Top 20 Orchestras in the World - Gramophone Magazine

[punkjazzben]

Originally Posted by PRUNEFACE

No, there are tons in South America (Venezuela has amazing orchestras) and in Austrailia and in every region of the world.

Yes I know, I live in Australia and we have some amazing orchestras here: the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are my personal favourites.

I'm incredibly sceptical about the idea that none of the orchestras outside of UK, Europe and the US deserve to be in the top 20 list. But then, Gramophone is a Northern Hemisphere-centric magazine in terms of marketing, advertising and content.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Interesting to look at this after a few years - I haven't seen a more recent list?

Has anybody seen a list which is more up to date and maybe takes account of the Dudamel factor?

[MartinBorgen]

I find this list very strange; there are way more than 20 orchestras that qualifies for the top 20 list. better to make something like a Michelin-guide for orchestra. Eg. a list where you give all good orchestras a star rating. That's gonna be a long list if we include all of the world...

[ThumpPlunkJunk]

Originally Posted by MartinBorgen

I find this list very strange; there are way more than 20 orchestras that qualifies for the top 20 list. better to make something like a Michelin-guide for orchestra. Eg. a list where you give all good orchestras a star rating. That's gonna be a long list if we include all of the world...

To me, there's a "Good enough" rating. I don't think there is any single "best" orchestra in the world--when you're at the caliber of playing I think it's more of a stylistic preference.

And on them not adding orchestras in places other than Europe: The tradition of classical music is pretty new to areas outside of central Europe. There's not the same base of pedagogues, schools, tradition, conductors or composers. I would think this would have an impact on how the orchestra sounds and how music is interpreted. Maybe I'm wrong though, but I feel like the area that gave birth to classical music would be the area to be more versed and specialized in it.

[Bruce Lindfield]

So nobody has seen any other lists or anything more recent?

[punkjazzben]

Originally Posted by ThumpPlunkJunk

And on them not adding orchestras in places other than Europe: The tradition of classical music is pretty new to areas outside of central Europe. There's not the same base of pedagogues, schools, tradition, conductors or composers. I would think this would have an impact on how the orchestra sounds and how music is interpreted. Maybe I'm wrong though, but I feel like the area that gave birth to classical music would be the area to be more versed and specialized in it.

In the globalised age, the main difference is marketing. Classical performance and education is a transnational business these days. Musicians from everywhere travel everywhere else to study and play music. Conductors are often recruited from overseas.

Europe may still have a stronger pedagogical tradition, but access to the teaching has been democratised to the extent that the region cannot claim a monopoly on the best students. Americans, Britons, Australians, and whoever else might go to Europe for training, but they invariably return home with their skills.

I'm not saying all orchestras are on par and the only difference is superficial; it's more that geography has less to do with the standard of an orchestra than it did in the past.

EDIT: Just my opinion of course.

[ThumpPlunkJunk]

Originally Posted by Ben Wilkie

In the globalised age, the main difference is marketing. Classical performance and education is a transnational business these days. Musicians from everywhere travel everywhere else to study and play music. Conductors are often recruited from overseas.

Europe may still have a stronger pedagogical tradition, but access to the teaching has been democratised to the extent that the region cannot claim a monopoly on the best students. Americans, Britons, Australians, and whoever else might go to Europe for training, but they invariably return home with their skills.

This may be true, but think of the number of foreign students coming to the U.S. or Europe to study compared to the total number of music students from their homelands. These people may not even win spots in orchestras as well, or may not take students. On the other hand, this education is available to any of the music students in the U.S. and Europe.

I'm not saying all orchestras are on par and the only difference is superficial; it's more that geography has less to do with the standard of an orchestra than it did in the past.

EDIT: Just my opinion of course.

I think it plays less of a part, definitely. But it's still a pretty sizable factor, to me. Who and where you come from will make an enormous difference in who you will become.