Description

EUGENE ORMANDY (NOVEMBER 18, 1899, BUDAPEST— MARCH 12, 1985, PHILADELPHIA)

Ormandy graduated from the Budapest Royal Academy, where he studied violin with Jenö Hubay, at age 14. By age 17 he was a professor of violin, undertaking concert tours throughout Central Europe. Lured to New York City by the prospect of a U.S. tour, he instead ended up playing the violin in the orchestra of the Capitol Theatre, accompanying silent films. In 1924 he stood in for the regular conductor and thereupon chose conducting as his career. He began conducting light classics for radio and appearing at summer concerts, which led to a position as deputy for Arturo Toscanini during a major concert series of the Philadelphia Orchestra. A contract with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra ensued, and he remained there from 1931 to 1936, gaining national prominence with a series of recordings. He returned to the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1936 to share the conductorship with Leopold Stokowski. In 1938 Ormandy was made principal conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, a post that he held until he retired in 1980. Ormandy shaped the orchestra’s sound by developing the lush, velvety string colour that became its trademark.

TRACKLIST

1. Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) Cameo 1016 1016B2
2. Dr. Eugene Ormandy’s Instrumental Trio From the land of the sky-blue water (Cadman) OKeh 41156 W400054
3. Dr. Eugene Ormandy’s Instrumental Trio Tales of Hoffman (Offenbach) Barcarole OKeh 41156 W400055
4. Home Sweet Home (Casa dulce casa) (Paine-Bishop) Cameo 1851 889
5. Humoresque (Dvorak) with Steffy Goldner Ormandy (harp) OKeh W401085
6. Hymn to the Sun (Rimsky-Korsakov) Cameo 707 707 A2
7. In Shadowland (Lewis-Young-Ahlert-Brooks) Cameo 1471 746
8. Kiss Me Again (Blossom-Herbert) Cameo 1470 1470 A1
9. Liebestraume (Liszt) Cameo 2023 2023 B1
10. Song of India (Rimsky-Korsakov) Cameo 708 708 C2
11. Souvenir (Drdla) with Steffy Goldner Ormandy (harp) OKeh W401086
12. The Prisoner’s Song (Cancion del Prisionero) (Guy-Massey) Cameo 1850 889