A History of Orchestral Conducting

A History of Orchestral Conducting PDF Author: Elliott W. Galkin
Publisher: Pendragon Press
ISBN: 9780918728470
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 944

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Book Description
Although the bibliography of literature about personalities in the conducting world is extensive, a comprehensive, scholarly study of the history of conducting has been sorely lacking. Georg Schünemann's respected study, published in 1913, was brief and restricted to the procedures of time-beating. No work has attempted to examine the role of the orchestral conductor and to document the evolution of his art from historical, technical, and aesthetic perspectives. Dr. Elliott W. Galkin, musicologist, conductor, and critic-twice winner of the Deems Taylor award for distinguished writing about music-has produced such a work in A History of Orchestral Conducting. The central historical section of the book, which examines chronologically the theories and functions of time-beating and interpretative concepts of performance, is preceded by discussions of rhythm, development of the orchestral medium, and the evolving characteristics of orchestration. Conductors of unusual pivotal influence are examined in depth, as is the increasingly complex psychology of the podium. Critical writings since the time of Monteverdi and the birth of the orchestra are surveyed and compared. Analyses of conducting as an art and craft by musicians from Berlioz to Bernstein and commentators from Mattheson, Bernard Shaw, and Thomas Mann to Jacques Barzun, are described and discussed. A fascinating collection of engravings, wood cuts, photographs and caricatures contributes to the richness of this work.

A History of Orchestral Conducting

A History of Orchestral Conducting PDF Author: Elliott W. Galkin
Publisher: Pendragon Press
ISBN: 9780918728470
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 944

Get Book Here

Book Description
Although the bibliography of literature about personalities in the conducting world is extensive, a comprehensive, scholarly study of the history of conducting has been sorely lacking. Georg Schünemann's respected study, published in 1913, was brief and restricted to the procedures of time-beating. No work has attempted to examine the role of the orchestral conductor and to document the evolution of his art from historical, technical, and aesthetic perspectives. Dr. Elliott W. Galkin, musicologist, conductor, and critic-twice winner of the Deems Taylor award for distinguished writing about music-has produced such a work in A History of Orchestral Conducting. The central historical section of the book, which examines chronologically the theories and functions of time-beating and interpretative concepts of performance, is preceded by discussions of rhythm, development of the orchestral medium, and the evolving characteristics of orchestration. Conductors of unusual pivotal influence are examined in depth, as is the increasingly complex psychology of the podium. Critical writings since the time of Monteverdi and the birth of the orchestra are surveyed and compared. Analyses of conducting as an art and craft by musicians from Berlioz to Bernstein and commentators from Mattheson, Bernard Shaw, and Thomas Mann to Jacques Barzun, are described and discussed. A fascinating collection of engravings, wood cuts, photographs and caricatures contributes to the richness of this work.

Orchestral Performance

Orchestral Performance PDF Author: Christopher Adey
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 0571287344
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 882

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Book Description
A comprehensive guide to the techniques of orchestral playing and the development of non-professional orchestras, Orchestral Performance covers all areas of orchestral music-making - instrumental technique and combination, ensemble, layout, repertoire and presentation. Christopher Adey - renowned specialist in the training of student orchestras - explores the responsibilities of both players and conductor, exposing many of the inadvertent results of interpretation with regard to sound and projection, and broadening the musical communication to which the less experienced orchestra can aspire. Written in a lively and authoritative style, this unique book is essential reading for performing musicians of all standards, instrumental teachers and aspiring conductors, and all who have any dealings with the performance of youth or student orchestras throughout the world, as well as anyone interested in what orchestral performance entails. 'A labour of love and wisdom.' Times Educational Supplement 'A treasure house of facts, advice, and hints. I could not put it down ... clearly written from the heart and from an obvious enthusiasm for the non-professional orchestra and orchestral musician.' Classical Music 'This is a thoroughly readable book, full of illustrations and containing the thoughts of someone with a wealth of experience.' Music Teacher

Conducting Business

Conducting Business PDF Author: Leonard Slatkin
Publisher: Amadeus Press
ISBN: 1476821321
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
(Amadeus). Conducting an orchestra is something that is seen as well as heard, but it is quite misunderstood when it comes to knowing what this person actually does for a living. This most mysterious of jobs is brought to life for the music lover as well as for the aspiring maestro in a book by Leonard Slatkin. Drawing on his own experiences on and off the podium, Slatkin brings us into the world of the baton. He tells tales of some of the most fascinating people in the musical world, including Frank Sinatra, Leonard Bernstein, and John Williams. He takes the reader to the great concert halls and orchestras, soundstages in Hollywood, and opera pits around the globe. Mr. Slatkin recounts his controversial appearance at the Metropolitan Opera, his creation and direction of summer music festivals, and a shattering concert experience that took place four days following 9/11. Life in the recording studio and on the road as well as health issues confronting the conductor provide an insider's glimpse into the private world of public figures. Covering everything from learning how to read music to standing in front of an orchestra for the first time, what to wear, and how to deal with the press, Conducting Business is a unique look at a unique profession.

Conducting Music Today

Conducting Music Today PDF Author: Bruce Hangen
Publisher: Berklee Press
ISBN: 9781495097911
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description
(Berklee Guide). Learn the essential practices of contemporary conducting. This book will teach you to use the motions, cues, patterns and practices used to lead ensembles, whether for orchestra, band, musical theater, opera, film orchestra, or other type of ensemble. You will learn techniques for keeping time, signaling musicians, and crafting your unique interpretation of the score, as well as how to command the stage presence necessary to lead a large ensemble whether for concert performances or synching live performers to other media, such as film, recordings, musical theater and dance. Video demonstrations and annotated scores of orchestral excerpts from Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and others illustrate and let you practice various conducting challenges, such as cadenzas, rubato and quickly changing time signatures. Also included are interviews with some of the most accomplished conductors of your time, such as John Wiliams, Lalo Schifrin, JoAnn Falletta, John Morris Russell and others, providing perspective from the concert hall podium to the Broadway pit to the Hollywood sound stage.

The Score, the Orchestra, and the Conductor

The Score, the Orchestra, and the Conductor PDF Author: Gustav Meier
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199716900
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 510

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Book Description
Known internationally for his work as a teacher of conducting, Gustav Meier's influence in the field cannot be overstated. In The Score, the Orchestra and the Conductor, Meier demystifies the conductor's craft with explanations and illustrations of what the conductor must know to attain podium success. He provides useful information from the rudimentary to the sophisticated, and offers specific and readily applicable advice for technical and musical matters essential to the conductor's first rehearsal with the orchestra. This book details many topics that otherwise are unavailable to the aspiring and established conductor, including the use of the common denominator, the "The ZIG-ZAG method", a multiple, cross-indexed glossary of orchestral instruments in four languages, an illustrated description of string harmonics, and a comprehensive listing of voice categories, their overlaps, dynamic ranges and repertory. The Score, the Orchestra and the Conductor is an indispensable addition to the library of every conductor and conducting student.

Music as Alchemy

Music as Alchemy PDF Author: Tom Service
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 0571268714
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
How are conductors' silent gestures magicked into sound by a group of more than a hundred brilliant but belligerent musicians? The mute choreography of great conductors has fascinated and frustrated musicians and music-lovers for centuries. Orchestras can be inspired to the heights of musical and expressive possibility by their maestros, or flabbergasted that someone who doesn't even make a sound should be elevated to demigod-like status by the public. This is the first book to go inside the rehearsal rooms of some of the most inspirational orchestral partnerships in the world - how Simon Rattle works at the Berlin Philharmonic, how Mariss Jansons deals with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, and how Claudio Abbado creates the world's most luxurious pick-up band every year with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. From London to Budapest, Bamberg to Vienna, great orchestral concerts are recreated as a collection of countless human and musical stories.

The Silent Musician

The Silent Musician PDF Author: Mark Wigglesworth
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022662255X
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
The conductor—tuxedoed, imposingly poised above an orchestra, baton waving dramatically—is a familiar figure even for those who never set foot in an orchestral hall. As a veritable icon for classical music, the conductor has also been subjected to some ungenerous caricatures, presented variously as unhinged gesticulator, indulged megalomaniac, or even outright impostor. Consider, for example: Bugs Bunny as Leopold Stokowski, dramatically smashing his baton and then breaking into erratic poses with a forbidding intensity in his eyes, or Mickey Mouse in Fantasia, unwittingly conjuring dangerous magic with carefree gestures he doesn’t understand. As these clichés betray, there is an aura of mystery around what a conductor actually does, often coupled with disbelief that he or she really makes a difference to the performance we hear. The Silent Musician deepens our understanding of what conductors do and why they matter. Neither an instruction manual for conductors, nor a history of conducting, the book instead explores the role of the conductor in noiselessly shaping the music that we hear. Writing in a clever, insightful, and often evocative style, world-renowned conductor Mark Wigglesworth deftly explores the philosophical underpinnings of conducting—from the conductor’s relationship with musicians and the music, to the public and personal responsibilities conductors face—and examines the subtler components of their silent art, which include precision, charisma, diplomacy, and passion. Ultimately, Wigglesworth shows how conductors—by simultaneously keeping time and allowing time to expand—manage to shape ensemble music into an immersive, transformative experience, without ever making a sound.

Inside Conducting

Inside Conducting PDF Author: Christopher Seaman
Publisher: University Rochester Press
ISBN: 1580464114
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Book Description
Exactly what does a conductor do in front of an orchestra? Internationally renowned conductor Christopher Seaman offers lively and informative answers in this wise yet humorous book. What does a conductor actually do? How much effect does he or she have? Can the orchestra manage without one? Why don't the players look at the conductor more? Is it necessary for the conductor to play every instrument? What about interpretation? What happens at rehearsals? Why do some conductors "thrash around" more than others? Who's the boss in a concerto: the soloist or the conductor? These are some of the questions that receive lively andinformative answers in this book by renowned conductor Christopher Seaman. Composed of short articles on individual topics, it is accessible and easy to consult. Each article begins with an anecdote or saying and ends with quotations from musicians, often expressing opposing views. There are many books on the art of conducting, but none like this. Music lovers wondering what the figure on the podium actually does, and aspiring conductors eager to learn more about the art and craft of leading an orchestra, will all treasure this wise yet humorous book. Christopher Seaman has been successful at both ends of the baton. After four years as principal timpanist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, he was appointed principal conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and has enjoyed a busy international conducting career for over forty years. He is now Conductor Laureate for Life of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, New York, and he continues to bring great music and wise words to audiences, students, and readers around the world.

The Cambridge Companion to Conducting

The Cambridge Companion to Conducting PDF Author: José Antonio Bowen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107494788
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 585

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Book Description
In this wide-ranging inside view of the history and practice of conducting, analysis and advice comes directly from working conductors, including Sir Charles Mackerras on opera, Bramwell Tovey on being an Artistic Director, Martyn Brabbins on modern music, Leon Botstein on programming and Vance George on choral conducting, and from those who work closely with conductors: a leading violinist describes working as a soloist with Stokowski, Ormandy and Barbirolli, while Solti and Abbado's studio producer explains orchestral recording, and one of the world's most powerful managers tells all. The book includes advice on how to conduct different types of groups (choral, opera, symphony, early music) and provides a substantial history of conducting as a study of national traditions. It is an unusually honest book about a secretive industry and managers, artistic directors, soloists, players and conductors openly discuss their different perspectives for the first time.

The Orchestral Conductor's Career Handbook

The Orchestral Conductor's Career Handbook PDF Author: Carl Topilow
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538154609
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
In-text URLs can be accessed via the “Features” tab of the publisher’s website. Conductors face a multitude of hurdles as they strive to obtain a foothold in the professional world. Once they have attained a position, there are obstacles both on and off the podium to keeping that position as well as advancing in the profession. Founding conductor of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, pedagogue, and frequent guest conductor for both pops and classical concerts, Carl Topilow is in a unique position to help conductors navigate their careers. The Orchestral Conductor’s Career Handbook takes readers through the step-by-step process of establishing a career in orchestral conducting. Through his experiences with professional, pops, conservatory, community, youth, summer festival, opera and ballet orchestras, Topilow provides practical tips for conductors of any orchestra type and at any level of their development. Filled with personal stories from Topilow’s career, the handbook provides insights on an array of topics, including applying for conducting programs and conducting positions, connecting with audiences, developing interpersonal relations within the orchestra family, starting your own orchestra, interacting with donors, and beyond. It also presents fresh ideas for programming, rehearsing, and approaches to standard repertoire pieces.