Klarinet Archive - Posting 000623.txt from 2001/04

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Conductor's and Musician's Ego
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 08:11:22 -0400

This is an interesting point, but I don't think it has anything to do
with ego. In fact, I perceive it as exactly the opposite; i.e., a
feeling of inferiority.

In the case of Revelli, he came from an epoch in which the band director
was a second class citizen. Orchestral conductors were perceived as
people with talent. Bandmasters were perceived as men (and occasionally
women) who could not hack it in the real musical world.

I do not suggest for one minute that this is true, only that this is the
way the world perceived band conductors; i.e., "they may be big cheeses
in Ann Arbor, but put them in front of the Detroit Symphony and have
them conduct Rite of Spring instead of a Sousa march, and watch them
fall apart."

As a result of this unfortunate perception, conductors like Revelli were
a great deal more vulnerable than is imagined. Thus, they behaved like
petty tyrants (which is what orchestral conductors were thought to be)
out of a sense of inferiority, not out of ego.

I do not endorse the truth of any of the assertions described above, but
offer them only to focus attention on a matter other than ego.

Dan Leeson

Gene Nibbelin wrote:
>
> Roger and Listers -
>
> Roger, I have been waiting for someone to mention ego in this "Revelli"
> discussion . Being the possessor of a considerable ego and, where justified
> by my knowledge in areas important to me, I have a lot of self confidence
> (PC term-"self esteem"). Thus, I feel that this combination enabled me to
> function successfully as a senior bank officer and Trust Department head by
> leading rather than intimidating, and by respecting my employees and fellow
> officers. I was confident in what I was doing and felt no need to
> "exercise" my ego by humiliating a subordinate.
>
> A mystery to me concerning the egos of the Revellis of the world is that if
> their egos are backed up by self confidence, why do they feel it necessary
> to disrespect and humiliate others to build their own already more than
> adequate egos? Don't they realize that when they humiliate someone else,
> they diminish themselves in the eyes of the observers - the other orchestra
> or band members. Motivation by intimidation may be a method, but I'm sure
> that most would see this as a self-defeating and inappropriate exercise of
> ones ego.
>
> Any psychiatrists or psychologists, (professional or amateur) on the list
> care to comment on this?
>
> Gene Nibbelin
>
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--
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** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
***************************

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