Conductor's Notebook
Writings, including academic papers and music criticism, as well as videos, audio, notes, and other content.
Happy New Year! Reading books seemed to fall out of fashion for a time, but every signal seems to show an increased appetite for reading, and there are plenty of great books out there to feed the minds of conductors who want to hone their rehearsal technique. Here are five I’ve read recently that are worth your time.
...There are quite a few other techniques that I would broadly lump broadly into this category. Each could have their own essay, and some already do. Here are a few examples:
Knowing when to stop and fix something.
Knowing how to prioritize between competing priorities.
Knowing when to move on from a passage.
Knowing when practicing under- or at-tempo would be (in)effective....
"these differences are equally plain, yet only to those who have been initiated by practical work."
Simon Rattle rehearses the choir and orchestra of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra as they get ready for a performance of Haydn’s Creation. This brief clip demonstrates rehearsal instructions centered choral diction around a brief passage in Haydn’s Creation. The frequent stopping and starting indicates rare high-quality footage of a professional organization engaged in a true detail rehearsal, not merely a dress rehearsal run-through.
A list of some of the music sites and sources I read.
"And being a role model means that there are going to be members of your family, people who live in your neighborhood, your classmates who watch you, and say, 'Oh! That's how it's done!'"
Edmondson gives four characteristics of an Intelligent Failure
The failure takes place in a novel situation.
The context “presents a credible opportunity to advance toward a desired goal.”
Due dilligence (practice, preparation, research, deliberate process, etc.) is undertaken….
