Like the city in which it was born 100 years ago, the Philadelphia Orchestra is known for its classy elegance—a sophisticated polish that is impressive without being brash or showy. But in addition to the lush string sound and piquant winds and brass for which the Orchestra has become famous, the "Fabulous Philadelphians" were also pioneers in American musical life in this century. Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 photos and engagingly written by twelve prominent writers, The Philadelphia Orchestra: A Century of Music offers the first full history of this great orchestra's tradition and legacy. Premieres of essential masterworks by Sibelius, Mahler, Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Schoenberg. The first orchestra to make electrical recordings, in 1925, and the first to appear on a full-length national radio broadcast. The first American orchestra to visit China The orchestra of Disney's Fantasia. With wit and scholarship, twelve writers celebrate the 100th anniversary of this world-renowned orchestra by detailing the rich musical history of Philadelphia, as well as the traditions of the Orchestra's music directors, Fritz Scheel, Carl Pohlig, Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, and Wolfgang Sawallisch. They take us to rehearsals and concerts, recording studios and tours, boardrooms and inner-city schools.The Philadelphia Orchestra: A Century of Music aslo introducts us to the musicians and the Orchestra supporters who have built the ensemble's international stature. It examines the Orchestra's innovative educational programs, fundraisers, and membership drives. This elegant keepsake book also features appendices listing the Orchestra's musicians through its entire history, world and U.S. premieres, and a complete discography and filmography. It is an essential collector's item for music-lovers everywhere, and an electrifying "read" for anyone interested in music in America during the 20th century. Author note: John Ardoin is former music critic for the Dallas Morning News and author of The Callas Legacy,Callas at Julliard: The Master Classes, The Stages of Menotti, The Furtwungler Record, and Kirov: Life in a Great Theater.

The Philadelphia Orchestra is the most-recorded orchestra in the United States, and its recordings have contributed much to its reputation as “The World’s Greatest Orchestra.” In The Philadelphia Orchestra: An Annotated Discography, Richard A. Kaplan documents more than 2,000 commercial recordings made by the Philadelphia Orchestra over almost a century. The discography contains a chronological list of recordings, detailing works performed, conductors, soloists, dates, venues, producers, and matrix information for 78-rpm recordings. Each entry lists all issues of the recordings, including 78- and 45-rpm discs, long-playing records, and compact discs. The discography documents for the first time the recordings made by Columbia on sixteen-inch lacquer discs during the 1940s and ‘50s. Opening with an overview of the Orchestra's relationships with recording companies and the search for suitable recording venues, chapters cover anonymously and pseudonymously-published recordings, including those of the Robin Hood Dell Orchestra of Philadelphia, the experimental 1931-32 Bell Labs recordings, videos and movies in which the Philadelphia Orchestra performed, live recordings, and recordings of ensembles of the Philadelphia Orchestra. A separate chapter lists live-concert downloads made available directly through the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. Appendixes cross-reference the recordings by composer, conductor, and soloists; a final appendix lists the many Philadelphia Orchestra LP collections published by Columbia and RCA. This book is a valuable resource for collectors, scholars, and anyone interested in recording history and the history of the Philadelphia Orchestra.