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The Music Room => Classical Music for Beginners => Topic started by: Maciek on April 12, 2007, 02:17:16 PM

Title: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Maciek on April 12, 2007, 02:17:16 PM
I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't always know all of the orchestra acronyms that appear on GMG. Also, there's a problem with orchestras from exotic countries like Poland, where the acronym that is the standard in a given country doesn't make much sense in the English-speaking world (examples will follow). So I'm starting a thread where you can post acronyms of the popular orchestras near you or simply your favorite orchestras. Also, we can ask each other here about the meaning of the musical acronyms we don't understand. Later on, when someone doesn't know what an acronym means, he or she can always do a search limited to this thread (in order to do that you simply have to enter this thread - and you've already done that, if you're reading this - and use the search parser at the top of the page; it will only return results from this thread).

So here's an example of a Polish orchestra with a complicated acronym status:

The Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra = that would be PRNSO. ALSO KNOWN AS the National Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio = NSOPR. Which was formerly known as the Great Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio = GSOPR. Sometimes "and Television" is added at the end (which would give NSOPRT or NSOPRTV, GSOPRT or GSOPRTV).

However, the Polish acronyms are quite standardized. WOSPR is for the old name (Wielka Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia [i Telewizji]). NOSPR for the new one (Narodowa Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia [i Telewizji]). The orchestra is seated in Katowice.

This orchestra is NOT TO BE CONFUSED with the Polish Radio Orchestra (PRO). Here the Polish acronym is POR (Polska Orkiestra Radiowa). This one is from Warsaw. I'm not sure if it even still exists - they were going to dissolve it a couple of months ago because of financial difficulties.

Maciek
Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: CK on April 13, 2007, 06:30:25 AM
Well since I think I'm the only one living in Hong Kong I will do the acronyms for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.  It's simply HKPO

Btw it actually improved quite a lot under the lead of de Waart.
Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: uffeviking on April 13, 2007, 06:53:46 AM
Interesting new thread should clarify a lot of questions - except the rare cases where two, or more, institutions have the same acronym.  :-\

BPO - could be the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, or the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra! Maybe in such a case, listing the name of the city would be helpful.  ;)
Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: karlhenning on April 13, 2007, 07:01:54 AM
Quote from: uffeviking on April 13, 2007, 06:53:46 AM
Interesting new thread should clarify a lot of questions - except the rare cases where two, or more, institutions have the same acronym.  :-\

BSO, which can mean either Boston or Baltimore . . . .
Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: Joe Barron on April 13, 2007, 09:18:43 AM
Quote from: uffeviking on April 13, 2007, 06:53:46 AM
Interesting new thread should clarify a lot of questions - except the rare cases where two, or more, institutions have the same acronym.  :-\

BPO - could be the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, or the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra! Maybe in such a case, listing the name of the city would be helpful.  ;)

Is there such a thing as the Boston Philharmonic? In these pages, I refer to the Boston Symphony Orhcestra as the BSO.

I usually identify the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as the CSO, and the New York Philharmonic is the NYPO. The San Francisco Symphony may be the SFS sometimes, but everything else I identify by name.

The Philadelphia Orchestra occasionally refers to itself as the POA, for Philadelphia Orchestra Association, but that's generally just an in-house designation. In the real world, it's just the Philadelphia Orchrestra, or the Philadelphia, or, on a whim, The Philly Orch.

By the way, just to be clear: none of these are acronyms, Mr Osa. They are abbrevations. Technically, an acronym is an abbreviation that actually spells a word, such as Students Together Opposing Prejudice, whose acronym is STOP, or Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which whose acronym is MADD.   ;)
Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: karlhenning on April 13, 2007, 09:23:17 AM
Quote from: Joe Barron on April 13, 2007, 09:18:43 AM
Is there such a thing as the Boston Philharmonic?

There is (http://www.bostonphil.org/cgi/BPO.cgi), though I do not much see it abbreviated to BPO.
Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: Cato on April 13, 2007, 09:49:16 AM
And some orchestras just use the name of the city, e.g. "Ormandy and (the) Philadelphia's recording of..."  or "have you heard Cleveland and von Dohnanyi in the latest work by..."  "Chicago and Fritz Reiner's recording of..."

I have also seen in print things like "Abbado and the Berliners" which could be a funky 80's soft-punk band, if you didn't know any better!
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Maciek on April 13, 2007, 10:44:36 AM
Quote from: Joe Barron on April 13, 2007, 09:18:43 AM
By the way, just to be clear: none of these are acronyms, Mr Osa. They are abbrevations. Technically, an acronym is an abbreviation that actually spells a word, such as Students Together Opposing Prejudice, whose acronym is STOP, or Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which whose acronym is MADD.   ;)

Thanks. I just changed the thread title.
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Holden on April 13, 2007, 11:40:28 AM
Here are all the Australian ones - based on the names or the capital cities of the states.

QSO, SSO, TSO, WASO, MSO
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Brian on April 13, 2007, 12:24:52 PM
Quote from: MrOsa on April 12, 2007, 02:17:16 PM
The Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra = that would be PRNSO. ALSO KNOWN AS the National Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio = NSOPR. Which was formerly known as the Great Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio = GSOPR. Sometimes "and Television" is added at the end (which would give NSOPRT or NSOPRTV, GSOPRT or GSOPRTV).
To make things more confusing, they record for Naxos under the name Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, or PNRSO.
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Maciek on April 13, 2007, 12:50:47 PM
Well, now you can see even more plainly which orchestra (and how) inspired me to start this thread. ;D
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: karlhenning on April 13, 2007, 01:21:47 PM
Quote from: brianrein on April 13, 2007, 12:24:52 PM
. . . or PNRSO.

An abbreviation?

In Czech, that's a name  8)
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Maciek on April 13, 2007, 01:41:21 PM
Actually, there's no problem with saying WOSPR or NOSPR in Polish!

But I'm not about to say that that was the reason I initially called this the "acronym" thread... ::)
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: BachQ on April 13, 2007, 01:43:46 PM
My favorite abbreviation: NIIOMTPLABOPARMBETZHELBETRABSBOMONIMONKONOTDTEKHSTROMONT
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Joe Barron on April 13, 2007, 01:59:25 PM
Quote from: D Minor on April 13, 2007, 01:43:46 PM
My favorite abbreviation: NIIOMTPLABOPARMBETZHELBETRABSBOMONIMONKONOTDTEKHSTROMONT

Which stands for ...?
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Bogey on April 13, 2007, 04:17:32 PM
Quote from: D Minor on April 13, 2007, 01:43:46 PM
My favorite abbreviation: NIIOMTPLABOPARMBETZHELBETRABSBOMONIMONKONOTDTEKHSTROMONT

Quote from: Joe Barron on April 13, 2007, 01:59:25 PM
Which stands for ...?

Wow....just Googled and it actually came up.  Shame on me for doubting your integrity for even a moment D.
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Maciek on April 13, 2007, 04:28:40 PM
 :o

I thought it was a joke too.

BTW, that can't possibly be "the world's longest acronym"!...?
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: karlhenning on April 13, 2007, 05:01:20 PM
Quote from: Bill on April 13, 2007, 04:17:32 PM
Wow....just Googled and it actually came up.  Shame on me for doubting your integrity for even a moment D.

Hmm, and on at least two sites it says:

QuoteMeaning: Laboratory for Shuttering, Reinforcement, Concrete and Ferroconcrete Operations for Composite-monolithic and Monolithic Constructions of the Department of Technology of Building Assembly Operations of the Scientific Research Institute of the Organization for Building Mechanization and Technical Aid of the Academy of Building and Architecture of the USSR.

It is an acronym not of the USA sort, but of the Sunoco (= Sun Oil Company) sort.

And the information is not quite right, since there is no "USSR" element in there (which would either be the four letters CCCP in Cyrillic, or some reduction of, e.g., Sovyetsky Soyuz).
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Bogey on April 13, 2007, 05:17:58 PM
Quote from: karlhenning on April 13, 2007, 05:01:20 PM
Hmm, and on at least two sites it says:

It is an acronym not of the USA sort, but of the Sunoco (= Sun Oil Company) sort.

And the information is not quite right, since there is no "USSR" element in there (which would either be the four letters CCCP in Cyrillic, or some reduction of, e.g., Sovyetsky Soyuz).

I wish I could thank you for the clarification of this Karl, but I just quite can't do that.  ;D
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Sergeant Rock on April 14, 2007, 02:41:43 AM
I wish there were an abbreviation for my local band, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. It's a pain in the butt typing that out.

Sarge
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Maciek on April 14, 2007, 02:52:10 AM
It's even difficult to read! ;D
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Greta on April 14, 2007, 03:47:45 AM
For BPO, two common orchestras I associate that with are the Berlin Phil and the Boston Pops. And Vienna commonly is VPO even though technically it should be WP. We have a tendency to add Orchestra at the end here in the States, even when it technically isn't part of their official name.

And changing orchestra names over the years can really make this kind of thing confusing!  :o

For the UKers, did the RSNO and RLPO used to not be Royal? I have seen acronyms without the R for both of these in some older recordings and it confused me. Actually the Royal thing is a common inconsistency, the Concertgebouw is often referred to either way.

Also, who decides if an orchestra is Royal, does the monachy pronounce them so, or do they just proclaim it for themselves?  :D
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Joe Barron on April 15, 2007, 03:36:28 PM
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on April 14, 2007, 02:41:43 AM
I wish there were an abbreviation for my local band, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. It's a pain in the butt typing that out.

Sarge
How about the STARPF?
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Cato on April 16, 2007, 12:40:07 PM
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on April 14, 2007, 02:41:43 AM
I wish there were an abbreviation for my local band, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. It's a pain in the butt typing that out.

Sarge

Dude!  Let's make one up with some Yankee ingenuity!

Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz =

The STARZ!
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: uffeviking on April 16, 2007, 01:07:40 PM
Quote from: Greta on April 14, 2007, 03:47:45 AM
For BPO, two common orchestras I associate that with are the Berlin Phil and the Boston Pops.

If you classify the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra as uncommon, citizens of Hungary in general and Budapest especially, might not think kindly of you. But then maybe you don't care what music lover in other countries, outside of the US of A, think of you.  :(

Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: pjme on April 16, 2007, 01:52:47 PM
In the Low countries :

The VRO = Vlaams Radio orkest = Flemish Radio orchestra
BNO/ONB = Nationaal Orkest België - Orchestre National de Belgique .;one of the few institutions we actually share with the Walloons.
De Philharmonie = Antwerp Philharmonic orchestra - used to be Royal Flemish Ph.
OPL : Orchestre philharmonique de Liège et de la communauté Wallonie - Bruxelles
OSM- SOM = Orchestre Symphonique de la Monnaie - Symfonisch orkest van de Munt
SOVO= Symfonisch orkest van de Vlaamse Opera Antwerpen / Gent
VSO = Vlaams symfonie Orkest

And for the Dutch :

LSO : Limburgs Symfonie Orkest ( Province of limburg)
KCGO: Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam
Radio Philharmonisch Orkest ( Hilversum/Utrecht - Radio orchestra)
Radio Kamer Philharmonie ( a newly formed multifunctional orchestra, a combination of the Radio Symphony and the Radio Chamber O;)
OVO : Otrkest van het Oosten ( Province Overijssel)
NNO :Noord Nederlands Orkest (Province Groningen)
RPhO : Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest
GO: Het Gelders Orkest (Province Gelderland)
HS :The Holland Symfonia the Dutch Ballet & symfony orchestra ( Haarlem - Amsterdam)

...and I'm surely forgetting a few...

The list in France and Germany would be many times longer.....

Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: RebLem on April 16, 2007, 09:32:57 PM
Quote from: uffeviking on April 13, 2007, 06:53:46 AM
Interesting new thread should clarify a lot of questions - except the rare cases where two, or more, institutions have the same acronym.  :-\

BPO - could be the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, or the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra! Maybe in such a case, listing the name of the city would be helpful.  ;)

Or the Buffalo (NY) Philharmonic Orch. 

Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: RebLem on April 16, 2007, 09:38:25 PM
Quote from: Joe Barron on April 13, 2007, 09:18:43 AM
Is there such a thing as the Boston Philharmonic? In these pages, I refer to the Boston Symphony Orhcestra as the BSO.

Obviously, the BSO is the premier orch in Boston, but yes, there is another orchestra called the Boston Philharmonic.  I think their MD (music director) is still Benjamin Zander.  He did a very innovative (esp. in the 3rd movement) Beethoven 9th with them a few years back which I think is still available.
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Que on April 16, 2007, 09:41:02 PM
Quote from: pjme on April 16, 2007, 01:52:47 PM
And for the Dutch :
(...)
KCGO: Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam

You mean: KCO (http://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/) (or RCO).  :)

Q
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: RebLem on April 16, 2007, 09:45:23 PM
Quote from: Greta on April 14, 2007, 03:47:45 AM
For BPO, two common orchestras I associate that with are the Berlin Phil and the Boston Pops. And Vienna commonly is VPO even though technically it should be WP. We have a tendency to add Orchestra at the end here in the States, even when it technically isn't part of their official name.

And changing orchestra names over the years can really make this kind of thing confusing!  :o

For the UKers, did the RSNO and RLPO used to not be Royal? I have seen acronyms without the R for both of these in some older recordings and it confused me. Actually the Royal thing is a common inconsistency, the Concertgebouw is often referred to either way.

Also, who decides if an orchestra is Royal, does the monachy pronounce them so, or do they just proclaim it for themselves?  :D

In the case of the Scottish National Orch, I think the addition of the word Royal may well be intended to remind the Scottish nationalists--and people on the fence--that their orchestra is supported by the central government of the UK, and that that is one more burden they will have to bear if they decide to go independent.  Maybe make some people think a little harder about whether they really want to do it or not.
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: pjme on April 16, 2007, 10:39:59 PM
Quote from: Que on April 16, 2007, 09:41:02 PM
You mean: KCO (http://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/) (or RCO).  :)

Q
::) Of course I do!......!
Title: Re: The Acronym Thread
Post by: karlhenning on April 17, 2007, 03:54:17 AM
Quote from: RebLem on April 16, 2007, 09:38:25 PM
Obviously, the BSO is the premier orch in Boston, but yes, there is another orchestra called the Boston Philharmonic.  I think their MD (music director) is still Benjamin Zander.

Absolutely.
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Valentino on April 18, 2007, 04:27:56 AM
BPO is of course Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (of Norway).
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: karlhenning on April 18, 2007, 04:30:05 AM
Quote from: Valentino on April 18, 2007, 04:27:56 AM
BPO is of course Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (of Norway).

It is well you added that, or I had thought you meant either Bergen, New York (outside Rochester) or Bergen County, New Jersey . . . .
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Valentino on April 18, 2007, 04:33:07 AM
They used to call themselves Musikselskapet Filharmoniens Orkester. Almost as good as the name of Sarge's local that one.
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Maciek on April 20, 2007, 02:54:39 PM
POR = Polska Orkiestra Radiowa (Polish Radio Orchestra)

POK = Polska Orkiestra Kameralna (Polish Chamber Orchestra, usually conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk)

Amadeus or OKA = Orkiestra Kameralna [Polskiego Radia] "Amadeus" (Amadeus Chamber Orchestra [of the Polish Radio], usually conducted by Agnieszka Duczmal)
Title: Re: The Abbreviation Thread
Post by: Siedler on April 20, 2007, 05:10:27 PM
Lahti Symphony Orchestra can't be LSO because that's London Symhony Orchestra. LS?  :-\