My choice: London Symphony Orchestra
Boston Pops, and National Philarmonics.

I don't count the Hollywood Orchestra since it is really not an orchestra per se.

My personal favorite is the Boston Pops...

The Graunke Symphony of Munich has done some terrific work, e.g. KING KONG LIVES and HELLBOUND -- but Goldsmith was slated to record TOTAL RECALL with them, and halted sessions after one day -- "They just weren't getting it," he explained. The job went to his favorite, the National Philharmonic.

Goldsmith also conducted a superb concert with the New York FILMHarmonic in November of 1998. I'd hope THEY'LL start recording albums soon. It was fascinating watching them play the suite from PLANET OF THE APES -- I never dreamed I'd hear that music live, much less get to see how they got those effects (that gibbering-ape sound is just some guy rubbing the inside of a small drum!) Only mild defect: they didn't have the ramhorn effect for "The Hunt," substituting trombones (?) instead. More majestic, but less scary.

Ah yes, the Unione Mucisti di Roma has done some lovely and soulful work. As I remember it, CONAN THE BARBARIAN was recorded with members of two different Roman orchestras, and they had such a rivalry that the sessions were a bit on the touchy side. (Anyone else see the Italian version of FANTASIA, called ALLEGRO NON TROPPO? Interspersed animated sequences with slapstick bits involving the orchestra members squabbling with each other. Apparently very close to what it's really like to record there.)

Mulling over the American studios' frequent decisions to record outside the US because of union rules -- you know, within England it's been considered too expensive! I remember reading a Variety piece about how English orchestras were worried about how much domestic recording jobs they were losing to Munich and Budapest. The industry's love affair with Budapest seems to have dried up long since, though ... Goldsmith recorded jobs as various as LIONHEART and HOOSIERS over there, but now seems to work only in Los Angeles or England. Hey, whatever works for him ...

Most of you may already know this story, but I just must share it: You know that jokey little violin solo heard twice in THE BLUE MAX? When Goldsmith was recording that in Englandin 1966, it turned out that the lead violin soloist was the father of actor David McCallum, then the star of MAN FROM UNCLE, which Goldsmith had just recorded the hit main theme for. The elder McCallum told Goldsmith to go back to Hollywood and inform his son that "the 'auld man' has a little bit of life still left in him!"

I have to go with what has been said about British orchestras. I'm not quite sure which I'd pick over the others, but those Gerhardt/National Phil recordings are just amazing. I've been very impressed with Kunzel's film music recordings with the Cincinnati orchestra and wish someone would let these guys do score re-recordings rather than just bits and pieces for pops CDs. I cannot agree with the people who like the City of Plague, I mean Prague, Orchestra. Maybe it's that Nic Raine and Paul Bateman should be lined up against a wall and shot (Sorry Ford but Silva re-recordings are in most cases abysmal) and it's not the orchestra's fault. I just shelled out $15 for the Silva Bond Back in Traction, I mean Action, CD only to find out that originally it was going to be all unreleased music until someone thought that wouldn't play on its own without familar music too (what a bone-headed idea). Not that it matters because the new cues are played so poorly that to have more of them would only be that much more depressing.

Not associated with film scores, but still great are of course, among others, the London Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Berliner and Wiener Philharmoniker (I'm glad to have attended several concerts by the latter).

I read at another thread (was it here or at FSM?) that the National Symphony is a contract orchestra comprised of players from the London Philharmonic, Symphony, Sinfonia of London etc. Is this true? And if so, do they always hire the same players, i.e. is the National Symphony always the same orchestra, or is it just a name for different combinations of musicians? Also: What happened to the Skywalker Symphony orchestra? Did they only do that one "Star Wars" recording, or did they get other assignments as well?

Marian: No, the Skywalker Symphony was also assembled for two spectacular Silvestri scores - RICOCHET and PREDATOR 2. And when I say spectacular, I not only mean the performance, but the sound quality. Crisp and in-your-face clarity.

To me, nothing can beat the LSO - their versatility and adaptibility never seize to amaze me. They have a certain, concert-like warmth to their sound, avoiding the technically perfect but anonymous recordings of, for instance, the LA pick-up orchestras.

I was informed on this very board, however, that the LSO is NOT a pick-up orchestra.

But how can pickup orchestras have a name? I mean, if there's not at least a basic group of musicians which always play in the orchestra, the orchestra with the name X may have nothing in common with the next orchestra X...

1) They performed the scores of PREDATOR 2 and (allegedly) RICOCHET. How come the album of the former is so lengthy, while the latter's CD is so brief?

2) Just WHERE are they (in geographical terms) and where are they now?

OK, so that's three. Sue me

"To record this new digital album of the Star Wars music, I wanted an orchestra that could compete with the London Symphony Orchestra or the Hollywood studio orchestras in Los Angeles. We worked very hard to assemble a group of the best qualified musicians that the Bay Area has to offer, and we all held our breath when John came to audition them. To my delight, the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra passede the audition with flying colors."

The booklet also has a listing of all the performing musicians.

quote:

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Originally posted by SBD:
Does anyone know if the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is union or not?

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Not only is it union, it's part of the Union From Hell: AFM.

Late as always, I'll go with so many others and name London Symphony as favourite. Very closely followed by The Philadelphia Orchestra, and somewhat further down the list:
the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

As for worst, well somehow the philharmonic amateur high school band of a certain city in the Czech Republic comes to mind...

quote:

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Originally posted by Dinko:
As for worst, well somehow the philharmonic amateur high school band of a certain city in the Czech Republic comes to mind...

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You should hear the "Niederösterreichische Tonkünstler", an orchestra from Lower Austria. They're also known as "potters" here, a pun on "Tonkünstler" (künstler=artists, and ton can mean both tone and clay).

On the positive side, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester has to be mentioned. They're comprised of players from everywhere in Europe, all between about 18 and 25 years old as far as I remember - when they get older, many of them get places in the best orchestras in the world - the VPO have several ex-GJO players, for example, as do the LSO and LPO, I believe.

I recently heard them perform Bruckner's 8th under Franz Welser-Möst, and the orchestra is absolutely amazing. Check out their homepage.

Goldsmith also conducted a superb concert with the New York FILMHarmonic in November of 1998. I'd hope THEY'LL start recording albums soon.

They have been for years, just not under that moniker.

It was fascinating watching them play the suite from PLANET OF THE APES -- I never dreamed I'd hear that music live, much less get to see how they got those effects (that gibbering-ape sound is just some guy rubbing the inside of a small drum!) Only mild defect: they didn't have the ramhorn effect for "The Hunt," substituting trombones (?) instead. More majestic, but less scary.

It was a trumpet. They had a Ram's Horn but it wasn't used--don't ask me why. Lord knows they should never make that mistake again as you'll never hear the end of it.

Followed by the Sinfonia of London Orchestra and Chourus, and The Royals Scottish National Orchestra.

Jz

NP: Superman