The London Classical Players (LCP) was a British orchestra that specialized in music following

historically informed performance Historically informed performance (also referred to as period performance, authentic performance, or HIP) is an approach to the performance of Western classical music, classical music, which aims to be faithful to the approach, manner and style of ...

(HIP) practices and orchestral performances on period musical instruments. Sir

Roger Norrington Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington (born 16 March 1934) is an English conductor. He is known for historically informed performances of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music. In November 2021 Norrington announced his retirement. Life Norr ...

founded the LCP in 1978. From 1978 to 1992, the concertmaster of the London Classical Players was baroque violinist John Holloway. The LCP made a variety of recordings for EMI Classics. Many of the players in the LCP overlapped with four other major HIP orchestral ensembles, the

Academy of Ancient Music The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is a British period-instrument orchestra based in Cambridge, England. Founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood in 1973, it was named after an 18th-century organisation of the same name (originally the A ...

, the

English Concert The English Concert is a baroque orchestra playing on period instruments based in London. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord by Trevor Pinnock for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket. Nadja Zwiener has ...

, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the English Baroque Soloists. Among their famous concert series was "The Beethoven Experience" in 1987, and "The Berlioz Experience" in 1988. In 1996, the LCP was invited to open the Prague Spring Festival in the traditional opening festival concert of Bedrich Smetana's ''Ma Vlast'', a controversial decision at the time. In 1997 the LCP formally dissolved and its work was absorbed into the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Selected discography

* Ludwig van Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies, Virgin Classics 5619432 (reissue) * Ludwig van Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos, Virgin Classics 5622422 (reissue) *

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

: ''Symphonie fantastique'', Overture ''Les Francs-Juges'', Virgin Classics 3632862 (reissue) *

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

: ''Ein deutsches Requiem'', Virgin Veritas 5616052 (reissue) *

Anton Bruckner Josef Anton Bruckner (; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-Germ ...

: Symphony No. 3, Virgin Veritas 4820912 (reissue) * Georg Friedrich Handel: ''Water Music'', ''Music for the Royal Fireworks'', Virgin Veritas (reissue) *

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

: Symphonies Nos. 99 and 100 (EMI Classics), 101 and 102 (EMI Classics), 103 and 104 (EMI Classics) *

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...

: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4, Virgin Veritas 3499832 (reissue) * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: **Symphonies Nos. 38- 41, Virgin Veritas 5620102 (reissue) **''Die Zauberflöte'', Virgin Veritas 4820732 **''Don Giovanni'', Virgin Veritas 5622672 (reissue with ''Die Zauberflöte'') **Piano Concertos Nos. 20, 23–25, Virgin Veritas 5623432 (reissue) **''Requiem/Masonic Funeral Music/"Ave verum corpus"'', Virgin Veritas 5615202 *

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...

: ''The Fairy Queen'', Virgin Veritas 5619552 * Gioacchino Rossini: Overtures, EMI Classics * Franz Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 4-6 and 8, Virgin Veritas 5622272 (reissue) *

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4, Virgin Veritas 3499832 (reissue) * Bedřich Smetana: ''Ma Vlast'', Virgin Veritas 5453012 *

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

: Preludes to ''Rienzi'', ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'' and ''Parsifal'', Prelude and Liebestod from ''Tristan und Isolde'', Act III Prelude to ''Lohengrin'', ''Siegfried Idyll'', Virgin Veritas 4820912 (reissue) * Carl Maria von Weber: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2, ''

Konzertstück A concert piece (German: Konzertstück; French: pièce de concert, also morceau de concert) is a musical composition, in most cases in one movement, intended for performance in a concert. Usually it is written for one or more virtuoso instrumental ...

'', EMI Classics

References

External links

Bernard Holland, "Review/Music; The Beethoven Influences: He on Today, Today on Him". ''New York Times'', 8 August 1989.
{{Authority control 1978 establishments in England 1997 disestablishments in England Early music groups London orchestras Disbanded orchestras Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1997