Klarinet Archive - Posting 000584.txt from 1996/10

From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: Berlin Phil clarinetists?
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 15:27:13 -0400

>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

Along, the lines of my previous message, if all a conductor does is stay
out of the way and act as "traffic cop" in the necessary parts, then you
will have one dull performance for sure.

-----------------------
Jonathan Cohler
cohler@-----.net