Orchestras' own likes and dislikes

[DracoM]

Classic FM passim / R3 a.m. play 'favourites' - implication being that these are 'our' favourites, but I've always wondered which pieces / composers ORCHESTRAS themselves least and most like playing.

Answers?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I would have thought that on this, opinion would be divided, as tastes will vary across the expanse of players.

In my very limited orchestral experience, I find that, Elgar, one of my favourite composers for listening, is among the least satisfying to play. Playing 2nd oboe in his works requires huge amounts of counting in order to place very few notes.

[DracoM]

One hears that some orchestras yawn doing Beethoven but play it because they know it pays well - anything in that?

[Once Was 4]

One hears that some orchestras yawn doing Beethoven but play it because they know it pays well - anything in that?

Well that reminds me of a very famous trumpet player for whom a British composer wrote a concerto some years ago. When they met up said trumpet player commented that "this concerto is rubbish"; said composer responded "do you mean that you will not play it?" to which the trumpet player said "oh, if there is money in it I will play it!"

Regarding likes and dislikes players will tend to dislike music which is ungratefully written for their instrument; thus different people will dislike different things. Thus Mendelssohn withdrew Schubert's 'Great' C major symphony in a huff when players in London took the rise out of it; I have met few string players who like playing 'The symphony which never finishes'. In my experience the horn parts of Bellini, Donizetti and early Verdi are awful; strangely we adopted a method of coping with them by treating them as articulation practice and trying to focus on the lovely sounds coming from the stage. Nevertheless, one horn-playing colleague dreaded performances of these composers' opera. When he left to join one of the London orchestras it was only natural that we bought him a CD of Bellini and Donizetti highlights. His reaction on unwrapping the present was "you load of bxxxx bxxxxxxs!" Fortunately a proper present was waiting in the wings.

[Once Was 4]

Classic FM passim / R3 a.m. play 'favourites' - implication being that these are 'our' favourites, but I've always wondered which pieces / composers ORCHESTRAS themselves least and most like playing.

Answers?

Just thinking some more about this: very often it is down to the jockey as to whether an orchestra will enjoy anything at all. I was never all that keen on Bizet's The Pearl Fishers even though it had a nice part for me to play (lots of juicy low bits and even a couple of 'tunes' of my own) But when we did it with the late Dietfried Bernet I would have been more than happy if the run was extended. 'Deepfried' himself was once persuaded to conduct some Elgar in a symphony concert. This was a bad mistake; he did not like it and this came through loud and clear on the night. But then came Strauss's Don Quixote and I really felt that, for 40 minutes, I was a member of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Professionals will always do their best whatever the music. I remember the 3rd horn of one of the best known regional orchestras at a time when its morale was at rock bottom due to having three dreadful MDs in a row (no names, no pack drill) saying that the players would drag themselves in, cursing and complaining, go on, give the audience at least a good concert - often better than good - then go offstage and immediately start cursing and complaining again.

If you will not take it from me, take it from a great maestro of the past (I think Beecham) "there are no good or bad professional orchestras, just good and bad conductors. Here's to our professionals