Klarinet Archive - Posting 000339.txt from 2002/01

From: Audrey Travis <vsofan@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] Conductor question; strange beat pattern (or -wheeere's the
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 20:37:02 -0500

Jim Hobby wrote:

> There are many orchestral conductors who conduct ahead of the actual music.
> I once asked Sergiu Comissiona (Baltimore, Vancouver Symphonies) about it and
> he said it was a European style, which showed the musicians what was coming
> up - ie, a preparation for tempo, style, dynamics, etc. Personally, I agree
> that in today's orchestras it should be unnecessary - unless the conductor is
> planning to surprise the musicians in the middle of a performance! I also
> wonder is some of that is just pure showmanship rather than musicianship?

Audrey

>
>
> >Yes, Masur does conduct like this.
>
> >From his videos, yes and no. I have just watched the Brahms cycle (with
> theLeipzig). It appears that he does make the initial downbeat into an
> upbeat, but he gives a full wind-up and sets the tempo with a single beat
> before the orchestra enters. Much of the time, throughout the performance,
> his downbeat coincides with the downbeat in the music. He is definitely
> conducting the expression markings where they belong; not before. I realize
> one can't make a fast rule of what someone does from viewing one set of four
> symphonies. And I suppose he may do things differently with different
> orchestras.
>
>
>
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