The Orquesta de València is in the running for the ICMA 2027 awards with its recording of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, released by the German label Accentus Music. The album was recorded live in June 2024 at the Sala Iturbi of the Palau de la Música during a concert conducted by Alexander Liebreich, the orchestra's principal conductor and artistic director. The performance featured soloists Sara Blanch, Joaquín Asiáin, and André Baleiro, alongside the Orfeón Pamplonés and the Escolanía de la Virgen de los Desamparados.
Vicente Llimerá, the managing director of the Palau, expressed his satisfaction with the nomination, stating that it “highlights the quality of a production made by one of the most recognised labels in the classical music field.” He regarded it as a significant step forward in enhancing the international profile of the Orquesta de València.
Llimerá noted that this recording marks the orchestra's return to the international recording scene after a three-decade absence. The release of the album coincided with the 130th anniversary of the birth of Carl Orff, the composer of Carmina Burana.
The recording offers an innovative and contextualised interpretation of one of the 20th century's most iconic works. It includes a trilingual booklet (in German, English, and Spanish) featuring an extensive conversation between Alexander Liebreich and German philosopher Wilhelm Vossenkuhl, where they reflect on the historical and symbolic complexities of Carmina Burana, its reception in 20th-century Germany, and its relevance as an example of a “total work of art.”
The album is available on CD and digital platforms worldwide, with a 4K audiovisual version accessible on Vimeo On Demand.
Among the orchestra's previous recordings are two albums from 1996 dedicated to Joaquín Rodrigo and Óscar Esplá, featuring pianist Joaquín Achúcarro and soprano Victoria de los Ángeles, conducted by Manuel Galduf. In 1993, a disc was recorded for the Auvidis Valois label under the direction of Enrique García Asensio, featuring pianist Enrique Pérez de Guzmán. In 1950, the orchestra recorded with José Iturbi for La Voz de su Amo and RCA.
The Palau de la Música has also collaborated on the recording of a double album featuring the six sonatas of Jan Dismas Zelenka, which has been nominated for the ICMA 2027 awards. Released by the Genuin Classics label, this disc was recorded in the Sala Rodrigo with the participation of Ángel Luis Sánchez, Ramón Ortega, Marc Trénel, Wies de Boevé, and Alfonso Sebastián.
