Klarinet Archive - Posting 000640.txt from 1996/10

From: "Robert D. Shaw" <theshaws@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: Berlin Phil clarinetists?
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 21:48:12 -0400

Jonathan Cohler wrote:
>
> >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

Jonathan,
I think that you misunderstoodmy comments about the role of the
conductor. I certainly DO NOT think that I am just a traffic cop. As a
matter of fact, I know much more about music and in some cases much more
about players instruments and playing techniques than they do. I just
think that the conductor is not what the audience should be focused on,
but the facilitator who draws the audiences attention to the music.
The hardest part of my job is during the rehearsal, working on
tone, pitch, balance, interpretation, etc. The fact is, most conductors
do not have professional musicians to work with, but well meaning and
hard working amatuers to mold and direct toward excellence.
The challenge is to reach a goal of excellence. I believe that a
conductor is not a star, but someone who helps to pull the music out of
the musicians and step out of the way to let them shine!

Deborah Shaw