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U.S. Symphony Orchestras

Here's a link to a Wikipedia list of US symphony orchestras. What immediately struck me was how large a list it is. For instance, from my adobe in southeast Michigan I have access to four orchestras, including a major one, the Detroit SO. This may sound heretical, but are there too many symphonies? The poor economic health of many of the orchestras would support the over abundance argument. It's possible that a severe contraction in the number of orchestra could occur.

There was a "Gramaphone" article a few years back about the top twenty orchestras in the world. US orchestras showed very strong with seven institutions named. Anybody have any ideas about how to keep the best of these orchestras solvent and still performing?

Onhwy61 (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-25-12

Responses (1-38 of 38)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

01-25-12 Its not really an overabundance of orchestras. its the econ ... Brownsfan

01-25-12 The ultimate answer is to broaden the cusomer base. make i ... Rok2id

01-25-12 Markets have crashed before and orchestras did not go out of ... Onhwy61

01-25-12 Btw, a few examples of how to do it is, the 4th of july thin ... Rok2id

01-25-12 Part of the problem here is to define what it is we are tryi ... Brownsfan

01-25-12 "some of us seek out music that is unknown and aren't m ... Rok2id

01-25-12 Rok2id, i do see your point. but i think you missed mine. ... Brownsfan

01-26-12 Btw, i actually prefer chamber to orchestral on disc. and i ... Rok2id

01-26-12 Very interesting thread. i cannot be impartial here, being ... Learsfool

01-26-12 Regarding the top 20 list -- i'm in no way qualified to ve ... Onhwy61

01-26-12 Let me share my own experience. i am a life-long classic mus ... Gsm18439

01-26-12 The biggest problem that i see is a public hostile to suppor ... Martykl

01-26-12 Learsfool has made some real world points. as a member of th ... Slipknot1

01-26-12 Onhwy61, thanks for the top 20 list. i'm not qualified to j ... Brownsfan

01-26-12 Just something to show the 'type' of thing i was talking abo ... Rok2id

01-26-12 Martyk1: i agree with you. i think that public support of th ... Gsm18439

01-26-12 "symphony in c", previously known as the "had ... Unsound

01-26-12 Oops, should have read as missing from the list. Unsound

01-26-12 This is a great discussion. i am traveling with my family t ... Gabbro

01-26-12 bless your heart! that's the orchestra i serve as a member o ... Slipknot1

01-26-12 No, bless your heart, keep up the good work! Unsound

01-27-12 For all you bluegrass folks. strings as good as philadelph ... Rok2id

01-28-12 Onhwy61, thanks for the link. i feel compelled to point out ... Learsfool

01-28-12 Learsfool, to your last point, the decision my wife and i m ... Brownsfan

01-28-12 The last two posts just confirm my fear that american sympho ... Rok2id

01-29-12 Hi rok2id - i understand where you are coming from in your l ... Learsfool

01-29-12 Hi brownsfan - thanks for the comments. regarding the gover ... Learsfool

01-30-12 It seems rather odd that the bso,which is probably the most ... Route9

01-30-12 It's a british / european publication?? Rok2id

01-30-12 Time to think outside the box and bring the symphony orchest ... Onhwy61

01-30-12 Route9, many people would still put the bso in the top ten - ... Learsfool

01-31-12 onhwy61 (system | threads | answers | this thread) actuall ... Slipknot1

01-31-12 Wow, i get to the meyerhoff for the bso frequently. didn't ... Mapman

01-31-12 "its a tough battle, but hopefully good taste persevere ... Rok2id

01-31-12: Mapman
"Music is music, none of it is better than any other."

Kinda like "No Child Left Behind" then I suppose. I know what your saying but find it hard to say that all music is created equal.

I suppose it could be argued that fine arts in general appeals to snobs, almost by definition. There is surely a correlation. Does that make all lovers of a particular fine art, whatever that may be, snobs? Are rappers who look down on classical music snobs?

I think snobbery refers to how people perceive others relative to themselves. Determining one to be a snob based on the the kind of music they appreciate would seem to be a form of snobbery in of itself.
Mapman (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-31-12 Hahahah don't be difficult. you know exactly what i was ... Rok2id

01-31-12 Rok, i would agree with all points in your last post. Mapman

01-31-12 Maybe this post has also something on this subject.... " ... Hakuchosan