[talking out of my butt] Depends (partially) on who is conducting, no? I still go with NY, but I would think that could change the voting. I haven't been down there since Maazel took over, though he is leaving this year, apparently. I have some cleveland orchestra with George Szell at the stick that isn't bad. [/talking out of my butt]
It does, in fact, depend on who's conducting. I don't care much for Barenboim, but the CSO under Reiner or Solti would be hard to argue against. I haven't heard Maazel either, but I would put the Philharmonic under Mazur ahead of the CSO under Barenboim. (I am a bit biased on this one, though, since I used to work for the Philharmonic.)
[also talking out of my butt] Chicago hasn't been the same since Solti left. [/also talking out of my butt]
They're British, aren't they? I've been hoping that LA would get a decent orchestra so we could get some East Coast-West Coast sympony thug life going. Then again, I'd hate for Maazel to go down in a hail of bullets...
It's hard to be gangsta when your musical director's name -- Esa-Pekka Salonen -- sounds like something found in Latka Gravas' lunchbox.
Not only does the conductor really matter, but what's being played matters too. Some conductors are genius on one composer and crap on the next. Too many variables involved.
And it's easy to be a gangsta when your name sounds like a Disney cartoon character? I'm looking at you Snoop Doggy Dog. I agree that there is some degree of specialization amongst conductors (if I'm going to hear a 20th cent composer, for example, I want Simon Rattle conducting) and even some orchestras, but I know the CSO plays a pretty diverse program.
Doesn't Boston get a look in? I heard that in knowledgable circles it's considered a decent one. Man, I'm out of my depth here.
I am going to see/hear the Berliner Philharmoniker in the Alter Oper this Saturday. Conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. No contest. Except perhaps from the Wiener.