Meiningen Court Orchestra
The Meiningen Court Orchestra (Ger:Hofkapelle) is one of the oldest and most traditional orchestras in Europe. The now 68-member orchestra is part of the Meininger Theater and in addition to their performances at opera performances regularly give symphony concerts and youth concerts. The music director (GMD) since 2010 is Philippe Bach.
The court orchestra was founded in 1690 by Duke Bernhard I. With the departure of Emil Büchner as court music director in October 1880, the most successful period of the chapel began, when it developed into an elite European orchestra under the direction of Hans von Bülow. Bulow brought Johannes Brahms to Meiningen to cooperate with the court orchestra and to occasionally conduct. Bülow was followed by Richard Strauss from 1885 to 1886 and Max Reger from 1911 to 1914.
Timeline of musical directors
- (1690-1702) Duke Bernhard I
- (1702-1707) Georg Caspar Schürmann
- (1711-1731) Johann Ludwig Bach
- (1865–1880) Emil Büchner
- (1880–1885) Hans von Bülow
- (1885–1886) Richard Strauss
- (1886-1903) Fritz Steinbach
- (1903-1911) Wilhelm Berger
- (1911–1914) Max Reger
- (1926-1930) Heinz Bongratz
- (1945-?) Peter Schmitz
- (1956-1961) Rolf Reuter
- (1961-1967) Olaf Koch
- (1967-1995) Wolfgang Hocke
- (1995-1999) Marie-Jeanne Dufour
- (1999-2004) Kirill Petrenko
- (2007-2010) Hans Urbanek
- (2010–Present) Philippe Bach
World premier of works
- Brahms - Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op.98 (October 25th 1885)
- Strauss - Suite in Bb major (suite for wind) Op. 4 (November 18th 1884)
Notable Instrumentalist
- Richard Mühlfeld - Violinist (1873-1876), Principle clarinetist (1876-?)
- Gustave Knoop - Cellist
- Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer - Cellist