Conducting Music Today

Author: Bruce Hangen
Publisher: Berklee Press
ISBN: 9781495097911
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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 Complete Idiot's Guide to Conducting Music

Author: Michael Miller
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101588756
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 277

Book Description
The complex art of conducting may look effortless to the casual onlooker, however, it requires a great deal of knowledge and skill. The success of a performance hinges on the director's ability to keep the group playing together and interpreting the music as the composer intended. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Conducting Music shows student and novice conductors how to lead bands, orchestras, choirs, and other ensembles effectively through sight-reading, rehearsals, and performances.

Conducting and Rehearsing the Instrumental Music Ensemble

Author: John F. Colson
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
ISBN: 0810882604
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 521

Book Description
"The most comprehensive guide on the rehearsal process for conducting instrumental music ensembles. This work breaks the multidimensional activity of working with an ensemble, orchestra, or band into its constituent components"--from publisher description.

Conducting with Feeling

Author:
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 9780634030291
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 112

Book Description
(Meredith Music Resource). A thought provoking collection of ideas by today's leading conductors on how a conductor develops feelings for a piece of music and communicates those feelings to an ensemble.

Conducting Business

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

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.

The Silent Musician

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

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.

Conversations with Joseph Flummerfelt

Author: Joseph Flummerfelt
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0810869764
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 231

Book Description
In Conversations with Joseph Flummerfelt: Thoughts on Conducting, Music, and Musicians, Donald Nally presents a window into the mind and heart of one of America's most celebrated and distinguished choral conductors. This captivating narrative traces Flummerfelt's formative years and influences, his most important artistic collaborations, and his approach to conducting and music. There is also a philosophical discussion of cultural influences and obstacles in art, how one teaches conducting, and the foundations of ensemble music-making. This book explores the conductor's early career influences from musicians such as Robert Shaw and Nadia Boulanger and reveals his thoughts on composers Igor Stravinsky, Samuel Barber, Benjamin Britten, and Olivier Messiaen, among others. Topics range from his approaches to style, conducting gesture, sound generation, and choral sound to the psychology of music-making and the contemporary environment of art-making. Nally's interview style captures the energy and rhythm of Flummerfelt's speech so the conductor's voice and passion is readily evident. Through these intimate conversations, Flummerfelt reveals his life, art, and ideas-from close collaborations with some of the world's greatest orchestral conductors to his work as artistic director of Westminster Choir College. More than thirty photos present a visual record of Flummerfelt's collaborations with many of the great musicians of our time; a biographical timeline, list of collaborating orchestras and conductors, and discography are also included. Book jacket.

The Cambridge Companion to Conducting

Author: José Antonio Bowen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107494788
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 585

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.

Inside Conducting

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

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.

On Becoming a Conductor

Author: Frank L. Battisti
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 9781574630862
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 188

Book Description
(Meredith Music Resource). This incredible book by one of the world's foremost authorities on conducting contains no conducting patterns, and no advice on how to conduct any piece. Instead, it focuses on the skills, knowledge and experiences needed to become and function as a conductor-teacher. "This text is a 'must have' for all serious musicians. It captures the legacy and wisdom of one of the most important conductors of our time. This is what can happen when a focused and inquisitive mind meets up with a uniquely creative imagination." Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Director of Wind Studies, College of Music University of North Texas (a href="http://youtu.be/JM6g4KBA4Fk" target="_blank")Click here for a YouTube video on On Becoming a Conductor(/a)