The Art of Conducting (2018)(commentary.org)
commentary.org
The Art of Conducting (2018)
https://www.commentary.org/articles/terry-teachout/the-art-of-conducting/
6 comments
Also, a full 80+ symphony orchestra is so spread out that the speed of sound is significant. Even with perfect visual conducting, as a player, I have to ignore that those guys on the other side of the stage always, always, are just... a... little... behind... I must instead stick with the conductor.
I was in the audience at a big musical in SF, and I noticed that there were monitors on the side walls out in the house facing the stage. The monitors were showing the conductor.
There are other monitors out in the wings. Everyone has to watch the conductor, or they'll get behind.
There are other monitors out in the wings. Everyone has to watch the conductor, or they'll get behind.
Sometimes they're just actually behind too! I'm a professional organist, and recently made my continuo debut with a pretty high level orchestra. I wanted to make a good impression, so at the rehearsal, my eyes were glued to the conductor, he gave a clear downbeat, I came in with him...and was at least half a second ahead of everyone else. I was eventually able to figure out how to adjust, but those first few entrances were rough.
After the rehearsal, I mentioned it to my boss, and he confirmed it's his experience with orchestras as well. They're somehow able to come in together but definitely behind what the conductor shows, while organists are used to staying exactly with the beat pattern. He said it's particularly annoying for things like the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony, where the organ's supposed to come crashing in on a huge chord directly with the orchestra.
After the rehearsal, I mentioned it to my boss, and he confirmed it's his experience with orchestras as well. They're somehow able to come in together but definitely behind what the conductor shows, while organists are used to staying exactly with the beat pattern. He said it's particularly annoying for things like the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony, where the organ's supposed to come crashing in on a huge chord directly with the orchestra.
Discussed at the time:
The Art of Conducting - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15982100 - Dec 2017 (30 comments)
The Art of Conducting - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15982100 - Dec 2017 (30 comments)
An orchestra is a system. A human system, so there are a minimum of five factors to manage: the humans as individuals, the humans as a group, the system itself, the context in which the system exists, and the interaction of humans, the system, and their context.
The conductor acts as a manager, leading the orchestra from both a governance view (outside of performance) and an operational view (during performance).
The conductor acts as a manager, leading the orchestra from both a governance view (outside of performance) and an operational view (during performance).
While interesting, I clicked on the link hoping it would be about trains.
Points out a good thing about HN: its community isn’t single-area focused like, say, a subreddit.
Points out a good thing about HN: its community isn’t single-area focused like, say, a subreddit.
The final quotation is depressingly accurate ...
“If you have it, you don’t need to have anything else; and if you don’t have it, it doesn’t much matter what else you have.”
“If you have it, you don’t need to have anything else; and if you don’t have it, it doesn’t much matter what else you have.”
I'm guessing that's in large part because if you don't have it, then you don't get to practice it any further (winner takes all).
Personally, I'm waiting for the VR game that allows me to conduct an orchestra. That game will change everything.
Personally, I'm waiting for the VR game that allows me to conduct an orchestra. That game will change everything.
After reading the main article and these comments, I'm ready to watch "Maestro."
Not quite: https://www.thepiano.sg/piano/read/conductor-killed-conducti...
Anyhow: I haven't sat with an instrument before a conductor, but I have been in the chorus. A huge part of their work happens in rehearsal, not at the concert.
when you see them gesture to the horns or woodwinds, he's already told them what he means by that, and they've written it in their scores.