Symphony orchestras in London.

[Enrique]

Is the London Symphony Orchestra the leading symphonic organism, by general consensus, in London or are there other orchestras at present that rival its reputation? I think musical life in a city like London is too complex to give questions of this type a categorical answer. Nonetheless I'll consider this a valid, though perhaps a bit naive question.

As a second question, what are, in your opinion, the three leading London symphony orchestras? I am only speaking about orchestras big enough to be able to play something like Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand or Stravinsky's Rite without great changes in their formations.

[Peter]

Gramophone rated the world's top 20 orchestras and only the LSO secured a place in that list, high up at no.4.

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/editoria...est-orchestras

[Enrique]

Thanks for that, Peter! What a coincidence; when youtubing, I pick the Royal Concertgebouw option almost automatically when available. I must be a person of good taste (or have top-quality audio components at home)!

[Sorrano]

Darn! I did not see the Utah Symphony on that list.

[Enrique]

Sorrano: are you trying to emulate Michael? I am still laughing!

EDIT: though I highly respect the Utah Symphony.

[Sorrano]

There can only be one Michael!

The Utah Symphony became established as a major orchestra in the US under Maurice Abravanal. Under Keith Lockhart, now, I'm not sure how it is rated, nor have I heard it under his baton, but under Abravanal and Kojian I know that I have been deeply impressed.

[Enrique]

Maurice Avravanal is a very familiar name for me. Instead it is only throu some of your posts, I think, that I came to hear about the USO.

EDIT: but Abravanel was conductor of the Concertgebouw!? Am I wrong?

[Sorrano]

Maurice Avravanal is a very familiar name for me. Instead it is only throu some of your posts, I think, that I came to hear about the USO.

EDIT: but Abravanel was conductor of the Concertgebouw!? Am I wrong?

No, he was never the conductor of the Concertgebouw. You may have run across Mahler recordings with the Utah Symphony, as he was quite well known as a great Mahler interpreter.

[Albert Gans]

London is an incredible place, as far as orchestras of world class is concerned. I don't think there is another city in the world that can boast the same level of quality in orchestras:
Philharmonia Orchestra
Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields
BBC Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra (my all time favourite orchestra)
just to name a few off the top of my head. Here's a wikipedia list for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:London_orchestras

[Enrique]

Thank you very much, Albert. And that presupposes a very rich, dynamic and busy musical life which, if I am not wrong, was already the case in Beethoven's times. All of the orchestras you named are old acquaintcnces of mine, I mean I knew their reputation is or was great. Save for the London Philharmonic, which I never quite understood how it could be ranked in quality.