To Hector Berlioz, the ideal orchestra consisted of 242 strings, 30 grand pianos, 30 harps, legions of wind players and (according to 19th century wags) a few heavy mortars. He was never able to command such an aggregation, but several times he came close, notably in his most magnificent score, the Grande Messe des Morts (Requiem). That opus calls for a 210-member chorus, full symphony orchestra, four separate brass choirs (labeled according to the points of the compass), plus a battery of 16 kettledrums. Few of today's symphonies can afford to stage the...
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