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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000013.txt from 2005/03
From: PhilFrei@-----.com
Subj: [DR-L] Conducting
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 17:29:10 -0500
Hi again -
Those are fighting words from Stravinsky! I wonder what he thought of Robert
Craft's conducting of his own works. Can one figure that he had enough clout
that if he didn't like Craft's work, he would have found someone else?
I haven't listened to a lot of Craft's work, but I did once borrow from a
library a recording of him conducting a piece by Pierre Boulez, I think it was
"Hammer without a Master" or maybe "Fold Upon Fold" (I don't recall the French
titles). Maybe it was the players, but the feel and texture was kind of rough
and wooly and crowded. The same piece conducted by the composer was silky and
sensuous in comparison, almost luxurious, even with the pointalism and
dissonance textures.
I can see where it would be frustrating for a composer to have a conductor to
take liberties with their works. Maybe that motivated the quote.
- Phil Freihofner
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 20:26:51 EST
To: doublereed@-----.org
From: Oboeeee@-----.com
Subject: [DR-L] Quote of the Day
Message-ID: <1dc.37dfdc09.2f56705b@-----.com>
"As in politics, it is seldom that conducting attracts genius. It is the
construction of a career and the exploitation of personal
characteristics, rather than a calling in which precisely formed
knowledge is employed. A conductor can be less capable of his work
than can the musicians that play for him. He is conceded a position in
the music world that is out of all proportion to his true worth. Among
these people, the ability to carry on power politics is as common as
the sickness of egoism. Under the auspices of an unknowing public,
these peculiar characters flourish like weeds under a tropical sun."
-Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Russian composer and conductor
*This quote was sent to me today by a friend on the list (you know who you
are). :-) We were unable to verify the authenticity. While the author may
be
questionable, the quote speaks for itself. Enjoy!
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