Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
The Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique was founded in 1989 by Sir John Eliot Gardiner
to bring to the music of the 19th and early 20th centuries the same intensity of
expression and stylistic accuracy found with his renowned period-instrument chamber
ensemble, the English Baroque Soloists. Together with the Monteverdi Choir, the ORR and
English Baroque Soloists make up the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra Ltd.
The ORR won plaudits for its complete cycle of Beethoven symphonies in the 1990s and is
now returning to this repertoire for the first time in nearly 20 years. Another of the
orchestra's outstanding successes has been its acclaimed Berlioz interpretations, beginning
with the Symphonie fantastique at the former Conservatoire de la Musique in Paris,
where the work was premiered in 1830. In 1993, the ORR gave the first modern performances
of the rediscovered Messe solennelle, and 10 years later, it performed
L'enfance du Christ at The Proms, as well as the first complete performances of
Les Troyens at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Its critically acclaimed
recordings include Schumann symphonies and music by Verdi, Weber, and Mendelssohn, and in
2003, a highly successful dramatization of the writing of Beethoven's "Eroica"Symphony with
BBC television.
From 2006 to 2008, the ORR embarked on an ambitious Brahms project with the Monteverdi
Choir, performing Brahms's music along works by other composers which might have inspired
him. The orchestra is currently involved in a five-year collaboration with the Opéra
Comique in Paris, during which it has performed in staged performances of Chabrier's
L'etoile, Bizet's Carmen, Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, and
most recently Weber's Der Freischütz.
Forthcoming performances in 2012-2013 include a tour of Beethoven's Missa
solemnis in the US and Europe, and European performances of Debussy's Pelléas et
Mélisande and Berlioz's Le damnation de Faust.
Visit monteverdi.co.uk for more information.
Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Sir John Eliot Gardiner is one of the most versatile conductors of our time. Acknowledged
as a key figure in the early-music revival, he is the founder and artistic director of the
Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists, and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et
Romantique. Alongside activities with his own ensembles, Mr. Gardiner appears regularly as
guest conductor with the most important European symphony orchestras, including the Vienna
and Berlin philharmonics and the London Symphony Orchestra.
The extent of Mr. Gardiner's repertoire is illustrated by more than 250 recordings made
for major European companies, which have received numerous international awards. He has
also been releasing recordings of the 2000 Bach Cantata Pilgrimage and Brahms symphonies on
his record label, Soli Deo Gloria.
His most recent projects with the Monteverdi ensembles include European tours of Bach's
motets, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms,and Monteverdi's Vespers. He is
currently continuing a five-year collaboration with the Opéra Comique in Paris, along with
the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. Away from his own
ensembles, Mr. Gardiner is involved in a three-year Beethoven cycle with the London
Symphony Orchestra. Future engagements include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre national de France, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and
the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
In 1987, Mr. Gardiner received an honorary doctorate from the University of Lyon. In 1992,
he became an honorary fellow of both King's College, London, and the Royal Academy of
Music. He received a knighthood in the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours List. In 2008, he was
awarded the Royal Academy of Music / Kohn Foundation's prestigious Bach Prize. Two years
later, Mr. Gardiner was made Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, following his nomination as
Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1996.