Topic: Your favorite orchestra names

[vandermolen]

The Grand Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio Committee (under Nikolai Golovanov) performed the premiere of Miaskovsky's Symphony 23 in a 1942 radio broadcast.

[PerfectWagnerite]

My favorite has to be the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio and Television

I believe the full name is:

Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union National Radio Service and Central Television Networks

As in this one:

[PerfectWagnerite]

I checked the net and I found that Hyvinkää is a city of 46000 in southern Finland. Its Wiki entry makes no mention of an orchestra, but said orchestra does have a web site (with English translation) ! This is one of the 2 recordings they made.  More power to them !

That begs the question what is the smallest population city that has a major symphony orchestra, as in one that most classical music lovers (like on this forum) know about?

I am thinking that would be the Lahti Symphony Orchestra where the city of Lahti has a population of about 120 thousand.

[Alek Hidell]

I once heard or read somewhere that the way to differentiate between a Symphony and a Philharmonic was whether the musicians were unionized or not. I guess that isn't true, but I wonder where I came across that bit of (apparently false) information. Has anyone else ever heard that?

[Biffo]

I once heard or read somewhere that the way to differentiate between a Symphony and a Philharmonic was whether the musicians were unionized or not. I guess that isn't true, but I wonder where I came across that bit of (apparently false) information. Has anyone else ever heard that?

Never heard that before. When the two New York orchestras merged they became the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra; later 'Symphony' was dropped.
The Vienna Philharmonic (and probably others) was founded before musician's unions existed.

[amw]

That begs the question what is the smallest population city that has a major symphony orchestra, as in one that most classical music lovers (like on this forum) know about?

I am thinking that would be the Lahti Symphony Orchestra where the city of Lahti has a population of about 120 thousand.

Some options include the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, based in Lugano, a town of about 64,000, or the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, based in Monaco, a city-state of about 40,000.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

That begs the question what is the smallest population city that has a major symphony orchestra, as in one that most classical music lovers (like on this forum) know about?

There are some quite well-known orchestras based in Bamberg, Germany (pop 77K) and Norrkoping, Sweden (pop 95K). Going up the scale a bit, also Saarbrucken, Germany and Bournemouth, England, both around 180K. I've got all of them in my collection. The Bournemouth orchestra is of course very well known and much recorded.

[king ubu]

Lamoureux was the name of the conductor who founded the orchestra to perform weakly concerts of new music. Not knowing French, I assume something along the lines of "orchestra of Lamoureux's concert association."

Several others like Lamoureux and Hallé ... at least these two come to mind right away:

Concerts Colonne
founded by Édouard Colonne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerts_Colonne

Orchestre des Concerts Straram
founded by Walther Straram: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestre_des_concerts_Straram / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_Straram

oh, and a third one, Orchestre Pasdeloup or Orchestre des Concerts Pasdeloup (the name mean's "wolf's step")
founded by Jules Pasdeloup: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestre_Pasdeloup


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One I've always found particularly clumsily named is the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestre_national_du_Capitole_de_Toulouse

[ritter]

...
Orchestre des Concerts Straram
founded by Walther Straram: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestre_des_concerts_Straram / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_Straram
...

Many years ago, for a while, I thought the Concerts Straram were a joint venture between Igor Stravinsky and Ernest Ansermet. 

[PerfectWagnerite]

There are some quite well-known orchestras based in Bamberg, Germany (pop 77K) and Norrkoping, Sweden (pop 95K). Going up the scale a bit, also Saarbrucken, Germany and Bournemouth, England, both around 180K. I've got all of them in my collection. The Bournemouth orchestra is of course very well known and much recorded.

All great examples ! Bamberger SO has 195 recordings according to Arkivmusic, Norrkoping about 50, Lahti about 90, Saarbruckner about 60.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

All great examples ! Bamberger SO has 195 recordings according to Arkivmusic, Norrkoping about 50, Lahti about 90, Saarbruckner about 60.

Bournemouth SO kills them all with 227 entries, which doesn't surprise me. Although from what I've heard, they should really be called the "Southwest of England Orchestra" because they don't actually play most of their concerts in Bournemouth.

[geralmar]

Symphony Orchestra of the Southwest German Radio Baden Baden

I believe a variation on the name was noted earlier.  I've always liked this name because it sounds so imposing.  It doesn't hurt that it was once conducted by Jascha Horenstein.

[Christo]

Symphony Orchestra of the Southwest German Radio Baden Baden

I believe a variation on the name was noted earlier.  I've always liked this name because it sounds so imposing.  It doesn't hurt that it was once conducted by Jascha Horenstein.

Nowadays it's the SWR (Südwest Rundfunk) Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden Und Freiburg, to be precise.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Symphony Orchestra of the Southwest German Radio Baden Baden

I believe a variation on the name was noted earlier.  I've always liked this name because it sounds so imposing.  It doesn't hurt that it was once conducted by Jascha Horenstein.

Brings to mind a remark a a colleague. The Prestige of a state university is inversely related to how many directions appear in the title. University of Oklahoma, the flagship campus, University of Eastern Oklahoma, second tier. University of South-West Oklahoma, probably a place where you study to be a barber. 

Don't know if the rule applies to orchestras.

[PerfectWagnerite]

The Colorado Symphony.
(no orchestra)

[vandermolen]

Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic.

And here they are, clearly enjoying themselves, performing the first movement of Kalnin's Symphony No.4 'Rock Symphony':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI4G5J50nGg

[Christo]

Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic.

And here they are, clearly enjoying themselves, performing the first movement of Kalnin's Symphony No.4 'Rock Symphony':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI4G5J50nGg

Great performance - making it a sort of Bolero, must have been a great experience to perform it this way. 

[vandermolen]

Great performance - making it a sort of Bolero, must have been a great experience to perform it this way. 

I totally agree, like Bolero and Tubular Bells (also the opening movement of Shostakovich's 'Leningrad Symphony' and the coda of Prokofiev's 5th Symphony came to mind). I've watched the video several times. The conductor was clearly enjoying himself as well. 

[pjme]

Enjoyed it aswell. Many smiling faces in the orchestra.

Looked this afternoon for unknown orchestras - if possible with a good name...
No major finds. But I didn't know that Algeria , Morocco, Tunisia and Jakarta (Indonesia), Mumbai.... have (several) symphonic/philharmonic orchestras.
Examples:
https://youtu.be/QUHA0T3AId4
https://youtu.be/VM260H5Zo4M
https://youtu.be/utyBP36Pdl4
https://youtu.be/zNP4jCX2KgU

[vandermolen]

Here's the whole Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic concert from Paris. The Gelgotas work 'Never Ignore the Cosmic Ocean' from one hour in is a hoot and well worth watching (it only lasts a few minutes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLTXqyjwXDY&t=3909s