The Abbreviation Thread

[Maciek]

It's even difficult to read!

[Greta]

For BPO, two common orchestras I associate that with are the Berlin Phil and the Boston Pops. And Vienna commonly is VPO even though technically it should be WP. We have a tendency to add Orchestra at the end here in the States, even when it technically isn't part of their official name.

And changing orchestra names over the years can really make this kind of thing confusing! 

For the UKers, did the RSNO and RLPO used to not be Royal? I have seen acronyms without the R for both of these in some older recordings and it confused me. Actually the Royal thing is a common inconsistency, the Concertgebouw is often referred to either way.

Also, who decides if an orchestra is Royal, does the monachy pronounce them so, or do they just proclaim it for themselves? 

[Joe Barron]

I wish there were an abbreviation for my local band, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. It's a pain in the butt typing that out.

Sarge

How about the STARPF?

[Cato]

I wish there were an abbreviation for my local band, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. It's a pain in the butt typing that out.

Sarge

Dude!  Let's make one up with some Yankee ingenuity!

Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz =

The STARZ!

[uffeviking]

For BPO, two common orchestras I associate that with are the Berlin Phil and the Boston Pops.

If you classify the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra as uncommon, citizens of Hungary in general and Budapest especially, might not think kindly of you. But then maybe you don't care what music lover in other countries, outside of the US of A, think of you. 

[pjme]

In the Low countries :

The VRO = Vlaams Radio orkest = Flemish Radio orchestra
BNO/ONB = Nationaal Orkest België - Orchestre National de Belgique .;one of the few institutions we actually share with the Walloons.
De Philharmonie = Antwerp Philharmonic orchestra - used to be Royal Flemish Ph.
OPL : Orchestre philharmonique de Liège et de la communauté Wallonie - Bruxelles
OSM- SOM = Orchestre Symphonique de la Monnaie - Symfonisch orkest van de Munt
SOVO= Symfonisch orkest van de Vlaamse Opera Antwerpen / Gent
VSO = Vlaams symfonie Orkest

And for the Dutch :

LSO : Limburgs Symfonie Orkest ( Province of limburg)
KCGO: Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam
Radio Philharmonisch Orkest ( Hilversum/Utrecht - Radio orchestra)
Radio Kamer Philharmonie ( a newly formed multifunctional orchestra, a combination of the Radio Symphony and the Radio Chamber O;)
OVO : Otrkest van het Oosten ( Province Overijssel)
NNO :Noord Nederlands Orkest (Province Groningen)
RPhO : Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest
GO: Het Gelders Orkest (Province Gelderland)
HS :The Holland Symfonia the Dutch Ballet & symfony orchestra ( Haarlem - Amsterdam)

...and I'm surely forgetting a few...

The list in France and Germany would be many times longer.....

[RebLem]

Interesting new thread should clarify a lot of questions - except the rare cases where two, or more, institutions have the same acronym. 

BPO - could be the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, or the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra! Maybe in such a case, listing the name of the city would be helpful. 

Or the Buffalo (NY) Philharmonic Orch. 

[RebLem]

Is there such a thing as the Boston Philharmonic? In these pages, I refer to the Boston Symphony Orhcestra as the BSO.

Obviously, the BSO is the premier orch in Boston, but yes, there is another orchestra called the Boston Philharmonic.  I think their MD (music director) is still Benjamin Zander.  He did a very innovative (esp. in the 3rd movement) Beethoven 9th with them a few years back which I think is still available.

[Que]

And for the Dutch :
(...)
KCGO: Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam

You mean: KCO (or RCO). 

Q

[RebLem]

For BPO, two common orchestras I associate that with are the Berlin Phil and the Boston Pops. And Vienna commonly is VPO even though technically it should be WP. We have a tendency to add Orchestra at the end here in the States, even when it technically isn't part of their official name.

And changing orchestra names over the years can really make this kind of thing confusing! 

For the UKers, did the RSNO and RLPO used to not be Royal? I have seen acronyms without the R for both of these in some older recordings and it confused me. Actually the Royal thing is a common inconsistency, the Concertgebouw is often referred to either way.

Also, who decides if an orchestra is Royal, does the monachy pronounce them so, or do they just proclaim it for themselves? 

In the case of the Scottish National Orch, I think the addition of the word Royal may well be intended to remind the Scottish nationalists--and people on the fence--that their orchestra is supported by the central government of the UK, and that that is one more burden they will have to bear if they decide to go independent.  Maybe make some people think a little harder about whether they really want to do it or not.

[pjme]

You mean: KCO (or RCO). 

Q

Of course I do!......!

[karlhenning]

Obviously, the BSO is the premier orch in Boston, but yes, there is another orchestra called the Boston Philharmonic.  I think their MD (music director) is still Benjamin Zander.

Absolutely.

[Valentino]

BPO is of course Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (of Norway).

[karlhenning]

BPO is of course Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (of Norway).

It is well you added that, or I had thought you meant either Bergen, New York (outside Rochester) or Bergen County, New Jersey . . . .

[Valentino]

They used to call themselves Musikselskapet Filharmoniens Orkester. Almost as good as the name of Sarge's local that one.

[Maciek]

POR = Polska Orkiestra Radiowa (Polish Radio Orchestra)

POK = Polska Orkiestra Kameralna (Polish Chamber Orchestra, usually conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk)

Amadeus or OKA = Orkiestra Kameralna [Polskiego Radia] "Amadeus" (Amadeus Chamber Orchestra [of the Polish Radio], usually conducted by Agnieszka Duczmal)

[Siedler]

Lahti Symphony Orchestra can't be LSO because that's London Symhony Orchestra. LS?