The Tenth Decade (1990–1999)

Company

Technical

Artistic

			Archiv Produktion celebrates its 50th anniversary.	International celebrations for Deutsche Grammophon’s 100th anniversary – including special events and comm...
Introduction of 4D Audio Recording technology.		Opening of the Emil Berliner Haus museum in Hanover.		“Virtual Gramophone” technology is introduced at Emil Berliner Studios to remaster early recordings for re-r...
	Launch of The Originals series, featuring legendary recordings from the Deutsche Grammophon catalogue.		To mark its 100th anniversary in 1998 DG releases the Complete Beethoven Edition on 87 CDs – a New Year’s ...	Release of the 63-CD set Centenary Collection, featuring the conductors, instrumentalists, singers, and ...	Contemporary composers and musicians find a new forum with the introduction of the quickly acclaimed 2...
1991	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999

Full Details

decade mood

In 1989 and 1990 respectively, the music world loses two great conductors long associated with Deutsche Grammophon, Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein.

At the same time two other acclaimed conductors begin new phases of activity at DG: Pierre Boulez and André Previn, featuring works of the 20th century (including their own). On the Archiv label John Eliot Gardiner conducts period-instrument recordings of Baroque (Bach oratorios, Monteverdi operas), Classical (Mozart operas and Beethoven symphonies), as well as Romantic works.

New recording agreements are made with conductors Myung-Whun Chung, 1990; Oliver Knussen and Christian Thielemann, 1995. Archiv Produktion’s roster is further internationalized through the signing of Paul McCreesh and his Gabrieli Consort & Players; Marc Minkowski and his Musiciens du Louvre; and the Renaissance wind band Piffaro.

In 1998 PolyGram is acquired by Seagram – and is merged with its subsidiary Universal, forming the world’s largest record company, Universal Music Group.

Deutsche Grammophon also reaches its centenary in 1998, as the world’s largest and most successful classical record company of its day.