# Underrated or Overhated Orchestras



## mahlernerd (Jan 19, 2020)

There are Orchestras, like the Concertgebouw, and the Berlin Phil, that are often considered some of the best in the world. Sometimes, there are orchestras like these that overshadow other orchestras that many consider just as good. What orchestras do you think deserve more love than they get?


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Those 2nd Tier groups than can play extremely well, put on wonderful concerts, leave you fully satisfied. They may not play with the precision and power of the famous groups, but with the right conductor - wow! A list of some of my favorite American orchestras that are just fine:

1. Oregon Symphony
2. Seattle
3. Utah
4. Des Moines
5. Tucson
6. Grand Rapids
7. Milwaukee
8. Louisiana Philharmonic
9. Nashville
10. Cincinnati
11. Columbus Ohio
12. Fort Worth Texas
13. San Antonio Texas
14. San Diego
15. Indianapolis

and several others. The skill level of music school graduates today is stunning. There's definitely a shortage of top conducting talent, and the music directors of some of these orchestras are the mds of more than one.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

What's with all the typo's in thread titles lately? Although this is a beauty.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Art Rock said:


> What's with all the typo's in thread titles lately? Although this is a beauty.


Judging by the initial post, I'd say it's word play, not a typo.


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

I have a soft spot for the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Just listen to Parker's "A Northern Ballad".


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra played with searing intensity and virtuosity in a series of recordings with Alexander Gibson in the late 70's and early 80's (including a jaw-dropping Sibelius cycle). The brass section is the most powerful I've heard outside Chicago.


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## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

My vote for my favourite underrated goes to Bamberg Symphony (German: Bamberger Symphoniker - Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie). Probably not underrated but does not get the same recognition as the big ones do.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Bamberg - there's one orchestra I really want to hear live at least once. For those of us who learned the classics in the '50s and '60s, the Bamberg Symphony was quite familiar: they made many recordings for the Vox and Candide labels, and Jonel Perlea the conductor quite often. Funny how the memory works, but I still remember a quote from a review calling the orchestra "the efficient Bambergers". They may have been a minor orchestra back then, but lately they've made some terrific recordings. I'm especially grateful for the complete symphonies of Raff. Their Mahler cycle with Jonathan Nott was excellent, too, and in glorious SACD sound.


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

^^ One of my very first LP's was the Bamberg playing Beehoven's Symphony No. 1. I can't recall who the conductor was but that was my introduction to Beethoven in my early teens.


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## NLAdriaan (Feb 6, 2019)

The *Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra* is underrated as they always will be seen as the little brother of the RCO, which only plays some 70 kilometers away. The same goes for the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, which is also a very good orchestra.

The RPhO has a nose for hiring great chief conductors that are on the way up. Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and now Lahav Shani, each of them worked in Rotterdam.

Where the Concertgebouw is packed at virtually any RCO concert, Rotterdam has to fight to get the room filled (not now of course). The Concertgebouw has its famous acoustics, which sure contribute to the sound and the fame of the orchestra. But Rotterdam always has its famous brass section. Like Chicago, Rotterdam is a typical blue collar city and maybe brass players are in more supply, as both orchestras are known for their brass? Amsterdam is more of a white collar city, where sophisticated string players are in more supply.

Since about a decade, when the RCO was appointed best orchestra in the world by Gramophone, the RCO became an increasingly international orchestra, because musicians from all over the world want to play there. This has helped the RCO to consolidate its top position. However, the MeToo troubles and subsequent firing of its new chief Daniele Gatti, as successor to Jansons, have caused a setback.

So, at this time, the RCO definitely proves its status of (one of the two?) best orchestra's in the world.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Radio Philharmonic are not in the same league, but not very far away.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Rotterdam is a terrific orchestra, or at least they were when Edo de Waart made his excellent Mahler cycle there. (There's a contender for one of those super budget boxes!).


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

I've always thought Dutch orchestras almost make up for the elm disease.


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