The chamber orchestra: why small is beautiful

Mozart, Brahms and Schumann all worked with, and wrote for, chamber orchestras, whose compact size is a huge advantage to composers and audiences alike. Why do we neglect them today? A wise man once said, “There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn’t give a damn what goes on in between.” As a German pianist and conductor who has recently become music director of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in Gateshead, it would seem to mak