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COUNTERPOINT(HTTP://WWW.BBC.COM/CULTURE/COLUMNS/COUNTERPOINT) |29October2014

Whatdoesaconductoractuallydo?
ClemencyBurtonHill
Music(http://www.bbc.com/culture/sections/music) Classicalmusic(http://www.bbc.com/culture/tags/classicalmusic)

(Getty)

Themaestroonthepodiumisoneofclassicalmusicsmostrecognisablefiguresbutwhatexactlyaretheydoingupthere?ClemencyBurtonHillfindsout
howconductorstranslatetheirvisionsintoglorioussounds.
LongbeforeToscaniniorFurtwngler,BernsteinorDudamel,therewasPherekydesofPatrae,knowninancientGreeceastheGiverofRhythm.Areportfrom709BC
describeshimleadingagroupofeighthundredmusiciansbybeatingagoldenstaffupanddowninequalmovementssothatthemusiciansbeganinoneandthe
sametimeandallmightkeeptogether.
Thenatureoftheconductorhasshiftedandchangedinthepastthousandoddyears,butacertainairofmystiquestillsurroundsthosemysteriousfiguresonthe
podium.Whyisitthatasingleperson,makingnonoiseatallapartfromtheoddbreathygruntandarmedwithjustasliverofwood,orsometimesjusttheirhands,can
beheldresponsibleforthesonicoutputofhundredsofinstrumentwieldingpeople?Andhowisitthatthesoundsthatpourforthfromthismysteriouspodiumdance,as
onecritichascalledit,occasionallyreachthesublime,conjuringanartisticexperiencethatnobodywhohearsitcaneverforget?
Likethegreatestartisticmysteries,afullanswerevadesusthankgoodness.Inamoremundaneway,wemightthinkofconductorsasthemusicalequivalentofsports
teammanagers.Youcantquantifypreciselywhatitisthattheydobutyouknowitwhenyouseeit.Whileitispossibleforlargeorchestrastoperformwithout
conductors,mostchoosetohaveone.Sowhatitis,exactly,thattheydo?Whethervisiblyorinvisibly,consciouslyorunconsciously,herearesomeofthemyriadthings
theygetuptoonthatpodium
Beattime
Thewholedutyofaconductoriscomprisedinhisabilityalwaystoindicatetherighttempo,saidRichardWagner,himselfasupremeconductoraswellascomposer.
Theorthodoxyisthattheconductoruseshisorherrighthandtoholdabaton(ifusedsomepreferjusttousetheirhands)andsetthetempo,controlitthereafter,
signifythebeginningofanewbaranddealwithothermattersoftimingthathelpkeepanensembleofsometimesoverahundredindividualstogether.Butwhilethese
elementsareallvitalcomponentsforasmoothperformance,agreatconductorisselfevidentlymuchmorethanjustametronomewearingtails.Thegreat20thCentury
conductorWilhelmFurtwnglerfamouslyandverypubliclywalkedoutofaconcertgivenbyfellowmaestroArturoToscaniniproclaiming:Thatmanisjustatime
beater!
Conveyaninterpretation
Theconductoristheretobringamusicalscoretolife,communicatingtheirownhighlyrefinedsenseoftheworkthroughanindividuallanguageofgestures,whichmight
sculptthemusicalline,teaseoutnuances,emphasisecertainmusicalelementswhilecontrollingothers,andessentiallyreimagineanoldpieceanew.Theseusuallyfall
tothelefthand.
Whiletherearesomecommongestures,mostgreatconductorshavetheirownuniquestyle,fromFurtwnglersspurofthemomentintensitytoValeryGergievsweird
tremblingmovements,describedbycriticDanielWakinaswagglinghisfingersincharacterwiththemusicandwhichGergievhimselfhassuggestedarisesfromhis
formerincarnationasapianist.
Listen
Thebestconductorsarethebestlisteners,saysTomService,thebroadcaster,journalistandauthorofthefascinatingstudyMusicAsAlchemy:JourneyswithGreat
ConductorsandtheirOrchestras.Theybecomealighteningrodoflisteningafocussothattheplayersandtheconductorcanbecomesomethingbiggerthanallof
themthanallofusatthesametimeasfeelingfullyrealisedasindividuals.Forhim,thelateClaudioAbbadoistheultimateexampleofthis,aconductorableto
conjureahyperawarenessofawareness.
Lead

Youhavetoimposeyourwillnotwithahammer,butyouhavetobeabletoconvincepeopleofyourpointofview,saysPierreBoulez,anotherlegendarycomposer
conductor.Servicepointsoutthat,althoughmostconductorsthesedayswoulddescribethemselvesasdemocrats,thatsimplycantbetrue.Itdoesntmeandemocracy
doesntwork,butitsnotstraightforward.Itsnegotiated!HetakestheBerlinPhilharmonicasanexample:Thatsanorchestraoframpantindividuals,whowanttofeel
fullyrealised.Butifthepersonuponthepodiumisntgivingthemacollectivefocus,thentheyarerudderlessandbereft.
Beaconduit
Concertgoersmayhavetheirearstrainedontheorchestra,butoureyesareinvariablydrawntothepodium.Wetoowanttobesteered,tobeabletoalignthewaythe
musicsoundswiththeconductorisdoing.Heorsheisavitalvisualconnection:thebridgebetweenoureyesandthesenseofwhatishappeninginthemusic.
Putinthehours
Conductorsmaylookliketheyhaveaneasierride,nothavingtomasteranyfiendishpassagesoffingerworkliketheviolinists,say,orrisktheexposureandsplitnotes
ofthewindandbrassplayers.Butconductingismoredifficultthanplayingasingleinstrument,claimsBoulez.Youhavetoknowtheculture,toknowthescore,andto
projectwhatyouwanttohear.
Agreatconductormighthavepeerlessmusicalinstinctsandintuition,butinnatemusicalitywillgetthemonlysofar.Cerebralcreaturesbyandlarge,theywilltypically
havespentmanyhoursofpreparationonthescorebeforetheygetanywherenearthepodiumoftenthiswillbeofamostrigorous,evenacademicnature,
encompassinghistoricaldocumentssuchasletters,technicalperformancemanualsfromtheperiodinquestionandbiographies.Likeallthegreatmysteries,muses
Service,themysterythatismusiconlycomesfromhugeamountsofhardwork.
Gettheglory
Thecultofthemaestroisstillaliveandwell.Weliketothinkwearebeyondit,thatwearenolongerintheeraof,say,Toscanini.Butweareverymuchintheeraof
Dudamel,ofRattle,ofNelsons,Servicepointsout.Westillwanttoidentifythesesinglenameswithperformances,eventhoughtheyareaboutcollectives.Thewayof
talkingaboutit,thinkingaboutit,remainsquiteobstinate.
Atrulygreatconductorcanattainsomethingalchemical,magical:whatLatvianmaestroMarissJansonsdescribesasacosmiclevelofmusicmaking.Thatswhythey
stillgetpaidthebigbuckssometimesmillionsofdollarsperyear.Needlesstosay,theconverseisalsotrue:ifcriticshateaperformanceitsusuallythemaestrowho
takestheflak.
Beafigurehead
Amusicdirectororchiefconductor(thatis,aconductoronapermanent,longtermcontractwithanorchestra)canberesponsibleformuchmorethanjusthowaconcert
turnsout.TheyoungVenezuelanmaestroGustavoDudamelisanexampleofsomeonewhosepersonalcharismaandleadershiphasputnotonlyhiscountrysmusical
ensemblesincludingtheSimnBolivarYouthOrchestraofVenezuelaonthemap,butitsentiresystemofmusiceducation,whichisnowemulatedallovertheworld.
Immortaliseaperformance
Classicalmusicisuniqueamongmusicalformsinthatthesameworks,manyofwhicharehundredsofyearsold,getperformedandrecordedagainandagain,often
manytimeseachyear.Thereisareasonwhycertainotherwiseephemeralperformancesliveoninthememory,decadeafterdecade,anditisinvariablydowntothat
figureonthepodiumtheeternalgiverofrhythm,doingsomuchmorethanjustwavingtheirhandsintheair
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