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Metropole Orkest

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Metropole Orkest is a jazz and pop orchestra from the Netherlands and the largest full-time ensemble of its kind in the world. It was founded in 1945 by Dolf van der Linden, at the urging of officials of the Dutch public broadcaster, which manages and subsidises the orchestra. Van der Linden led it for 35 years, until 1980. He was followed by, among others, Rogier van Otterloo, Dick Bakker, Vince Mendoza from 2005 to 2013, and Jules Buckley, from 2013.

Music and breakthrough

The orchestra is a hybrid: it combines jazz, big band and classical symphony orchestra and consists of between fifty-two and ninety-seven musicians. It has a double rhythm section and can therefore handle many styles. It plays regularly at the North Sea Jazz festival and the Holland Festival, and on radio and television. Dutch film and television lean heavily on the orchestra for film music. It has played with Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Al Jarreau, Elvis Costello, Tori Amos, Bono, Brian Eno, Snarky Puppy, Jacob Collier and Within Temptation. In 2017 the public chose the band Epica from 650 suggestions for a joint project. Its albums include First in the Air from 1984, Made in Holland from 1987, Symphonic Jazz from 1997 and Parallel Universe from 2004.

Influence

In 2012 government funding was secured at the last moment, and in 2018 the orchestra warned that budget cuts had halved its work. The Metropole Orkest showed that a pop song with a string section, brass and a rhythm section can sound different from one with only a band.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Symphonic Jazz or Kodachrome and try to hear which group carries the sound: the strings, the brass or the rhythm section.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

Mentioned in other articles

Categories: ArtistsBig band