Which are the best symphony orchestras in the world?
If you’re in the USA, you’ll have no trouble finding a world class orchestra in virtually EVERY STATE. I have 700+ compact discs. Many of the BEST recordings and performances are from American Orchestras, American Chamber groups, American Chorus companies and the like.You’ll also find true, that local bands and regional “smaller” orchestras LOVE to give larger and well funded Philharmonic organizations a real “run-for-their-money”. Many Universities, State Colleges and community colleges have SUPERB orchestral resources. Don’t get into any silly circular debates about “what’s best” - support your local arts; you’ll never regret it.
What is the greatest symphony orchestra today?
One reason that this question is hard to answer quickly is the difference between halls (alluded to by David). To a degree, the hall shapes the orchestra but that also makes the orchestra's quality hard to translate to a common frame of reference. For one thing, orchestras often sound better on tour, where they have the luxury of a well-rehearsed program and audiences who are delighted to hear them for the first time. I read one online commentator (a professional conductor) say that the New Orleans Philharmonic could, on tour, edge out the Chicago Symphony on one of its decent/good days at home. And everyone knows of youth orchestras who give professional-quality performances on their summer tours. This was a big PR problem for the New York Phil in the 50s-- Boston and Philadelphia routinely sent their orchestras for one-night shows with their best programs, along with every other great orchestra in the world. The NYPSO was there several nights a week, with the usual variation in quality that you'd expect. Many New Yorkers came to think that the local band wasn't as good as it actually was.On the other hand, orchestras used to one kind of hall don't always adapt easily to another. I heard the Philadelphia Orchestra sound coarse and ragged beyond belief at the beginning of a concert in Boston's Symphony Hall. Their own halls in Philly (especially the Academy of Music) allowed and encouraged a certain amount of overplaying--- which is absolute death at Symphony. In contrast to Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall gracefully handles a little too much sound, which may explain some of how the Fabulous Philadelphians earned their reputation in the 20s and 30s-- playing regularly as they did in front of New York audiences after rehearsing the programs in Philadelphia.
Why are there so many violins in a symphony orchestra, and when did the current number become standard?
Violins are the most important instruments in the orchestra. They are the highest-sounding of the string instruments, which also contain violas, cellos, and string basses.Because it is bowed and not played with air, violins can play long melodic phrases. And because the pitch is determined by one's fingers on the string, it is easier to produce varying vibrato which mimics the human voice than with other instruments.Violins can also play two notes at a time. Called "double stops," they allow more complex harmonies to creatively evolve from the melody.Violins are also able to play really fast passages well. Check out the violins about 30 seconds into the Mendelssohn Scherzo below. And since different string instruments sound similar, it is common to have strings play as a homogeneous group (unlike the winds, which all sound distinct).So for those reasons, violins are almost always called upon to play! Very often they have the melody. If not, they often have an interesting counter melody. So you want to have enough violins to be heard, especially over loud brass instruments. Also, there are two violin sections (which usually play different parts), so there are going to be a large number of violins proportionally in any orchestra.That answers why you see so many violins in an orchestra, but when did the number become standard? The answer is--it's not standard. The number of violins is sometimes specified (such as 24 in Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima), but usually the composition does not specify the number of violins. Orchestras figure out how many violinists they need in order to balance out the instruments.In Mozart's Symphony No. 40, the work is scored for strings and:1 flute2 oboes2 clarinets2 bassoons2 hornsThat's 9 instruments. Add too many string instruments and you'll never hear the others. That's why the orchestras look smaller when they play classical symphoniesComposed 100 years later, Mahler's Symphony No. 1 is scored for strings and:4 flutes4 oboes4 clarinets in B-flat, C, A3 bassoons7 horns4 trumpets4 trombones1 tuba3 percussionThat's 34 non-string players, including many loud brass instruments. Your string sections need to be considerably larger.
To what extent are members of a symphony orchestra expected to play multiple instruments?
The answer is: it depends. Percussionists are most frequently called upon to be multi instrumentalists - but never the timpani player. One player might do cymbals, triangle, wood block, tam tam, and several others in a single work, depending on the requirements to play simultaneously. Generally the conductor will work out how to use as few percussionists as possible - all those extra bodies cost money. Glock players will usually double on xylophone.With the other families of instrument: it's extremely unusual for any string player to need to double up, as if an unusual instrument is called for it will usually be in addition to the standard string section, and often this will have been bulked out with extra players, as unusual orchestration also tends to imply massive forces generally. For brass, the same is true. Flutists might need to double on piccolo, oboists on cor anglais, clarinetists on clarinet in C or E-flat, bass clarinet or contrabass (very unusual), but will generally already have at least an A and B-flat instrument as standard. Bassoons will normally have a specialist contrabassoon player as this is part of a standard modern orchestra. If a sax is called for, either a clarinettist will double up (most will already play sax) or get in a specialist if the part is tricky.Piano players will generally play any keyboard instrument called for (celesta, harpsichord), but most orchestras will have an organist on call for those works where organ is needed.
Is it enjoyable to play in a Philharmonic orchestra, or is it just another day at the office?
It depends on several factors.As someone else has said, it depends on the conductor, and whether he has the leadership skills to inspire his orchestra, rather than simply get what he wants from them and move on. The former is a much more rewarding style of leadership (for both the leader and those being lead).Another factor is the musician. Musicians in a symphony orchestra are professionals—they've worked their entire lives to get to a point where they can be paid to play their instruments in an orchestra. They must all be passionate, and have a burning desire to make music, right? Unfortunately, musicians (myself not included, luckily) often find themselves caught in an awkward situation with their musical careers. The problem with many of them is that their passion for an instrument which they’ve played since early childhood no longer exists, and the music no longer excites them. As a result, music is considered a job, rather than a passion one has the drive to fuel every day.Another factor is the music. Musicians love some of the pieces they play, and they hate others. As long as the musicians like the music, there shouldn't be any problem enjoying the rehearsal where they get to play that music.It all goes back to the conductor in a way, though. Leadership makes motivated musicians, an intuition for spotting dedicated musicians to place in the orchestra increases its quality, and selecting good repertoire means a happy audience and a happy orchestra.
What is it like to play in the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra?
Often fun and rewarding, many times frustrating. For those who don't know the group, it is a semi-pro orchestra that contains freelancers, conservatory students, and amateurs. They are known for successfully taking on a lot of big romantic works, especially the symphonies of Gustav Mahler.Ben Zander, the conductor, is a gifted teacher who also brings a lot of financial support to the orchestra, so the pros and paid students he recruits are often better than you might expect, and the amateurs in the orchestra frequently play beyond themselves. Zander also has a lot of interesting ideas about how certain pieces should be played, many of which are working their way into the mainstream after years of advocacy from him.Rehearsals are generally in the evenings, when most people can get off their other jobs (or classes) to play.Whether you like playing in the group depends a lot on what you think of Zander, because it really is HIS group. There is a board of directors, and so on, but Zander founded the orchestra and is the main force behind its financial success. So things generally happen as he wants them to. If you like all of it, you will be happy in the group. If you don't mesh with his personality, or don't care for his conducting technique and rehearsal style, you will be unhappy.
Why do musicians in philharmonic orchestras wear tuxedos with tails and white ties? Why don’t they wear black ties?
White tie > black tieIn the gradation of dress, tuxedos are only semi-formal. White tie with tailcoat is a step up from that, the very peak of formality. Today, white tie is reserved for only the most ritzy, expensive events, such as a state dinner. If you're not dining with the President or the Queen, you'll almost certainly never need one; it tops out at black tie. The uber-wealthy wear them to events where they're meeting the other uber-wealthy, such as a charity fundraiser, but at this point it's more of an affectation than a real dress code: that's how they "dress up".A century ago, the ultra-wealthy wore this for real. As Yvonne Caruthers points out, Downton Abbey is the most familiar example: a tuxedo (black tie) is what you wore during the day, for just bumming around. When you go to "dress for dinner", you get out of your slum-wear and get into your truly ritzy duds, the white tie and tails. There was also a morning coat in the morning, and for truly dressing down there was the "sack suit" that evolved into today's three-piece suit (which nearly always omits the vest today). If you were a woman, there were even more gradations, and you could almost literally spend all day changing clothes.Servants were always required to wear the appropriate formal wear. Musicians are servants. They are wearing the evening dress (since orchestra performances like this are for the evening) of the servants of a century ago. A full orchestral performance was very expensive, and these concerts would be attended by the very wealthy; the musicians dressed to match.They continued this tradition even as the overall level of formality decreased. Practically nobody wears white tie, even the very wealthy. The practice is maintained only for the most excruciatingly diplomatic events. It mostly tops out at tie. The musicians, however, enjoy the tradition. The classical music style is itself a piece of history; they are commemorating that. A pops orchestra won't generally wear the white tie; modern music needs a more modern dress scheme. And an afternoon concert really should have black tie rather than white tie, though so few people really remember all this protocol that it wouldn't surprise me if the white tie is worn anyway.
How much would it cost to hire a full on orchestra for one performance?
Two excellent answers so far, pricing out two different scenarios. One where they prepare the concert from scratch like any other concert, and the other where they show up and play as if it was a second concert on repertoire they know already.Orchestras have to pay their musicians differently if it is a rehearsal than if it is a public performance. The orchestra I play with sometimes books a second date for a concert in a different venue in another town, often for some gala event. We just play the repertoire we already rehearsed, get paid for a second concert, and the clients get a top-flight concert.If you just wanted to have an orchestra hanging out, say, to play some stuff you had written and wanted to hear, you might be able to negotiate the rehearsal rate at a considerable savings. As soon as there are people paying to listen, it becomes the concert rate.