Alan Dugan wrote:

>Sergie Rachmaninoff called the Philadelphia Orchestra "The Rolls Royce
>of Orchestras" back in the 1940's.....it still is!

That was when Stokowski was the Maestro.  The idea of 'greatest'
orchestra reminds me of a story.  I was talking with a man about the
fact that I have been in teaching for over 30 years.  He said, "Kids
today aren't as good as they used to be." I told him this wasn't true
and I had the experience to prove it.  His reply was, "I guess students
are only as good as the teacher." Whilst it is probably true that the
Vienna Phil, Berlin Phil, Philadelphia, etc.  can afford and probably
have 'better' musicians, Stokowski could take any orchestra and make
it sound great.

Sum ergo cogito.  Stumpf