Messiaen's Turangalila, Strauss's Alpine Symphony and many other tone-poems; Shostakovich 7, Ives 4 off the top of my head.

 

Wagner "Ring" requires large orchestral forces...lots of extra instruments...Wagner tubas, bass trumpets, contra bass trombone, huge horn section...
Varese- calls for large orchestras - esp "Arcana", "Ameriques"....huge percussion section...massive battery.

 

Yup, all of the later operas of Wagner require quite massive orchestras (especially considering they are operas). Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony also has a big orchestra and I suppose that at least some of the Bruckner symphonies require that too.

 

Berlioz- Requiem Mass (Grande Messe des Morts) is scored for 429 musicians (218 instruments, 211 singers)

Brian- Symphony No. 1 .
Just two from the top of my head.

 

Britten's War Requiem....full orchestra, chamber orchestra, full choir, boy's choir, soprano, tenor and bass solos.
Henze's 7th Symphony...enormous band...quadruple wind (including Hecklephone!), 6 horns, 6 trumpets, 5 bones (including contra bass trombone), a massive array of percussion, harp, piano, celesta and strings.....not performed too often.

(I once sang in the chorus at the Albert Hall for a live radio3 broadcast in front of the Queen in a performance of 'Messiah' that combined the orchestral and choral forces of all three of the major Musical Colleges in London under Sir David Wilcox. That was a big, big (and doubtless inappropriate) sound, but not relevant here. It was fun though).

 

I may be wrong - he isn't a composer who has much interested me - but isn't Jon Leifs noted for creating music that is louder than anyone else's? Presumably this requires big orchestras.

 

Havergal BRIAN: Symphony No.3
In C sharp minor, 4 movements, 1931-32.

2 solo pianos.

2 piccolos, 4 flutes (2 also piccolos), 4 oboes (2 also cors anglais), 4 clarinets (2 also bass clarinets), E flat clarinet, 4 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon, 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 tubas, 2 timpanists, bass drum, side drum, tenor drum, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, tambourine, castanets, organ ad lib, 2 harps, celesta, strings.

Havergal BRIAN: Symphony No.4
‘Das Siegeslied’, 3 movements, 1932-33.

Soprano solo, double SATB choir and orchestra: 6 flutes (2 also piccolo, 1 also alto fl), 2 oboes, 2 oboi d’amore, 2 cors anglais, bass oboe, Eb clarinet, 4 Bb clarinets, 2 basset horns, 2 bass clarinet, pedal clarinet, 4 bassoons, 2 contra bassoons, 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 5 trombones, 2 tubas, 2 sets timpani, tam-tam, cymbals, bass drum, 3 side drums, tambourine, triangle, bell, 2 harps, glockenspiel, xylophone, organ, celeste, strings.

 

Gliere 3rd symphony
Schmidt 2nd symphony
Mahler 2nd
Mahler Das Klangende Lied

 

I think Walton's "Belshazzar's Feast" was originally written for inflated festival forces.

 

Belshazzar

Yes, including two brass bands.

 

Joseph Marx -- Autumn Symphony (Eine Herbstsymphonie).

 

Shostakovich - Symphony No. 4
Kalevi Aho - Symphony No. 6 (not officially recorded yet because of the huge orchestra it needs AFAIK)

 

Messiaen's last completed work Eclairs sur l'au-dela calls for a massive orchestra:

3pic.6fl.afl.3.corA.2Ebcl.6.bcl.cbcl.3.cbsn / 6hn.5tpt.3trb.2btb.cbtb / 5 keyboard percussion.10 other percussion / 16.16.14.12.10

 

The "Gothic " symphony by Havergal Brian calls for a mind-bogglingly large and varied orchestra , choruses, a children's chorus , four antiphonal brass bands similar to the Berlioz Requiem , 4 vocal soloists etc - the proverbial kitchen sink .

 

Most of what is mentioned seems to be longer works. I thought I read once about a good shorter, maybe 10-15 minutes, piece that isn't performed much because of how many performers it requires. Anyone know what it is? I can't remember.

 

Maybe the Grand Grand Overture by Malcolm Arnold.

"A 20th-century parody of the late 19th century concert overture, scored for an enormous orchestra with organ, additional brass instruments, and obbligato parts for four rifles, three Hoover vacuum cleaners (two uprights in B♭, one horizontal with detachable sucker in C), and an electric floor polisher in E♭; it is dedicated to President Hoover!"

https://www.classicfm.com/radio/sho...esenters/everything-you-ever-wanted-know/overtures-and-openings/malcolm-arnold/

 

How are you all forgetting Stockhausen's Gruppen? It's split into three orchestras!

Orchestra I

Woodwinds

1 flute (doubling piccolo)
1 alto flute
1 oboe
1 English horn
1 clarinet
1 bassoon

Brass

2 horns (high and low)
2 trumpets
2 trombones (2nd with bass valve)
1 bass tuba

Percussion (4 percussionists)

1 marimbaphone (5 octaves) or 4-octave marimbaphone plus xylophone for highest octave
1 glockenspiel
5 cowbells [Almglocken] (suspended, without clappers): pitches 1, 4, 7, 10, 13
4 metal instruments, pitches 1, 4, 7, 10:
1 tamtam (large)
3 cymbals (large, medium, small)
2 wood drums (African slotted drums, each with 2 pitches): pitches 1, 7 / 4, 10
4 drums: tomtoms and/or tumbas and bongos (in the high register): pitches 1, 4, 7, 10
1 snare drum (shallow jazz drum, very bright sound)
1 tambourine (with either small bells or jingles)

Keyboards

1 keyboard glockenspiel (or celesta)

Strings

1 harp
10 violins
2 violas
4 cellos
2 double basses

Orchestra II

Woodwinds

2 flutes (1st doubling piccolo)
1 oboe
1 piccolo clarinet
1 alto saxophone (doubling clarinet)
1 baritone saxophone
1 bassoon

Brass

3 horns (1st and 3rd higher, 2nd lower)
2 trumpets
1 trombone
1 bass trombone

Percussion (4 percussionists)

1 vibraphone
14 tubular bells
4 cowbells [Almglocken] (suspended, without clappers): pitches 2, 5, 8, 11
4 metal instruments, pitches 2, 5, 8, 11:
1 tamtam (medium)
3 cymbals (large, medium, small)
2 wood drums (African slotted drums, each with 2 pitches): pitches 2, 8 / 5, 11
4 drums: tomtoms and/or tumbas and bongos (in the high register)
1 snare drum (shallow jazz drum, very bright sound)
1 tambourine (with either small bells or jingles)
1 ratchet
2 triangles (1 higher, 1 lower)

Keyboards

1 [grand] piano (without cover)

Strings

1 electric guitar
8 violins
4 violas
2 cellos
2 double basses

Orchestra III

Woodwinds

1 flute (doubling piccolo)
1 oboe
1 English horn
1 clarinet
1 bass clarinet
1 bassoon

Brass

3 horns (1st and 3rd higher, 2nd lower)
2 trumpets
2 trombones (both with bass valve)
1 contrabass trombone (or tuba)

Percussion (4 percussionists)

1 xylorimba (4 octaves) [according to the list of instruments in the preface; in the score itself, a marimbaphone is specified]
4 cowbells [Almglocken] (suspended, without clappers): pitches 3, 6, 9, 12
4 metal instruments, pitches 3, 6, 9, 12:
1 tamtam (small)
3 cymbals (large, medium, small)
2 wood drums (African slotted drums, each with 2 pitches): pitches 3, 9 / 6, 12
4 drums: tomtoms and/or tumbas and bongos (in the high register)
1 snare drum (shallow jazz drum, very bright sound)
1 tambourine (with small bells or jingles)

Keyboards

1 celesta (5 octaves)

Strings

1 harp
8 violins
4 violas
2 cellos
2 double basses

 

A rather short piece that is often played by as many as 170 musicians (as mentioned by the German presenter in the attached performace by Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Yoth Orchestra) is Silvestre Revueltas's Sensemaya:

Regards
Hilarius

 

Boulez' Pli selon pli requires quite a massive array of percussion, so do the Notations for orchestra.

 

Stravinsky's three early ballets in their original versions all required very large orchestras, especially Le Sacre: quadruple to sextuple woodwinds, extra brass, lots of percussion.

 

Elliott Carter's Symphony of Three Orchestras should qualify

John Corigliano's Symphony #3 "Circus Maximus" also requires 3 ensembles of winds and percussion. There's an ensemble on the stage, then a "surround sound" ensemble spread throughout the theater, and then a "marching" band that starts in the back of the theater.

 

Ades' Tevot requires quintuple winds, 8 horns, 5 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, 2 timpani players, 6 percussion players, harp, piano and strings.

 

I've been reading Mallarme and this post made me think to look at recordings of Pli Selon Pli.

Maybe the most telling catalogue I've ever encountered.

On Amazon, there is no performance by anyone other than Boulez.

I heard Boulez with the LA Phil many years ago, one of his works which didn't make enough impression for me to remember which it was !! and a very fine La Mer.

Stravinsky at his snarkiest: Pli Selon Pli, both boringly pretty and pretty boring. That's what we get for letting him learn English.

 

Pli selon pli is awesome! I have three recordings of it (yes, all Boulez, since he was such a great and intimidating conductor, but more will come.) I found it gorgeous and fascinating when I first heard it, and I still do whenever I listen again, which I have many times.