Bob Stumpf ranked:

>1. Berlin Philharmonic
>2. Vienna Philharmonic
>3. Philadelphia Orchestra
>4. New York Philharmonic
>5. Chicago Symphony Orchestra
>6. Los Angeles Philharmonic
>7. London Symphony Orchestra
>8. Philharmonia Orchestra
>9. London Philharmonic Orchestra
>10. The Concertgebouw Orchestra (probably should be in top 10)

My impression is that the top European orchestras are (in no order):
Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and Concertgebouw.  There are so
many orchestras in London, I can't keep them all straight.  I think each
has it's unique sound and advantages.  I find the Haydn Symphonies with
Solti and the London Philharmonic to be very well performed.  The Royal
Philharmonic has a big sound -- perhaps because of the recording venue.

U.S.  has a bunch of fine orchestras, which seem to have gotten better
and more numerous in the last twenty years.  Chicago, Philadelphia,
Cleveland, and Boston have been the best, but are now rivaled by lesser
known orchestras, including St.  Louis, Dallas, and Cincinnati.  New York
has often been overrated.  They probably sound a lot better today than they
did under Bernstein, thanks to Masur.

Mike