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CBC Symphony Orchestra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CBC Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra
Native nameOrchestre symphonique de la SRC
Short nameCBCSO/OSSRC
Founded1952; 72 years ago (1952)
Disbanded1964; 60 years ago (1964)
LocationToronto, Ontario

The CBC Symphony Orchestra (French: Orchestre symphonique de la SRC; CBCSO/OSSRC) was a radio orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during the 1950s and 1960s.

History

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The CBCSO was founded in 1952, and gave its first broadcast on 29 September 1952 performing Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 3 and the overture to Gioachino Rossini's opera La Cenerentola. Conductor Geoffrey Waddington served as the orchestra's only music director,[1] although other conductors, such as Jean-Marie Beaudet, had strong ties with the orchestra. The CBCSO consisted of 80 instrumentalists of which approximately half were also members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.[2] Violinist Albert Pratz was concertmaster of the orchestra from 1953–1961.[3]

The CBCSO played weekly broadcasts on CBC Radio and also made frequent appearances on CBC Television. The orchestra performed internationally, including a tour in London, England,[4] and a performance at the Inter-American Music Festival in 1961.[5] Many of its performances were recorded by Radio Canada International and distributed outside Canada.[6] The orchestra recorded with the Mendelssohn Choir,[7] with CBC's Festival Singers, and with pianist Glenn Gould.[8]

The CBCSO performed and recorded many of the works of composer/conductor Igor Stravinsky,[9] including his Symphony of Psalms,[10][11] which featured Stravinsky as conductor and violinist Steven Staryk as concertmaster.[12]

The orchestra disbanded in 1964.[3][7]

References

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  1. ^ Benjamin Britten (7 July 2011). Letters from a Life Volume 3 (1946-1951): The Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten. Faber & Faber. p. 518. ISBN 978-0-571-27993-7.
  2. ^ "CBC SymphontOrchestra played". Medicine Hat News, Medicine Hat, Alberta, September 29, 2005
  3. ^ a b Wardrop, Patricia. "CBC Symp.hony Orchestra". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
  4. ^ "Murray Ginsberg's story". Toronto Star, Nov. 6, 2009
  5. ^ "Today is October 27", Medicine Hat News, Medicine Hat, Alberta, October 27, 2005
  6. ^ Robin Elliott; Gordon Ernest Smith (2001). Istvan Anhalt: Pathways and Memory. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-7735-2102-5.
  7. ^ a b Ezra Schabas (1994). Sir Ernest MacMillan: The Importance of Being Canadian. University of Toronto Press. pp. 243, 288. ISBN 978-0-8020-2849-5.
  8. ^ Sabine Feisst (2 March 2011). Schoenberg's New World: The American Years. Oxford University Press. p. 417. ISBN 978-0-19-979263-4.
  9. ^ Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide 1998. Gramophone Publications Limited. 1997. pp. 918–919. ISBN 978-0-902470-94-1.
  10. ^ Charles M. Joseph (1 October 2008). Stravinsky Inside Out. Yale University Press. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-300-12936-6.
  11. ^ Eric Walter White (1984). Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works. University of California Press. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-520-03985-8.
  12. ^ Elaine Keillor (18 March 2008). Music in Canada: Capturing Landscape and Diversity. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-7735-3391-2.