Early Music aka Historically Informed Music

Hi Schubert - not sure many in the industry would put Minnesota in the top 10 in the US right now, especially with the great players who were able to leave during that ridiculous lockout. They might still be top 15, though. LA is most certainly in the top ten, I think just about everyone in the industry would agree with that.

As I hear the Minnesota a lot, while it is a very good band,perhaps with its Finnish Conductor the best Sibelius one in US, it would be giving them the benefit of the doubt to place them in the top 10 much less the top 5 .
Of course any orchestra in top 20 is very good and MN is certainly there.
From what I hear on NPR , LA is not all that consistent but
not hearing them live , that's just a guess.
One thing I hear about the Pittsburg that is not a guess is that their woodwind section is as good as it gets.

Okay--if Pitt is in the top five US orchestras, which of these are not: NY Phil, Cleveland, Chicago, Boston, LA Phil, Seattle, Minnesota...

Bdp25,if not in your local store try web instead , B& N doesn't put a mag like that in many of its stores.

I just now Googled" Early Music America" ,like the mag itself their web site is very classy .

There was a similar mag that Gramophone itself was publishing, named Gramophone Early Music. I have issues 1-4 from 1999-2000, which I found at Tower Records. I never saw any more issues, and had forgotten all about it until I saw this posting. The mag was great in it's coverage of "period informed" Baroque performers. I'll have to look at B & N for this new one, thanks.

Bill, I root for the Vikes and have since '61 when they were founded . Don't know why, I was in Germany at the time and had never been to MN.
That said, IMO football has descended to a level where I really don't much care about it,much less lose sleep over who wins or loses.

I went to a game years ago between the "Stillers' and Cleveland. All I remember is the drunken fistfights in the stands. This was back when the games were played at the Pitt stadium? Before 3 Rivers, which is now also gone, or so I gather. Pittsburgh, for me, is best captured in the Deerhunter. Yeah, I know it's a pretty depressing movie....

Al, any Brownsfan can rattle off any number of similarly miraculous plays or series, all of which ended up with the Browns loosing. In addition to the well known Drive and Fumble, you have Red Right 88 and the Dwayne Rudd helmet toss. The list goes on and on.

Len, I'm just not seeing you as a yinzer wannabe. Say it ain't so!

I am not from the Twin Cities and the only reason I live here is I'm a culture vulture and ,all things considered, this is the best place in USA to live for same.

If I HAD to move it would be a coin-toss between Pittsburg and Bloomington, IN .

07-21-15: Brownsfan
It is heresy for any Brownsfan to say anything remotely flattering regarding Pittsburgh.

On the other hand, though, one must give it due recognition for being the locale of arguably the greatest miracle play in the history of sports :-)

I've never been there myself, though. Schubert, thanks for the recommendation.

Best regards,
-- Al

Whart, Hope yinz didn't get too much of dat Arn City Beer.

I grew up in the 'Burgh, and despite its considerable charms, managed to move away as soon as I finished school. Apart from the distinctive accent, the heavy emphasis on professional sports to the exclusion of almost everything else and the rust belt vibe that is sadly the fate of many of our once great industrial cities, I have fond memories of going to the symphony there when I was a kid. I gather that Pittsburgh has improved since I left some 34+ years ago. It was also part of the circuit for A tier hard rock back in the late '60s and early '70s and saw many great acts perform back in the day, though the venues were not always the best for sound.

Brownsfan, I assumed as much from your initial post :-} .

It is heresy for any Brownsfan to say anything remotely flattering regarding Pittsburgh. That said, I will concede that the PSO is a bright spot in that otherwise blighted region. I especially admire their banjo section. :) Schubert, I was also an admirer of Steinburg. My first set of Beethoven symphonies, for which I paid $9, was from the old 35 mm masters with the PSO. I had the pleasure of seeing him guest conduct in Cincinnati back in 1975. He had to conduct from a stool. His Zarathustra was a little ragged, but his Egmont Overture was brilliant. Too bad his work is not better represented in print. I will check out EMA, despite my reservations about its geographical origin.

As I am Learsfool.
Pittsburg Sym. first came to my attention in the 70's when they made many stellar recordings on the old Classic Command label with the great William Steinburg at the helm.
The 35mm magnetic film CC recorded on sounded great IMO .
They are still worth watching for today, usually about 15 bucks are they still have fans .

There is indeed a thriving early music scene in Pittsburgh and Cleveland both, as well as pretty much every other major musical center in the US. The Pittsburgh Symphony is one of the very best in the nation now, as well, easily in the top five, anyway. I am always surprised when people don't know this, as it has been that way for some time now.

May just be printed there?
There is a lot of music there. Even Cleveland has "Apollo's Fire" .

Thanks for the heads up, Len, but Pittsburgh????? I don't even by Heinz catsup.