Robert Stumpf says:

>Maybe an orchestra is as good as their conductor?

Not just for this reason, but I think you need to think carefully about
the CBSO under Rattle - many amazing performances of Mahler.  Similarly
the Scottish National under Jaervi and McKerras.

Another one that has surely come up the rankings in the BBC Phil (the old
BBC Northern) - their playing of the post-romantics (Dohnanyi, Shreker)
shows them at their best; the warmth of their strings has impressed me
enormously.

Sad non-contenders appear to be the Suisse Romande (but think back!) and
anything at all in France or Italy (amazing when you think about it); and
why have the Scandinavians not quite made the grade?

Of course, one has to wonder whether the fact that the Berlin's budget is
greater than the whole of the UK's budget for all British music making
might have anything to do with this.

CR