York Philharmonic President and Executive Director Zarin Mehta notes, "The Philharmonic was the first orchestra to do a radio broadcast, and has been the most recorded orchestra in America, so being in the vanguard of the technologies of the time is nothing new for us. But of course, we're thrilled."
The second recording deal, a partnership with New World Records, will produce two CDs per year that will mine the rich store of recent New York Philharmonic commissions in their world premieres. The first disc, released in June 2006, includes two commissionssss, both recorded live and in concert: Stephen Hartke's Symphony No. 3 (2003) and Augusta Read Thomas's Gathering Paradise: Emily Dickinson Settings for Soprano and Orchestra (2004). Soloists are The Hilliard Ensemble in the Hartke, and soprano Heidi Grant Murphy in the Thomas. A 1991 Philharmonic performance of Jacob Druckman's Summer Lightning is also included. All three works are conducted by Lorin Maazel.
"The commitment by the New York Philharmonic and New World to present works by deserving composers that would otherwise go unrecorded is a major achievement," says New World Records President Herman Krawitz. "We are particularly proud of the longevity — nearly 30 years — of our fruitful association with this extraordinary ensemble." New World Records recorded 13 American works with the Orchestra between 1983 and 1991.
Throughout its history, the New York Philharmonic has appeared on some 1,500 recordings. But, like ensembles around the world, it found that making recordings the old-fashioned way was becoming increasingly costly. According to Mr. Mehta, it was a breakthrough agreement with the Philharmonic players that made these digital recordings possible: "Compliments are owed to the musicians for recognizing that this is the future of classical music."
Lorin Maazel adds his own compliment to the musicians: "Since this orchestra performs so perfectly and so precisely, many of our live performances are worthy of documentation." As for the digital aspect, he adds, "Everyone's at it anyway — why not get on their side?"
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