Your favourite ensemble/orchestra/group etc

[Beef Oven!]

Following the recent LvB string quartet #12 BaL, I dug out my Belcea string quartet CDs (Bartok, Debussy, Dutilleux & Ravel). What a fine group I thought. That got me thinking about the various ensemble, orchestras, groups whatever, that I particularly rate:



Ensemble InterContemporain - So much of the modern music that I listen to was introduced to me through this excellent Paris based group.

Il Giardino Armonico - Made Baroque music so enjoyable for me by these exquisitely-boisterous Italians, after years of 'just not getting it'

London Philharmonic Orchestra - only really came into my ken in the last couple of years at concerts and recent recordings. A pattern arose - I really enjoyed a number of concerts and recordings that I’d bought and the LPO kept cropping up as the orchestra behind this experience.

Beaux Arts Trio - Don’t know anything about them, but lately I’ve been playing a Philips 2 CD set of Brahms’ trios and the music making is simply glorious.

London Sinfonietta - Very underrated, IMV. I’ve enjoyed every performance I’ve been to, especially a Stockhausen 'Gruppen' performance, a few years back. Adventurous, too.

The Maggini Quartet - Where would we lovers of neglected British composers be without the Magginis!!??

[cloughie]

Following the recent LvB string quartet #12 BaL, I dug out my Belcea string quartet CDs (Bartok, Debussy, Dutilleux & Ravel). What a fine group I thought. That got me thinking about the various ensemble, orchestras, groups whatever, that I particularly rate:



Ensemble InterContemporain - So much of the modern music that I listen to was introduced to me through this excellent Paris based group.

Il Giardino Armonico - Made Baroque music so enjoyable for me by these exquisitely-boisterous Italians, after years of 'just not getting it'

London Philharmonic Orchestra - only really came into my ken in the last couple of years at concerts and recent recordings. A pattern arose - I really enjoyed a number of concerts and recordings that I’d bought and the LPO kept cropping up as the orchestra behind this experience.

Beaux Arts Trio - Don’t know anything about them, but lately I’ve been playing a Philips 2 CD set of Brahms’ trios and the music making is simply glorious.

London Sinfonietta - Very underrated, IMV. I’ve enjoyed every performance I’ve been to, especially a Stockhausen 'Gruppen' performance, a few years back. Adventurous, too.

The Maggini Quartet - Where would we lovers of neglected British composers be without the Magginis!!??

Among mine are:
Lindsay SQ
Melos Ensemble
Halle Orchestra, particularly the Barbirolli era, but also Elder more recently and have also enjoyed many Loughran and the somewhat underrated Skrowaczewski.
CBSO
and the wonderful gallic sounds of the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra in recordings from the late 50s and early 60s - decca recording at its best!
Your mention of the London Sinfonietta reminds me of the Simon Rattle Jazz album (of which title Jazzers on these boards would no doubt cringe) but I love it and particularly the vocal efforts of Harvey and the Wallbangers.
Other major orchestras also but maybe relating to eras of particular conductors.
There have been some lovely I Musici recordings.

[Petrushka]

Just orchestras for me but these things change over time. Right now:

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Those strings! That woodwind! Those horns! Nothing like it anywhere else and when on top form this orchestra is simoly glorious.

Dresden Staatskapelle: Pretty much as above really but a different sort of sound.

Berlin Staatskapelle: The 2013 Proms Ring and other concerts in London have alerted me to what a very fine orchestra this is, the equal of the above two.

London Philharmonic Orchestra: The home team and presently on white hot form under Jurowski. I really wish I could get to more of their concerts but other stuff, such as work, just gets in the way. The LSO and Rattle are providing fierce competition amongst the Premier League of British orchestras and that's only going to increase.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: Not, in my opinion, the force it was in the Haitink years and before but still one of the world's great orchestras.

[Flay]

I've been very impressed by the crisp precise playing of the Danish String Quartet
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[pastoralguy]

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Our local orchestra and the ensemble that has introduced me to so much great music.

[richardfinegold]

I haven't seen the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra mentioned. This is my favorite European Orchestra (CSO will retain my affections for top honors), with a stunning concert hall acoustic to match. I am hoping to catch them when we got to Germany this September

[Petrushka]

I haven't seen the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra mentioned. This is my favorite European Orchestra (CSO will retain my affections for top honors), with a stunning concert hall acoustic to match. I am hoping to catch them when we got to Germany this September

I was going to put them down as my fifth nomination, Richard, but time was pressing. Absolutely agree. I certainly hear a lot of them judging from my 'What are you listening to now?' thread contributions. I first saw them playing Mahler 1 with Kubelik in 1980 and am currently going through the new Eugen Jochum box which includes many recordings in its earlier days.

[Richard Tarleton]

Jordi Savall's various (overlapping) ensembles -

Hesperion XXl
La Capella Real de Catalunya
Le Concert des Nations

...their work captured on their label Alia Vox

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Jordi Savall's various (overlapping) ensembles -

Hesperion XXl
La Capella Real de Catalunya
Le Concert des Nations

...their work captured on their label Alia Vox

And ...
Opera North (that's some "ensemble"!)
The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra
Arditti Quartet
Quatour Diotima
JACK
Smith 4tet
Elision Ensemble
Musikfabrik
Ensemble Recherche
Exaudi

and most recently, Distractfold.

From age 14 - 30 (ish) I'd've said the London Sinfonietta, the BBCSO, and the Berlin Philharmonic without hesitation, but their work these days has been supplanted in my admiration and enthusiasm by many others.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... oooh - and Ian Pace, John Tilbury, Nic Hodges, Sarah Nicolls, and Philip Thomas whenever they appear with any of the aforementioned ensembles

[Richard Barrett]

The Ardittis

Have they changed their name as well????

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Have they changed their name as well????

I thought they had, but checking their website following your post, I see that it's still a Quartet!

[Richard Barrett]

I thought they had, but checking their website following your post, I see that it's still a Quartet!

A nation breathes a sigh of relief.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well the OP heading does imply singular, so it has to be the Vienna Philharmonic. I have more recordings of theirs than of any other ensemble.

[BBMmk2]

This is rather difficult.

There are two orchestras that are firmly my favourites:

London Symphony Orchestra. Namely because their playing and also because their anniversary falls on the same day as my birthday and also it was thanks to Andre Previn, for really getting me involved with classical music.

Berliner Philharmoniker A close thing with the Wiener Philharmoniker really but the Berliners, I was really enthralled by HvK's direction when I was growing up.

Ensemble: The Nash Ensemble I have always liked their recordings.
andThe Maggini Quartet Their marvellous enterprising recordings on Naxos, of British chamber music.