American vs. European Orchestras

Although the history of orchestration goes back to ancient Greece, the first semblance of a modern orchestra only came in the early 17th Century with classical music experiencing a renaissance in the 1400–1500s. So yeah, the age of classical music and concert started in medieval Europe.

It was the Italian opera composer Claudio Monteverdi who first assigned specific instruments to perform his music piece. Today, orchestra forms a greater part of colloquial music and is one of the most revered musical performances. Let’s talk about how Europeans enjoyed their elaborate orchestras and when and how did it reach to the new world, the Americas.

Classical music in Europe and America

Although many refer 1750 to 1820 as the classical period of music, it actually started in the early 11th Century. Renowned as the Gothic Period, it gave birth to the method of notating music. Later during the Renaissance (1400–1500s) the prominent composers such as Gabrielli and Palestrina started giving classical music a shape. The classical period was preceded by Baroque which saw the birth of great composers such as Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi.

The classical period is renowned for its acclaimed composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Haydn. Since its birth, classical music saw major refurbishment under many great European compositions. With the establishment of orchestral societies in the US, classical music saw exponential growth and commercial success.

European and American Orchestra

• Although the orchestral music and performance can be differentiated between American contemporary orchestra and European classical orchestra, it isn’t that easy. American orchestra is again differentiated by regions, western, mid-western, eastern, etc. European orchestra, on the other hand, is differentiated by London Symphony and Philharmonia, French Orchestra, German Philharmonic, Spanish orchestra, and such.
• Many auteurs opine that US conservatories are much diverse than European ones because American orchestras attract the best musical talents from around the world and earn more than their European counterparts.
• European orchestra, concertos, and ensemble mostly rely on classical music while the American orchestra incorporates different musical forms such as Jazz and folk.

THE DIRTY DOG JAZZ CAFE BLOG opines that,

Classical performances are traditionally based on pre-composed material, revitalizing scores from years past; whereas jazz is fresh with each performance with musicians extemporaneously re-composing in real-time through the use of improvisation.

Brief History of European Orchestra

Although the history of orchestration goes back to ancient Greece where musicians ensemble with whatever instrument they found, the first semblance of a modern orchestra only came in 1600. Around 1600 in Italy, the composer Claudio Monteverdi changed the definition of orchestral music. He knew exactly which instruments and sounds he wanted to accompany his opera Orfeo (1607), and he specified this in his score.

Claudio Monteverdi (above) was a pioneer in his time, completely reforming the Renaissance idea of consort music.

In the 1800s, the strings became more important than ever. Brass, woodwind and percussion instruments became more advanced, allowing composers to write more difficult parts, and keyboard instruments took a back seat.

The first violinist, or concertmaster, led the orchestra’s performance from his chair, but as orchestras were getting bigger and bigger, all those musicians couldn’t see and follow the concertmaster. This led to the baton that conductors use today.

Later in the 1800s, the orchestra reached the size and proportions we know today. Many composers, including Berlioz, Verdi, Wagner, Mahler, and Richard Strauss, also became conductors.

Some of the most renowned European orchestras include

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra in the Netherlands, based at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw. It was founded in 1888. Concertgebouw” is the Dutch word for “concert hall.” The Concertgebouw has been performing classical music since its inception. It is known for its unique sound, largely due to the fact that it has only had seven conductors since its establishment.

Berlin Philharmonic

Berlin Philharmonic is the most prestigious Deutsche orchestra performing some of the best classical, romantic, early 20th Century music since the 1920s. It was founded in 1882. Throughout its history, it has witnessed ten principal conductors. Its magnanimous performance of Rattle the orchestra has won a handful of Grammys, Gramophone Awards, and more.

Vienna Philharmonic

The Vienna Philharmonic was founded in 1842 and has long been considered one of the finest in the world. Richard Wagner, the famous composer, dubbed this orchestra as “one of the world’s very finest.” The tickets are so high in demand that the people choose to wait in the long waiting lists for its weekday and weekend subscription tickets.

London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1904. The venue was used as the group’s recordings of original scores for movies such as “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Harry Potter.”

Brief History of American Orchestra

The beginning o classic music and orchestra goes back to the arrival of Europeans in America. The music composition and orchestral gathering took place in colonial America where the musicians were influenced by their European counterparts.

In the 18th Century, American composers started incorporating American folk music. With progressing time, the American orchestra started incorporating new forms of music and musical instruments. The turn of the 20th Century saw the incorporation of Jazz into the orchestra.

The oldest orchestra in the US is New York Philharmonic. It was founded in 1842 by the American conductor Ureli Corelli Hill, with the aid of the Irish composer William Vincent Wallace. Some of the renowned music directors who have worked with New York Phil include Ureli Corelli, Theodore Eisfeld, Carl Bergmann, Leopold Damrosch, Theodore Thomas, Adolf Neuendoriff, Emil Paur, Wassily Safonoff, Gustav Mahler, Leopold Stokowski, and Zubin Mehta.

The late 1800s and early 1900s saw the foundation of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. The rise in popularity, major improvements, and larger audiences in an orchestra can be contributed to “the Big 5” orchestras of the USA.

Some of the most renowned American orchestras include

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the top-ranking American orchestras. A part of “Big 5” orchestras in the US, it’ a highly regarded brass section. At the time of this ranking, the group was led by Daniel Barenboim. It is now under the baton of renowned conductor Riccardo Muti. It was established in 1891 by Theodore Thomas.

Cleveland Orchestra

The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the “Big 5” orchestras in the US. It was founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes. It has remained the primary venue to witness one of the best classical and contemporary compositions in the U.S. The orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall. Franz Welser-Möst has led the Cleveland Orchestra since 2002.

Los Angeles Philharmonic

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, also known as LA Phil, was founded in 1919 by William Andrews Clark, Jr., a copper baron, arts enthusiast, and part-time violinist. Each year, more than 250 concerts are either performed or presented at the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s two iconic venues: the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the Big-Five orchestras in the U.S, also the second oldest among the Big-Five. It was founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881. It primarily performs in the Symphony Hall Tanglewood in Boston. Since its establishment, it has had 17 different music directors including George Henschel, Serge Koussevitzky, Henri Rabaud, Erich Leinsdorf, and William Steinberg.

New York Philharmonic

New York Philharmonic, officially called Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc. is the oldest orchestra in the U.S. Established in 1842 by the American conductor Ureli Corelli Hill, with the aid of the Irish composer William Vincent Wallace. Each season, the New York Philharmonic connects with over 50 million music lovers around the world through worldwide tours, residencies, digital recordings, and live broadcasts.

Here is a brief infographics description about American vs. European Orchestras

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