Rising standards outside the Big Five create a new elite Their players are highly skilled specialists, prized for their uncommon
physical abilities and welded into a team by a strong figure of
authority. Their seasons are long, routinely lasting from early fall to
late spring and often extending into the summer. Their budgets run into
the millions of dollars; their fans are numerous. Heard on radio and
seen on television, they have become symbols of their cities, sources
of local pride and the subject of endless arguments over which is best. The Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and their fellow gridiron
gladiators? No, far less violent. The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees
and the rest of the major leagues? No, even more sophisticated and
spiritually uplifting. These are the major symphony orchestras of
America, a group of 20 or so crack ensembles that are flourishing
artistically as never before. In unprecedented numbers, they are
setting new standards of excellence in performance. In the process,
they are changing the face of the country's traditional orchestral
establishment. Declares Sir Georg Solti, music director of the Chicago
Symphony: “American orchestras are undoubtedly superior to any, except
one or two European orchestras. The standard of orchestral playing in
America, all over the country, is amazing.” For years it was commonly agreed that there was a Big Five among U.S.
orchestras: in alphabetical order, the Boston Symphony, the Chicago
Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the
Philadelphia Orchestra. For the most part, they were the orchestras
with the biggest annual budgets and, partly as a result, the best
musicians. They had lucrative recording contracts and the most eminent
conductors. They were all located in important cities, with access to
large populations, wealth and influential critics, whose regular
attention enhanced their reputations. Today the idea of a Big Five has generally lost its validity. “On any
given night, one can hear a concert of excellent quality,” says Stephen
Sell, executive director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. “There probably
hasn't been a Big Five for half a decade.” Agrees John Edwards,
executive vice president and general manager of the Chicago Symphony
and, at 70, the dean of U.S. orchestra administrators: “Basically, the
concept of a Big Five is outmoded.” Determined by the musicians'
technical command, the conductor's leadership and the intangible
element of inspiration, excellence is no longer quite so exclusive. A
current ranking of the country's best orchestras, in order of
achievement:
