Klarinet Archive - Posting 000507.txt from 2005/03

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: [kl] Conducting without a baton
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2005 19:13:52 -0500

On 20 Mar, Simeon Loring <sloring1@-----.com> wrote:

> Gluck, but I don't want to think of that beat stomping device as a baton.
> Or maybe it was a good method considering some of the conductors I've
> played under. Nobody has mentioned Stokowski's remark about how liberated
> he felt the first time he conducted without a baton and felt that he had
> ten batons available to him.

It was in fact, Lully -- but actually, all of this has been a silly
discussion.

Of course you can, like David McLune, recommend your system -- his happens
to include a baton -- and teach your students its values.

But to say, contra the world-class conductors who don't use a baton, that a
baton is *necessary*, is stupid -- just as it would be stupid to argue that a
baton is useless. There are good conductors, there are bad conductors. Some
of the first group don't use batons, some of the second group do. And
vice-versa.

Now, if you wanted to talk about what good or bad conducting actually
consists of, then that might be more interesting.

Of course, I wouldn't presume to suggest that there is an analogy between
posts that claim that a baton is necessary or counterproductive for a
conductor, and posts that claim that it is necessary to do this trivial thing
or counterproductive to do that trivial thing in order to play the clarinet
well.

But you can draw your own conclusions.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd tony.p@-----.org
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... Is that seat taken? No, it's still here! HAHAHA!!!

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