Klarinet Archive - Posting 000560.txt from 1996/10

From: "Robert D. Shaw" <theshaws@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: Berlin Phil clarinetists?
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 16:38:54 -0400

Fred Jacobowitz wrote:
>
> George,
> I can tell you from bitter experience that all too often it is
> very confusing to look at a conductor. The bad ones have unreadable
> and/or confusing beats and ours in Annapolis Symphony (Maryland) often
> gives bad or wrong cues (when she remembers to give them at all). So it
> is not surprising that musicians don't look at the conductors.Frankly, I
> belive that 99% of what conductors do is for their own benefit, as they
> have to
> SOMETHING to keep occupied. With top orchestras, the musicians have played
> most of the music many times and are quite familiar with it. They don't need a
> conductor to play together. They play with each other. So why look at
> him? It is only a distraction. They will look up at the right moment
> when there needs to be a "traffic cop" and hopefully the conductor will
> be there. There is a very delicate balance between
> being helpful and getting in the way and only the best conductors
> understand that concept enough to do the former and not the latter. Any
> conductor who has an orchestra looking at him alot is either an
> egotistical idoit who wats to be watched or
> is conducting a very inexperienced group of players. Pros don't need much
> from a conductor and to make them look at one will only detract from
> their full concentration on making beautiful music.
>
> Fred Jacobowitz
> Clarinet/Sax Instructor, Peabody Preparatory
>
> On Tue, 22 Oct 1996, George Lin wrote:
>
> > Is this a desirable thing to not have the orchestra look at the baton of
> > the conductor? I always thought you need to look up avery once in a while...
> >
> > George Lin
> >Fred, your comments are right on the nose! I conduct a church orchestra
and have found out that I am only important during rehearsals to
pinpoint mistakes and in performances to set tempos and direct tempo
changes and fermatas. Once in a while a musician will look up for a
cue, but usually they are very busy with the music.
The best thing that a conductor can do is stay out of the way until
needed and not add any fancy conducting to confuse the musicians!

Deborah Shaw