Kevin Sutton wrote:

>I have a number of old recordings by the RCA Symphony Orchestra.  I assume
>that this orchestra was similar to the Columbia and NBC (for that matter
>it very well could have been the NBC) symphony.  I notice that in most
>every record that I have, they are an accompanying orchestra in concerto
>or choral repertory.  Does anyone know some background on this group? I
>have always been an afficianado of anything RCA and I would be interested
>in some history.  Thanks.

The RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra was an ad hoc group of musicians that
made recordings in the late 40s and through the 50s.  They were brought
together specifically to record.  They cut several discs with Leopold
Stokowski.  Among the players was Bob Bloom, principal oboist in
Toscanini's NBCSO.  In a conversation with Bob he told me that sometimes
the players would show up not knowing what they were going to record.  The
small orchestra consisted of some of the finest principal players of the
NBCSO and NYPO.  In most cases Stokowski fiddled with the tapes, making
the orchestra sound a lot larger than it was.  They did, indeed, make
some wonderful recordings.

Bob Stumpf
President: Leopold Stokowski Society of America
http://www.classical.net/music/guide/society/lssa