THOUGHTS ON CONDCTING
Professor Sigmund Thorp
Conductor, Visiting Professor
National Taiwan Normal University
In the European symphonic orchestral tradition, conductors have developed a universal conducting language that is common to all conductors. In this way, any conductor can make themselves understood anywhere in the world, despite the fact that all conductors seem to have their own way of 'performing' this language. This 'language', or to put it another way, nonverbal communication, consists of everything that is perceived as communication (or non-communication) expressed by a conductor at a given moment, conveyed from the conductor's podium to musicians doing their best to interpret and respond adequately and in accordance with the conductor's musical intention and will.
The structure or skeleton in this communication is, among other things, the time signature patterns, which, in principle, are the same from one country to another, from one tradition to another. There are, however, variations within different 'schools of conducting', but this does not prevent conductors from travelling from one orchestra one week to another orchestra in a completely different country the following week, in order to be able to practice the same performance of the same time signatures and visual language without this having to be 'translated'.
Every conductor should include in his or her professional activities the ultimate perspective which means that a professional orchestra can do well WITHOUT a conductor. Much of the music in the traditional orchestra repertoire can be played without someone standing in front and "showing the way", and a number of orchestras base their activities on just this. A reflection on his/her own role in the communication with the musicians is therefore a good starting point for justifying the presence on the podium, as well as to make visible and legitimize the conductor's influence on both the artistic process and the sounding result.
As a conductor, you must recognise that the most important person in the room is the composer. And you must be able to express new and inventive insights into the interpretation of the music. You need to bring to the podium a vision, a clear interpretation that you want to share with the musicians. And this musical interpretation should be based on knowledge of style, historical context in which the music was written and also your taste and personal reflection on the music. By having a clear intention and a message through the interpretation you will obtain respect and a wish to make music together with you.
Conducting is a highly visual form of music making. Consider of the body language of musicians playing chamber music. In a way this body language is separate, yet still totally connected to the music. This physical language is similar to the body language used by a conductor. And musicians, can feel more comfortable when can see music making connected to the music they are playing. What we hear in connection with what we see, affects the music strongly.
THE CONDUCTOR’S ROAD MAP
The Conductor’s Road Map is not meant to be a fulfilling encyclopaedia on conducting, but rather guidelines for your further development as a conductor and a door opener to extended knowledge about orchestra/ensemble conducting. There are several aspects of conducting that will be described on the following pages, and here are some keywords:
COMMUNICATION*
LEADERSHIP
PROFESSIONALITY
REHEARSING TECHNIQUE
ORCHESTRAL PSYCHOLOGY
ARTISTIC AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
*Three aspects of communication:
- baton technique
- body language (see the section on nonverbal communication)
- talking (verbal communication)
LEARN THE SCORE, BE PREPARED
The best prerequisite for preparing a score is to get inspired by the music itself. To feel that the music grabs you when you hear it and by saying to yourself: "I want to play this music!” If the music touches an important string inside you, this would be the best motivation to get to know it and to produce your own version of a piece.
And just to say it once and for all: YOU ARE ALLOWED TO LISTEN TO RECORDINGS, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO WATCH OTHER CONDUCTORS CONDUCTING THE PIECE YOU ARE WORKING WITH. If this was inappropriate and "forbidden", you shouldn't even allow yourself to go to concerts! Watch the score when you are listening to the music, get to know the sound image of what you can see in the score. Get inspired and motivated by other artists' excellent work. If you were a painter, you would not deny yourself going to an exhibition, would you?
This basic motivation brings you to the next step; the historical context in which the piece was written. This means that you acquire as much knowledge as possible about the composer, about the time and the conditions under which he or she was living, and also under what circumstance did the composer grow up. The more you know about the composer's life the better you will be able to recreate the composer's thoughts, emotions, and the inspiration for the piece.
Look at the political situation and the values in the society at that time and look at paintings and especially the architecture from the same period. Are there resemblances from one artform to the other? (Yes, there is!)
You should of course not stand in front of an orchestra and tell the musicians all this (unless someone asks you), but all this basic information creates a very solid fundament for your interpretation. You combine your knowledge about the historical references with your musical taste and knowledge about playing styles for the period of the composition.
The next element in your preparations is to analyse the score. Find the overall form, find the phrases, the texture, the instrumentation, and the harmonic progression. This is a process that takes a lot of time but remember that you do this ONCE for every piece you learn. Take into consideration that you may conduct this piece many times during your conducting career.
Now comes a very important and highly underestimated part of the preparations: You should learn HOW to conduct the piece, just the same way you practice the pieces that you learn on your instrument! Consider your conducting body as an instrument in addition to the ensemble in front of you, and with this instrument you should practice how to perform the piece through the nonverbal communication! So, if you for instance are working with Beethoven, Symphony no. 7, 2nd movement, you don't necessarily practice the beating of two beats in a bar, but you practice "playing" your (inner) version of the piece! This is also a good method of establishing a kinetic memory in your muscles, in the same way as if you were practicing a piece on your instrument.
Do not conduct after a CD or a YouTube recording. As I mentioned you should conduct YOUR inner version of the music, not other conductor's 2nd movements of Beethoven no. 7. Practice A LOT, up to 50% of your preparations should be conducting your version together with your imaginative orchestra. This can be difficult, as there is no one in front of you who can respond with sound, but it is extremely useful, actually necessary!
When you finally are standing in front of the orchestra, you will be so grateful that you did your preparations with your imaginative orchestra. You will experience that you are playing this incredible movement together with the orchestra through your conducting body / instrument!
THE REHEARSAL
Rehearsal aspects
Orchestral material, with bowings, articulations etc. should be worked out well before the first rehearsal, in collaboration with the concertmaster and section leaders.
In general, work from the beginning. You should have at least TWO substantial comments before you stop. Give your comments, go back and SHOW with gestures what you just told the ensemble / orchestra. Remember : Two steps forward – one step back and so on. This is an efficient way of working through the piece / movement.
Stick to your rehearsal plan (see below) and follow your rehearsal schedule TO THE POINT! Your watch is your “master”, and you are its salve. Keep your watch on your stand, not on your arm, the time keeping should not become a visual issue during the rehearsal. Do NOT use your mobile to keep the time, this can be very disturbing for your rehearsal.
Be conscious on how you use your eyes. Look OVER the last desks and BETWEEN players.
Use few and selective (positive) words, like “more piano” instead of “not too loud”. Exchange the word “but” with “and”: “Second violins, you play very well, and……” It can change not only your message but the whole rehearsal. Adjectives are vitally important when giving instructions in rehearsals!
When giving a verbal instruction use paralinguistics. That is to use voice tone, volume, and mimics to underline and emphasize your message.
Do NOT spend time on explaining to the musicians what you DON’T want. Tell the musicians HOW you want them to play.
Always use “we”. Remember that the conductor and the orchestra are making music TOGETHER.
Be empathic, do not favour anyone.
Be intense and demanding, never sarcastic or arrogant.
Rehearsal elements
Rhythmical precision
Dynamic and balance
Phrasing
Articulation
Colour
Musical character
Rehearsal process
Produce a rehearsal schedule for the whole rehearsal period /week.
In order to avoid musicians waiting too much, make a rehearsal order in accordance with the orchestra size for the works involved.
If possible, sectional rehearsals should be organized before the project starts or during the project.
Come to the rehearsal with a captivating attitude and full of presence, showing that THE MUSIC is the topic, NOT you. Think like an actor who has a well-prepared message!
First rehearsal: Play through with no expression*. Get an overview, show tempos, what to beat and how to get through transitions.
Second rehearsal: Work on the details
Third rehearsal: Play through long stretches with concert energy, put the music together.
Fourth rehearsal (or the second last rehearsal): Try the “concert”, full run through. This is the dress rehearsal!
Rehearsal on the concert day: Beginnings, transitions, places that were not so good at the dress rehearsal. Save for the concert.
Concert: Be as prepared as possible, “forget“ everything and open up for what is going to happen. Enjoy!
THE NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Unlike words, body language and non-verbal communication is often performed subconsciously and constitutes a large part of our communication. For conductors, body language and the projection of our musical intentions go together and here are some important aspects concerning the non-verbal communication. Learn these elements thoroughly and put them into your conducting practice.
Inviting hands
A good opening position when starting a piece could therefore be (not always) like a handshake, with TWO parallel and “inviting” hands:
good eye contact
two parallel extended arms with a slight bend at the elbow
fingers pointing slightly downward
Mirroring
This means to display similar body language to other interactants during a social situation, and conducting an ensemble is definitely a social context. Mirroring is a highly trust-building cue that signals a desire to connect with someone else. As conductors, mirroring can be applied to a large extent. Simulating downbows and upbows (Egmont opening), making harp movements, showing musical lines etc.
Facial expression
Facial expressions are responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal communication. In fact, facial expressions for anger, fear, happiness, and sadness are similar throughout the world. Facial expressions reveal our thoughts and emotions and for conductors, they are perhaps our biggest nonverbal communicators.
Head movements
Head movements are especially rich conveyors of communication and one of the easiest nonverbal cues to understand. As a conductor, you can use head movements in numerous musical contexts, especially related to character and tempo.
Conductors should be aware of this, because too many of us are looking down and are talking to the score when we are talking to the musicians.
Eye contact
Eye contact has a strong significance in the communication between a conductor and the musicians. The eye contact, or the musician’s opportunity to «read eyes» is probably the most important tool for a conductor when it comes to the nonverbal communication. The perception of musical credibility, sincerity, openness and musical interpretation and personality is being perceived through the conductor’s gaze!
Hands and arm gestures
Your hand gestures should reflect your musical mind and support your emotions and musical intentions, on top of all the beating patterns that makes up the universal language that conductors have to apply in our profession.
Make sure that your palms are open as much as possible. An animated and open hand gesture indicate that the conductor is projecting trust, excitement and passion about a musical phrase or a musical character. A clear mental image of the pulse and the sound you want to hear lays the ground for a clear entrance. Guilini put it this way: “The clarity of a gesture comes from the clarity of your mind”. At the same time, since our hands are in the front of our bodies the hand signals are easy to pick up and this reduces the necessity to use too big gestures.
Body movements and posture
Keep in mind that, from the very first moment you enter the venue, you communicate nonverbally through the way you walk, through your gaze, face, voice, and your body posture. Orchestra members, as people in general, make these evaluations spontaneously and based on a limited amount of information, often without intention or awareness of the perceiver, and they contribute to an overall impression of you as a conductor
THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
You are the musicians’ model when it comes to musical values and attitudes. Take this role seriously in order to build a culture from the inside
“Stand on the barricades” for the musicians.
You don’t need to confront the media, but you should front the orchestra / your ensemble in social medias.
Teach and impose on the administration the importance and necessity of your concert ideas and your programming ideas.
About programming: Give some works priority in order to create good programs, and concert concepts. One example:
Building a musical leadership
On an institutional level
Enhance your ability to reflect on and articulate music as an important cultural component in your society
Use (social) medias to argue for the benefits of music and arts in general
Use social platforms to reach new audiences
Create a base of trust towards the local and national authorities in order to justify your orchestra / ensemble’s existence and to facilitate economical and public support.
On a cognitive level
Go to concerts, theatre, art exhibitions and other art forms, to learn and to be inspired by other artists.
Never stop learning from others despite age and experience. Remember, other people know other things! Find good models for yourself.
Search people that are experts in fields of music that are not “yours”.
Go to other conductors’ rehearsals.
Establish a profound and solid conducting technique in order to facilitate your music making.
On a personal level
In addition to your ensemble / orchestra, YOU are the instrument as a conductor. This instrument is everything you are in the moment. Your mood, your body language; the way you stand, your eyes, fingers, hands, arms, your voice, your facial expression. Your preparations, your ability to be present.
BE the music instead of beating the music. We are human beings, not human doings.
The gold is in the work
Be generous, humble, and always keep up the will and the need to extend your knowledge and to develop yourself as a musician, artist, and human being.
On a spiritual level
Let go of habitual repetitive patterns of behaviour
Develop an inner / outer centeredness and groundness and a deeply relaxed, easeful state of being which allows profound alertness to be always present.
Transcend the personal, the ego and the mind to realize the universal, the timelessness that infuses all great music. Cultivate the stillness and silence within.
Evoke the music rather than miming it.
Come to a place, a state of being, where you no longer sing the music but where the music “sings you”.
