Big Five (orchestras)

Big Five (orchestras) is an informal term that emerged in the mid-20th century to denote the five major symphony orchestras in the United States renowned for their artistic prestige, recording contracts, and financial resources. The designation reflected a period of significant growth in American cultural institutions and became a benchmark for orchestral excellence. While the specific list was never formally codified, it was widely understood in classical music circles and the media.

History and origin

The concept of the Big Five crystallized in the decades following World War II, a period of immense expansion for American arts institutions fueled by economic prosperity and the Cold War cultural agenda. This era saw the rise of influential music directors like Leonard Bernstein at the New York Philharmonic and George Szell at the Cleveland Orchestra, whose tenures defined orchestral standards. The growth of the LP record and exclusive contracts with major labels like Columbia Records and RCA Victor provided these orchestras with unprecedented national reach and revenue. Furthermore, the establishment of permanent residencies in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and significant philanthropic support from figures like the Rockefeller family solidified their elite status within the cultural landscape.

Member orchestras

The orchestras consistently included in the Big Five are the Boston Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1881 and based at Symphony Hall; the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, established in 1891 and performing at Orchestra Hall; the Cleveland Orchestra, founded in 1918 and resident at Severance Hall; the New York Philharmonic, America's oldest orchestra founded in 1842 and long associated with Avery Fisher Hall; and the Philadelphia Orchestra, founded in 1900 and famed for its sound cultivated in the Academy of Music and later the Kimmel Center. Each institution developed a distinct sonic identity under maestros like Serge Koussevitzky, Fritz Reiner, Eugene Ormandy, and Leopold Stokowski.

Cultural impact and influence

The Big Five orchestras exerted profound influence on American musical life, setting technical and artistic benchmarks that became the aspiration for ensembles nationwide. They served as primary commissioners of new works from leading 20th-century composers, including Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky, and John Corigliano. Their extensive discographies, often made with producers like John Culshaw, became definitive reference recordings, educating generations of listeners. These institutions also pioneered radio and television broadcasts, such as the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein, and later, internet streaming initiatives, vastly expanding access to classical music.

Evolution of the term

By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the relevance and utility of the "Big Five" designation began to be questioned. The artistic rise of other major American orchestras, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen and Gustavo Dudamel, the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., challenged the old hierarchy. Shifts in the recording industry, the financial crises facing many arts institutions following the Great Recession, and a broader national diffusion of artistic excellence rendered the original five-orchestra model increasingly anachronistic. Today, the term is often used historically or to denote a group of peerless institutions from a specific era, rather than a definitive ranking of current prestige.

Related orchestral rankings

The Big Five concept parallels other informal rankings in the orchestral world, most notably the international designation of the "Big Four" or "Big Five" of the United Kingdom, which includes the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and sometimes the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Globally, surveys like the Gramophone magazine's list of the world's greatest orchestras and the now-discontinued Bachtrack rankings offer contemporary, though debated, comparative assessments. Within the U.S., discussions often reference a "Big Seven" or "Major American Orchestras" to include the ascendant ensembles on the West Coast and elsewhere.

Category:American orchestras Category:Classical music in the United States Category:Music history of the United States