Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s relationship with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra was one of the most transformative partnerships in modern orchestral history, lasting 38 years and totalling 276 concerts. Beginning in 1975 (with Bach’s St. John Passion), the Austrian conductor brought his radical “Historically Informed Performance” (HIP) principles to one of the world’s most traditional romantic orchestras. This collaboration challenged the musicians to rethink their phrasing, articulation, and use of vibrato, ultimately bridging the gap between old-world symphonic sound and baroque authenticity.
What made this partnership unique was the mutual respect between the maestro and the ensemble. While many traditional orchestras initially resisted Harnoncourt’s strict adherence to historical scores, the Concertgebouw musicians embraced his intellectual rigor. Over several decades, they developed a distinctive “Amsterdam style” of performing the First Viennese School – Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven – that combined the orchestra’s legendary warmth with Harnoncourt’s sharp, dramatic energy.
The recorded legacy of this collaboration remains a cornerstone of the classical catalog. Their famous cycles of Mozart and Haydn symphonies were highly acclaimed, as was their profound interpretation of Schubert’s complete symphonic works, which continue to be benchmarks for critics and collectors alike. The box also includes the famous Mozart/Da Ponte trilogy (Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte), starring Thomas Hampson, works by Bruckner, Johann Strauss and Brahms, as well as four albums by Dvořák (his major symphonies and his piano concerto).
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