The importance of being a conductor

by Gwen Herat

One realises it when watching one performance after another in continuity as it happened to me at the London Royal Festival Hall, relishing the fascinating side of music.

For him to conduct a famous repertoire and perform sizzling conertos, is to ride through virtuoso territory and leave the audience incredibly breathless is the responsibility of any conductor. However perfect and flawless that performers in an orchestra are, no one dares take up the cue of a score without the conductor. He spearheads the movements that seek to open new and exciting realms of expressions.

John Wilson, the sensational English conductor is rapidly pushing his way up. He also conducts the LPO.

Conducting is a form of sensation and nothing can replace its aura. Every great orchestra such as the New York Symphony Orchestra or the London Philharmonic Orchestra or for that matter, the BBC Orchestra like many other greats, attempting to perform without getting under the baton is like acting Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark.

The conductor feels the pulse of each an every individual in his ensemble and quickly picks up a missed or a dropped note by a single musician even if he constitutes as a member with a massive orchestra. Nothing escapes his sharp hearing capacity which is exactly how he should react. I think great and gifted conductors are born and not made may be form their cradles where they are able to grasp the serenading echoes of the gentle wind or the strains of a bird chirping.

Emotional intensity

The stunning achievement produced by his baton, are of searing emotional intensity. Having said thus of his positive side, let us take a look at the negative side as to what a conductor does. What makes him different of the two. Where conductors feature highly whenever the maestros of the past are resurrected under them, and watch them wave their arms around on a concert stage, there have been many an instance of their stature being overrated in their stature. Many a critic feel what all they do is help the orchestra keep time. Sure but unfair too. It may be that some do not understand the role of the conductor.

What does he really do?

Often, it is compared to a director about just wielding the baton. The seasoned ones study the composer's words or notes and attempt to become the voice of the composer. It is a very good intention. Next, his work is brought to life through the musicians.

One can compare it to an analogy of the actor bringing words to life. This is the basic role of the conductor but the one who goes beyond this act, is the real conductor of music.

He becomes the advocate and the messenger of the composer. This is a complexed role that most music lovers do not understand by simply watching the movement of the arms or the waving of the baton. Many fail to see the narrative he attempts to thrust on the audience. The conductor has also to inspire and encourage people to get creatively involved with him and not just listen to the sounds he draws from the orchestra. Then only would the audience understand the movements of his arms, reflexes of his fingers and the passion in his feelings as he relates himself to his ensemble. He becomes one of them.

Spellbinding

One can see and feel the notes that rise above him as he guides. The instrumentalists, most of the time making them sing, especially the scores that come off violins put together. Really spellbinding.

He must have the power to make the violin, viola, clarinet or and most of the string instruments to sing under his baton and offer this moving organism, human quality for us not only to relate to the conductor but to all the instrumentalists in an orchestra, be it large or small. The beautiful slow movements or a work of lyrical splendour will have to be worked through with blazing passion by a conductor. He has to look beyond his music sheet.

On many instances he will have to change his stances when conducting imposing music steeped in tradition and history.

When celebrating a special occasion, he may have to explode beyond his baton and spur his players through a symphony and drive the stirred passion to a crescendo.

The conductor has to avail himself to a torrential hail of noises in diverse effects when directing those noisy scores and remain unmoved, calm and collected until he wipes the last note. Next, he will gently shift on to stunning emotional composition and still later, to searing passionate intensity. The changing modes and moods have to blend in equal capacity no matter how fast they turn out.

Internationally acclaimed woman conductor who wields the baton for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Martin Alsop is in demand all over the world.

The strong vibration is what has to be put up until the last note strays away. The closer the conductor adjusts the score in such manner, they are played with ease and aplomb blending one to another rather than rushing from piano to strings, especially from the opposite end of musical spectrum. Some critics may not agree with me but that is how I see what comes off the baton.

And how about a painful poignant end?
The conductor has to take it in his stride.
And the sacred score?

That too in the sanctity of the movements and make the audience feel they are in a sacred place. When conducting scores like the Messiah or Verdi Requiem, etc., the atmosphere has to be built up by the conductor. All in all, his attitude should reflect each score on their intensity of heights and low.

Sanctity

All of a sudden, the conductor will have to take a u-turn on the height of ascending power from spectacular symphonies and capture the emotional power and synthesised scale on a violin or a desolate release on yet another surging score on a solo instrument.

These instances have baffled me.

Exposing the elements of the greater composers as they intended when the scores were completed and presented in symphonic texture, is yet another responsibility of the conductor.

Eliminating the importance of glorious and virtuoso fast-reflexes are at times, let down hopelessly by conductors in weak moments. Those who take an emotional journey from darkness to light, can be heard resonating strongly in music, may be into the next century. It is they who pass down the baton in symphonic arche type for the Romantic. Early masterpieces also evoke the progress into seasons, like taking on Vivaldi in this theme. These gloriously impassioned master-works are handled differently culminating in spectacular conducting. The ravishing and utterly magical influence beaten down on the ensemble, rises to heights according to the imagination of each conductor.

The reflective and yearning tone in contrast to relative sobriety and the pastoral charm in many inspired sequences in tunes, often challenge the lesser experienced conductors and instead of leaving such scores alone, many make mistakes in the presence of music pundits. Some conductors make the mistake of putting together unlikely musical bedfellows to frustrate the audience. These tendencies must be avoided. Therefore, it is not the best instrumentalist who dares take up the baton. He must not only musically but also mentally be fit and ready for this glorious task.