Patron: The Former HRH The Prince of Wales
Chorus Master: Gavin Carr
Accompanist: Timothy End
Arts Council England

Concerts & Recordings 1961

Monday 2 January 1961

Brahms - Ein deutsches Requiem

Kingsway Hall, London

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - soprano
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau - baritone

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Reinhold Schmid

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

Further recording sessions held on 21, 23 and 25 March, 26 April, 4 and 5 May and 8 May 1961

Recording Producers - Walter Legge and Walter Jellinek

Recording Engineer - Douglas Larter

Recorded by Columbia

7:30pm Sunday 22 January 1961

Verdi - Messa da Requiem

Royal Festival Hall, London

Amy Shuard - soprano
Christa Ludwig - mezzo soprano
Luigi Ottolini - tenor
Nicola Zaccaria - bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini

7:30pm Monday 6 February 1961

Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro

Royal Festival Hall, London

Concert performance

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - soprano
Teresa Berganza - mezzo-soprano
Ernest Blanc - baritone
Fernando Corena - bass
Piero Cappuccilli - baritone
Elisabeth Söderström - soprano
Hugues Cuenod - tenor
Heather Harper - soprano
Giorgio Tadeo - bass
Gillian Spencer - soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Masters - Roberto Benaglio and Viola Tunnard

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini

Recorded by Walhall

7:30pm Monday 20 February 1961

Mozart - Don Giovanni

Royal Festival Hall, London

Concert performance

Eberhard Wächter - baritone
Guiseppe Taddei - bass-baritone
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - soprano
Ernst Haefliger - tenor
Mirella Freni - soprano
Piero Cappuccilli - baritone
Gottlob Frick -bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Roberto Benaglio

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini

7:30pm Friday 3 March 1961

Brahms - Ein deutsches Requiem

Royal Festival Hall, London

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - soprano
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau - baritone

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Rheinhold Schmid

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

7:30pm Sunday 2 April 1961

Handel - Messiah

Royal Festival Hall, London

Heather Harper - soprano
Ursula Böse - mezzo-soprano
Peter Pears - tenor
Donald Bell - bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Douglas Robinson

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

7:30pm Tuesday 4 April 1961

Handel - Messiah

Royal Festival Hall, London

Heather Harper - soprano
Ursula Böse - mezzo-soprano
Peter Pears - tenor
Donald Bell - bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Douglas Robinson

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

8:00pm Monday 17 April 1961

Beethoven - Symphony No.9 'Choral'

Royal Festival Hall, London

Wilma Lipp - soprano
Christa Ludwig - mezzo-soprano
Fritz Wunderlich - tenor
Franz Crass - bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Berliner Philharmoniker
conducted by Herbert von Karajan

7:30pm Tuesday 18 April 1961

Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream (incidental music)

Royal Festival Hall, London

Heather Harper - soprano
Janet Baker - mezzo-soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

7:30pm Monday 1 May 1961

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte

Royal Festival Hall, London

Concert performance

Nicolai Gedda - tenor
Agnes Giebel - soprano
Walter Berry - bass
Ingeborg Hallstein - soprano
Walter Kreppel - bass
Lisa Otto - soprano
Franz Crass - bass
John Dobson - tenor
Gerda Sheyrer - soprano
Hilde Konetzni - soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Douglas Robinson

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer



7:30pm Wednesday 3 May 1961

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte

Royal Festival Hall, London

Concert performance

Nicolai Gedda - tenor
Agnes Giebel - soprano
Walter Berry - bass
Ingeborg Hallstein - soprano
Walter Kreppel - bass
Lisa Otto - soprano
Franz Crass - bass
John Dobson - tenor
Gerda Sheyrer - soprano
Hilde Konetzni - soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Douglas Robinson

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

7:30pm Friday 2 June 1961

Beethoven - Symphony No.9 'Choral'

Royal Festival Hall, London

Heather Harper - soprano
Monica Sinclar - mezzo-soprano
Alexander Young - tenor
Donald Bell - bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch

7:30pm Sunday 18 June 1961

Orff - Carmina Burana

Royal Festival Hall, London

Agnes Giebel - soprano
Paul Kuen - tenor
Marcel Cordes - baritone

Upton House School Boys Choir
Chorus Master - Lionel Sawkins

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Leopold Stokowski

7:30pm Sunday 29 October 1961

Beethoven - Missa Solemnis

Royal Festival Hall, London

Agnes Giebel - soprano
Marga Höffgen - mezzo-soprano
Alexander Young - tenor
Walter Kreppel - bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

Monday 13 November 1961

Bellini - Sorgete, è in me dover (Il Pirata, Act 1)

Kingsway Hall, London

Maria Callas - soprano
Monica Sinclair - mezzo-soprano
Alexander Young - tenor

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Antonio Tonini

Further recording sessions on 14 and 15 November 1961

Recording Producer - Walter Legge

Recording Engineer - Douglas Larter

Recorded by Columbia

7:30pm Tuesday 21 November 1961

Trad. Arr. Britten - The National Anthem (London première)
Walton - Belshazzar's Feast

Royal Festival Hall, London

Donald Bell - baritone

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Sir Adrian Boult (National Anthem)
conducted by William Walton (Belshazzar's Feast)

In the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

Wednesday 22 November 1961

Mahler - Symphony No.2 'Resurrection'

Kingsway Hall, London

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - soprano
Hilde Rössi-Majdan - mezzo-soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

Further recording sessions on 23 and 24 November 1961 and 15 and 24 March 1962

Recording Producers- Walter Legge, Walter Jellinek, Suvi Raj Grubb

Recording Engineers - Douglas Larter, Robert Gooch and Francis Dillnutt

Recorded by EMI

7:30pm Monday 27 November 1961

Beethoven - Symphony No.9 'Choral'

Royal Festival Hall, London

Agnes Giebel - soprano
Christa Ludwig - mezzo-soprano
Richard Lewis - tenor
Walter Berry - bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

BBC Third Programme live relay

Recording of the performance subsequently released by Testament

7:30pm Thursday 30 November 1961

Beethoven - Symphony No.9 'Choral'

Royal Festival Hall, London

Agnes Giebel - soprano
Christa Ludwig - mezzo-soprano
Richard Lewis - tenor
Walter Berry - bass

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Wilhelm Pitz

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

BBC Third Programme live relay

Monday 4 December 1961

Bach - Mass in B minor (Choruses)

KIngsway Hall, London

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - John McCarthy

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Otto Klemperer

Further recording sessions held on 5 - 9 December 1961

Recording Producers - Walter Legge and Suvi Raj Grubb

Recording Engineers - Douglas Larter

Recorded by Columbia

The project to record the whole work with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Ursula Boese, Nicolai Gedda and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was never completed. The recording of the choruses is available on Testament SBT1138.

7:30pm Sunday 10 December 1961

Holst - The Planets

Royal Festival Hall, London

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Viola Tunnard

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Sir Adrian Boult