Just wanted to add a couple of thoughts to Learsfool's excellent comments about conductors; which I agree with. The nuances of the issue may be lost on those who don't have personal experience in this area. Lest anyone misunderstand, there ARE fine and extremely talented young(ish) conductors like (in addition to the ones mentioned) Alan Gilbert (NY Phil and a violinist), Nezet-Seguin (Philadelphia), Franz Welser-Most (Cleveland) among others. The role and importance of a first rate conductor to the success of an orchestra and it's performances should not be underestimated. It is the conductor who shapes the performance of a work and can make the difference between a performance that is lackluster and one that has musical meaning by way of being able to project his own personal vision of the music; but, perhaps even more importantly, having the technique to convey that vision in a way that makes sense to the players. A good conductor will convey that personal vision while at the same time allow some room (to varying degrees) for the individual player's vision; and allow a "relationship" between the player and the boss. An inferior inexperienced conductor will (at best), and as Learsfool points out, try to keep an overly tight grip on things and get in the way of good music making; or (at worst), simply create a musical mess.
One of the most interesting aspects of this issue is that one shouldn't be fooled by APPPARENTLY great baton technique. Just as with some of the players (any genre) that have been discussed here, some conductors simply have THE THING. That hard to describe ability to convey their musician vision to the players in a meaningful way in a way that transcends the usual criteria. This ability is often tied to having (or not) a sense of being relaxed and comfortable with their own physicality. I often get the sense when playing for bad conductors that what they could benefit the most from is dance lessons; they are stiff, there is no flow to their gestures. Conversely, some conductors can literally put their arms down and the sense of pulse they still generate is amazing; they have THE THING. I will mention some conductors that I have played for in various orchestras not as name-dropping but to hopefully make the point; also keep in mind, and this is VERY important, that some conductors excel with some repertoire and not others.
One of my favorite conductors is Neeme Jarvi. Jarvi is unusually comfortable with body movements and I love the fact that he put his arms down and with a simple gesture of the shoulder give a due or make a crucial musical point. He practically dances on the podium. Zdenek Macal, Ricardo Muti and James Levine are others who are able to connect with the orchestra in a way that is secure in a way that is difficult to explain. On the other hand a conductor like Lorin Maazel, who has simply unbelievable baron technique, can leave one totally cold and uninspired. In those way, they are all brilliant musicians. The most brilliant of all (in my experience) is Gergiev; but my experience underscores the importance of the repertoire involved. If someone made me pick the greatest musical experience I have ever had as a player it has to be playing Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exibition" under Gergiev. It was unbelievable how connected he was to the music (Russian, of course) and how well he conveyed what he wanted to the players even if his style is often completely unorthodox. On the other hand the "Bolero" previously posted shows how sometimes a particular conductor and certain repertoire just don't mix; and also highlights the one most simple and important aspect of a conductor's role: choice of tempo. The tempo of that Bolero is just too slow, with the end result that he players have difficulty with their deceptively difficult solos, and IMO robs the music of the feeling of what a bolero is all about. Personal opinion to be sure but here are some other versions to make my point, and notice in which version the solos are the most "in the pocket".
Too slow:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ODeNHRtVNO4
Too fast:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l5zyYF6_eyY
Just right. IMO, this is the perfect tempo for "Bolero":
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPnWR1FgrBU
BTW, these are just versions available with video. Not my favorite recorded Bolero's at all. Enjoy.
One of the most interesting aspects of this issue is that one shouldn't be fooled by APPPARENTLY great baton technique. Just as with some of the players (any genre) that have been discussed here, some conductors simply have THE THING. That hard to describe ability to convey their musician vision to the players in a meaningful way in a way that transcends the usual criteria. This ability is often tied to having (or not) a sense of being relaxed and comfortable with their own physicality. I often get the sense when playing for bad conductors that what they could benefit the most from is dance lessons; they are stiff, there is no flow to their gestures. Conversely, some conductors can literally put their arms down and the sense of pulse they still generate is amazing; they have THE THING. I will mention some conductors that I have played for in various orchestras not as name-dropping but to hopefully make the point; also keep in mind, and this is VERY important, that some conductors excel with some repertoire and not others.
One of my favorite conductors is Neeme Jarvi. Jarvi is unusually comfortable with body movements and I love the fact that he put his arms down and with a simple gesture of the shoulder give a due or make a crucial musical point. He practically dances on the podium. Zdenek Macal, Ricardo Muti and James Levine are others who are able to connect with the orchestra in a way that is secure in a way that is difficult to explain. On the other hand a conductor like Lorin Maazel, who has simply unbelievable baron technique, can leave one totally cold and uninspired. In those way, they are all brilliant musicians. The most brilliant of all (in my experience) is Gergiev; but my experience underscores the importance of the repertoire involved. If someone made me pick the greatest musical experience I have ever had as a player it has to be playing Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exibition" under Gergiev. It was unbelievable how connected he was to the music (Russian, of course) and how well he conveyed what he wanted to the players even if his style is often completely unorthodox. On the other hand the "Bolero" previously posted shows how sometimes a particular conductor and certain repertoire just don't mix; and also highlights the one most simple and important aspect of a conductor's role: choice of tempo. The tempo of that Bolero is just too slow, with the end result that he players have difficulty with their deceptively difficult solos, and IMO robs the music of the feeling of what a bolero is all about. Personal opinion to be sure but here are some other versions to make my point, and notice in which version the solos are the most "in the pocket".
Too slow:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ODeNHRtVNO4
Too fast:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l5zyYF6_eyY
Just right. IMO, this is the perfect tempo for "Bolero":
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPnWR1FgrBU
BTW, these are just versions available with video. Not my favorite recorded Bolero's at all. Enjoy.
