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- Royal Concertgebouw. Of course I knew the Royal Concertgebouw from records long before I ever conducted them. I loved the early Mengelberg recordings and later those with Bernard Haitink.
- Berlin Philharmonic. Contrary to popular mythology, I don’t think there is any such thing as a recognisable orchestral sound. However, you can recognise an orchestra by its way of playing.
- Vienna Philharmonic. It must be admitted that the Vienna Philharmonic, for all its deserved fame, does not always sound like the best orchestra in the world.
- London Symphony Orchestra. The LSO stands out from all the orchestras I’ve worked with because of its totally unique work ethic. The players are always 'on', whether it’s 9am or 9pm, whether they’ve been working flat-out all week or whether they’ve just come back from their holiday.
Our guide to the very best symphony orchestras in the world. Visit classical-music.com for news, reviews and guides from the wonderful world of classical music
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- Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam. The Royal Concertgebouw has been performing classical music since 1888. The orchestra has a unique sound, largely due to the fact that it has only had seven conductors since its establishment.
- Berlin Philharmonic. Founded in 1882, the Berlin Philharmonic has had 10 principal conductors, with its latest being Sir Simon Rattle since 2002. It's no surprise to see the Berlin Philharmonic in this position, especially since under Rattle the orchestra has won a handful of Grammys, Gramophone Awards, and more.
- Vienna Philharmonic. The Vienna Philharmonic is a very popular orchestra with long waiting lists for its weekday and weekend subscription tickets. With one of the world's best concert halls and a grueling audition process for its musicians, it's not hard to understand why this orchestra is so well-liked and highly regarded.
- London Symphony Orchestra. Since its founding in 1904, the London Symphony Orchestra has quickly become one of the world's most famous, in part due to the group's recordings of original scores for movies such as "Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and "Harry Potter."
- Beethoven – Symphony No. 3 (1803) A trailblazing, mammoth masterpiece, glorifying the life of a great heroic figure. It had to be the Eroica. From those first two electrifying orchestral chords to the final victorious timpani flourishes it never puts a toe wrong.
- Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 (1824) The symphonic game-changer which has both terrified and inspired composers ever since. Had audiences in 1824 heard anything more elemental than Beethoven’s Ninth’s opening bars?
- Mozart – Symphony No. 41 (1788) A triumph of structure, crowned with one of music’s most dazzling fugal finales. The miracle of the work is its immense design, with a mixture of celebratory fanfares, cascading scales and yearning figures.
- Mahler – Symphony No. 9 (1909) An epic work from the dying embers of the Austro-German Romantic tradition. Scored for vast orchestral forces – huge woodwind and brass, with a percussion section that includes timpani, bass drum, side drum, triangle, cymbals, tam-tam, glockenspiel and three deep bells – the most striking thing about its soundworld is Mahler’s exquisite handling of sonorities.
- The Vienna Philharmonic
- The Berlin Philharmonic
- The London Symphony Orchestra
- The La Philharmonic
- The Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment
- The Royal Concertgebouw
- The Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- The Aurora Orchestra
- The New York Philharmonic
- The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
The prestigious Vienna Philharmonic is a name synonymous to the pomp, pageantry and grandeur of the orchestral tradition. Unfailingly faithful to the rich history of Western classical music, the Vienna Phil have, throughout their 177-year history, been applauded by the likes of Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, Johannes Brahmsand Gustav Mahler. They ...
Another of the old-school greats, the formidable Berlin Phil gave its first performance in 1882. The orchestra’s history has always been tied up with its chief conductors who have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert Von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and Sir Simon Rattle. This mighty orchestra is the epitome of refinement and grandiosity. Their performa...
The LSO is widely recognised as the world’s leading soundtrack orchestra. The orchestra is known for its breathtaking film score recordings, particularly for the Star Wars franchise, scored by the legendary composer John Williams, and, most recently, for The Shape Of Waterin 2017. The LSO also featured in the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony al...
One hundred years ago the Los Angeles Philharmonic was founded as LA’s first permanent symphony orchestra. A century later, the LA Phil is recognised as one of the world’s outstanding orchestras, leading the way in groundbreaking programming. With creative direction currently from Gustav Dudamel the LA Phil are chiefly renowned their extensive repe...
The OAE, based in London, are pioneers and a breath of fresh air in the global orchestral scene. With no principal conductor, the orchestra act democratically by electing principal players and collaborating with guest conductors. Authenticity is at the heart of everything the OAE do, with an emphasis on period-specific instruments and specialising ...
Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw was established in 1888 and is frequently a favourite with critics. Their unfussy and refined sound is instantly recognisable, particularly in their well-known recordings of Strauss, Mahler and Bruckner. Previous conductors of this well-oiled musical machine include Bernard Haitink and Mariss Jansons. Don’t let their...
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the greatest orchestras in the world and has a prolific output, performing over 100 epic concerts each year. They boast a whopping 62 Grammy Awards for their recordings, including several accolades for Best Orchestral Performance and Best Classical Album. Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim held the posit...
Perhaps a relatively-unknown name on the global orchestral scene. Still in its infancy, the Aurora Orchestra was established by a group of students in London in 2005. Their USP is their apparent disapproval of sheet music: they regularly perform whole symphonies from memory. The sheer quality of their exquisite performance makes this orchestra all ...
The New York Phil claims to be the longest-running orchestra in the states, having been founded in 1842. Its most famous association is with Leonard Bernstein, a partnership which lasted 47 years and 1,244 performances. Since his death, in 1990, the orchestra traditionally perform Bernstein’s Candideoverture conductor-less in a touching tribute.
Established in 1949, the BRSO frequently stun with technically-perfect performances that easily place them among the world’s greatest orchestras. Now producing recordings under its own label, the orchestra are renowned for their glorious and technicoloured performances of staple repertoire pieces. To borrow a phrase once used by their chief conduct...
- Alice Benton
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Sep 11, 2023 · Loading image... Herbert Blomstedt. © Winslow Townson | Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our top ten list contains a few “old lions” – Riccardo Muti (82) ranked seventh, while Herbert Blomstedt (96), much loved by orchestras and audiences (and critics), polled a remarkable 3rd place, possibly a sentimental vote.
Jan 11, 2024 · Picture: Alamy. We think these are the greatest symphonies of all time – the biggest, most emotional, most impressive and plain-old flabbergasting works ever written. Nothing beats the sound of an orchestra unleashing its full force at the epic climax of a symphony.
