Philadelphia Orchestra

A low rate of turnover indicates that the morale in a company is high. The Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the American "Big Five," has only had six music director so far, and that's very impressive considering the orchestra's age. On November 16, 1900, the Philadelphia Orchestra played its first concert. The program was colorful and popular, including Beethoven's Symphony no. 5 and Piano Concerto no. 1 by Tchaikovsky. Honoring the occasion, the orchestra is playing in a Centennial concert tonight (Nov. 16). The program will again contain popular works, but the scope has naturally expanded. There will be music by Aaron Copland who was exactly two days old when the initial concert was played 100 years ago. Philadelphia is among the oldest cities in the United States, and it attracted many German immigrants during the 18th and 19th century. The first years of the orchestra were also characterized by close links to Germany, and its present music director, Wolfgang Sawallisch, has revitalized old connections, as Georg Hirsch reports.

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