I just heard "Book of Love" by Peter Gabriel for the first time today, and I am enthralled. Are there other songs with this type of sound, with that gorgeous orchestral feel? [more inside]
posted by susiepie on Sep 19, 2009 - 20 answers

Looking for an old link: a recording of a wacky british orchestra of untrained musicians performing unrehearsed classics, such as Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathrousta. I may have dreamed this, but I think Youtube videos of one of this british orchestra / choir showed up in a Metafilter thread. Thanks!
posted by jchgf on Jul 27, 2009 - 3 answers

In orchestras and/or marching bands, who are the harder-to-find instrumentalists - the instruments that you have to constantly scrabble to find someone who plays it, or is willing to? [more inside]
posted by Xere on Feb 15, 2009 - 23 answers

Help me identify this band I heard. Hungarian / Russian / Czech / Other Easter European folk orchestra? [more inside]
posted by Baby_Balrog on Jan 29, 2009 - 20 answers

I need to buy this cd - Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá es Colombia - but I cannot find it anywhere. Anyone know where I can order this cd?
posted by cusr0002 on Dec 2, 2008 - 4 answers

Who are the Peppercake Orchestra? [more inside]
posted by ninebelow on May 16, 2008 - 2 answers

I'm seeking examples of a full orchestra backing up singers (not necessarily the original ones) doing famous non-classical (pop, rock, etc.) songs traditionally known without that orchestration. For example, "Hurricane 2000," or Symphonic Music of the Rolling Stones — although ideally responses would be publicly accessible links (i.e. Google Video, YouTube, etc.), it's not altogether necessary.
posted by WCityMike on Jul 30, 2007 - 17 answers

[NameThisSong Filter] Help a friend of mine identify this (badly recorded) live song, performed by Trans-Siberian Orchestra at a Philadelphia concert in 1996. Here is the download link. [mp3, 5.25 MB] [more inside]
posted by parilous on May 2, 2007 - 10 answers

Help me discover some great orchestrated pop music. [more inside]
posted by Asparagirl on Jan 15, 2007 - 55 answers

I’d like to look at a full-length piano arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty ballet (Op. 66 – La belle au bois dormant). I could buy one, or find a music library, but do you know whether any edition is freely accessible on-line? For future reference, are there any particular sites that you like as a source for pdf’d classical music scores?
posted by Dave 9 on Jan 9, 2007 - 4 answers

Some time ago I went to the Boston Pops reformance. My seat was on the far wing of the first balcony that overlooked the orchestra. One of the performers was operating a large darkroom timer in addition to his instrument. What was he doing with this timer?
posted by Raybun on May 23, 2006 - 8 answers

I'd like to better understand/appreciate orchestras and orchestral music. What resources would you recommend? [more inside]
posted by d-no on Oct 25, 2005 - 11 answers

Help me find this short art video online! [more inside]
posted by arcticwoman on Aug 20, 2005 - 5 answers

Is the original Miles Davis version of "Miles Beyond" by Marhavishu Orchestra available on CD? [more inside]
posted by richtea on Aug 8, 2005 - 3 answers

Question from a musical layman--I just went to a great New Year's classical concert and two things I always wondered about struck me again: 1) Why does an orchestra need a conductor? I know it's for tempo, but most of the time the musicians don't even seem to be looking at the conductor. Would the players be completely lost without him/her? And 2) why do musicians need the sheet music? All other types of musicians don't need sheet music...surely they've memorized the piece they're playing....even I know exactly how, say, Beethoven's 5th sounds like (though I couldn't play it to save my life).

Go easy on me, I know the answers must be painfully obvious to many of you.
posted by zardoz on Jan 1, 2005 - 34 answers

Does anyone know of a site that has sound recordings (either for sale or download) of early American mandolin orchestras (early 20th century)? I've been looking at the Smithsonian and Library of Congress but haven't found much. I'm assuming that given the time period they would mostly have been recorded on wax cylinders.
posted by tommasz on Sep 8, 2004 - 2 answers

Can musically-inclined mefi-ites tell me what the conductor of an orchestra/band is supposed to do? I think at the most basic level they're supposed to keep the beat, but surely that can't be all?
posted by darsh on Dec 22, 2003 - 11 answers