Eugene Ormandy The Art of Conducting teat of condictng, oe of the most complex and demanding aces the realm of mse comprises both the ual pb performace and the conaant application of technique. Although they are inseparable In perform See they eae analy inthe light te unique which each pre ete Sim, the omtor insect exe th depetient ‘pom ss lminatng in the performance Wset=— ‘On the fst le, is period of sty de conductor prepares hi seat Strtetaly and artical, On tis level he mst be musician historian, ‘erorchesrarand tence He stay the acre athe hea inhib ‘be docs he sacs the msc ar nhs being ard ling he tony sands of maa ine Heys tnderand the ial enteatn whieh a Fara work cancel and ring tobea upon te geniginterresw ee Prog knowl of the lsc eee inten the sk To sty Suc masterwork eeenrs Zoe Sony nts ki othe oman pons othe ef he Fesch Reolson aed Napeon nique full pst in 180i ny me inact, Neves toy ese noe ‘ Ato ncunm. Among the keene ayer namics A ‘Morte ders nr om Thakoly lg, ins oe Hay mene ference fom Wage foe "Athos owl tne ones clr ines sabes i ing confer “en the orchestra sod whe be aden When conducting i hk composes he mus semetmes compensator the etl nadeqic ot the tines deel remtng certs passages terms of oy’ me om pc rchearsand more highs payee Freenay performances och nto Sphony of Beton the Great © Major Spon of Sh Seve tne ymphontn Samar, to mention bra ew ae rar gen thos tn tment changes Een so pure’ a conductors Toei i ot : {nye compre benefits heightened inset ees i Final wile hese te conocer ster objet he wot, | acing ts progress spacing is cinates devnga general ual concept of the | Treen and Galetingte ent be hardy the pie. He : Isc chard Suse Remember that yo are mang msi net or H Jourow pleaure ut for thejoy of your ene i 1 ‘rn foto ran enn f lise, en an, ao { age | | = Sr PTL LT7 Tetearsal Te second level upon which the conductor functions is the (ears, in which he prepares te orchestra both technically and atticaly 1k isomtistevel that he actsasa guide to the orchestra, building up i their minds concept of dhe work parallel to his own, forthe eventual publi performance fequites an enlightened and sensitive orchestra playing not under” a conduc for, but rather with” him During the rchearals he must clarify ll problems of metrics and tempi, clucidating his wm pacing ofthe work: He must temper all dyamie markings So thatthe instrumental “sound is balanced in all its components. The older ‘composers always wrote the sae dynamic vertically for each simultancous pat Sraight down the page in their scores. Iwas only composerconductors like Mahler or Wagner ao realized the pitfall of dynamics inenutionly marked. ‘Ashe rehearses, the condicorstrrounded y the physial oun dhe work cheeks his own concept ofthe muse, comparing it with the acta musi In those pprticular instances where the two do not fhe mustaker one or the ether Tei sential thatthe wo, dhe concep and he aetwaliy u amicably along, Inaliion, {here ae inazances, ch a the lengthy oboe sol in Strauss Dona, whet the prudent conductor who iforunateencghto pases highly senstv oboe player permite ise4oclae his head” acting amos wan acompant rae than leader Fejormance isin performance thatthe conductor operates upon the highescan-most demanding level. Here the work is finished technically; the orchestra is filly prepared for all of ts demands; the conductor, his study and Preps belt In, no inners welt i de ns dering hw ‘with itboth emotionally and mental, Bye itis this crcal ime that the most Alifcue function ofthe conductor comes into fl play. He must, while ientfying himself withthe music, Keep a constant watch upon the progress ofthe worl, allowing 2 portion of his analytical mind to constantly evaluate the sound and pace of the performance. He most he prepared to instantancotsy make ity adjustment, large or smal, in the actual performance: required forthe fullest ‘alization ofhisinner concept, Many factors make this necessary: aiferent bal, 4 player's momentary inattention, the effect of several thousand persone upon ‘he acoustics, even the understandable enthusiasm of performance which might affect the tempo. Atsuch a moment the experience ofa conductor tell, for the young conductor, new to such emergencies, tends to do one thing ata tine. ‘Music does no permit this, foricfows in Une, andall adjustments mst be sper imposed upon the uninterrupted continuum In dhe extent which he sueceeds on any oral ofthese levels es the meas- ‘re ofthe conductor's merit both 4 musician and as an artist. In his study he «an separate the art from the technique, butin performance he must strive flly land constantly fora total artistic experience. Otherwise he can never full his hgh calling: creating the reality ofthe work el. Legendary macson Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) wat Music Dicer ofthe Minneapolis Symphony Orca 1931 to 1938 ae Muse Dirwcorof the Pilla Orca om 193801280, er he ws pone jor crating he famous “Ply”The Nature of Conducting At the College Conservatory of Music, we tlk often about the nature of con- ducting. In preparing this edition of The Madarn Conducios it oceurred to me that tile much is written about how to conduc, lite fs tnderstood either af why it Ssnecessary or what fnction itserves. ‘On the most basi lve, the conductor is responsile for communicating Information about moment of attack and tempo, These two unglamorous qiee tions, "When do we come in?” and "How fast does this go?" leat the core ofthe craft, before any question of interpretation, impiration, architecture, or emo ‘onal depth—in short rt-can be addres “The conductors first service ito answer the above questions. Atring quar ‘eccan begin together with the nod ofthe st von’ head. The same gesture Simply wil aot be read by the bas trombone from the back of large symphony forehestra, Similar a hiton fs na intrinsic arsine value or need We use the baton because itis more easly seen by large group than our hands are ‘While an ensemble may agree on prineples of execution, specifi tee tempo, dynamics, sound, mood, mode of playing, balance-—could be dhe sub Jjectof more than 100 wellintended, valid, but opposing views, Our sting quartet maybe ale ccs and agree on interpreta moves, butanorcheseal open forkin would obviously prove se eatin ecaled upon to decide these ee, She or ert men ie arber of tate ‘cing the arbie of snbledoe not mes tht the cone 's endowed with a mystical, unique power or connection with che sprit of com posers pastor present Iemplles and demande dat he conductor thoroughly sit tate the composer's wills expressed in the sore. Through std the eonderor i able wo interpre bes, and most meaningful sense ofthe word. He or she tara the somposts zing grap the since of wna whose ‘spect metmingsneacras obo as ne printed page leads sto believe Music being by nature communicative art is not played ina wae OF merely for our own pleasure. As Beethoven wrote on the score of his colossal ‘Miss Solenns, Op. 123, "From dhe hear, ay go again to the heart.” The com: poser writes wo be heard, not merely played toe heard bya public whose ony ceess tothe composer's soul is through performance. Ths itis the conductors esponsibility to bring the composervoice Trae public through the ensen Dern this sense the conduc soca the public The tsk of imparting and of music with Future ge ‘erations of performers and isteners isnot merely the conductor's sacred respon. ‘Sbiliy: itis among our greatest delights. We did not generate car musical sls tml, nor dil we teach ourselves the languages of musi. As part ofa musical Continuum that has endured for centugjes, we are obligated to teach, 0 8 Dack what in turn was given to us thus Meare the musicians of tomorrosy, we do serve and were served by the musicians OPpastaud presen ‘Now that our responses are clear, let wr learn how to conduc. Mark Gibson Director of Orchestral Activites, College Conservatory of Muse, ‘Unlverslty of Gincinat