The brainchild of Neville Marriner, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields was founded in 1959, quickly
becoming an example of the highest level of chamber musicianship in Britain, paving the way for the revival of Baroque performances.

Described by Denis Stevens as owning ‘more sense of style than all the chamber orchestras in Europe’, the Academy made a prolific number of recordings over the years, becoming the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world.

Having taken conducting lessons from Pierre Monteux, Marriner became known for his rhythmic and precise style, and was responsible for the refined string sound for which the Academy became famous.

Marriner’s rendition of Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ Symphony is energetic and committed, yet sensitively communicated. Rolfe-Johnson’s Proms performance of Britten’s Les Illuminations took place at the height of his career. He performed at the world’s major opera houses (the Royal Opera House, La Scala, The Met) and with major orchestras (New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra), recording mainly for Hyperion. This performance is utterly convincing.

Beethoven’s Große Fuge is a performance of Marriner’s own arrangement for chamber orchestra. Their recording of Beethoven 3 is described in the Penguin Guide as having the impression ‘of weight and strength, coupled with a rare transparency of texture and extraordinary resilience of rhythm’.