Yep, the rule is to keep your eyes on the conductor, but the truth is you gotta know when NOT to look at the conductor. War story. I was playing 3rd horn and had the important solo at the beginning of the 3rd movement of a symphony which I now can't remember the name of. I very much had to empty my horn at the end of the 2nd movement which I did as quickly as I could-keeping my eye on the conductor. He saw my eye contact and thought I was ready so started conducted faster than I expected. I could not put my slide back in fast enough to play the solo. Now I don't look at the conductor until I am ready.
Loren \@() [EMAIL PROTECTED] (520) 403-6897 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of WIlliam Botte Sent: Monday, May 23, 2005 1:38 PM To: horn@music.memphis.edu Subject: [Hornlist] Conductors The past 15 years, I've been pleased and/or plagued with excellent and less than excellent conductors. The excellent conductors were niether timid or tyranical. They were universaly clear in direction and consistent with cues and tempi. No surprises. No tantrums. No compromises. The plagues were incompetent time wasters, ill prepared, inconsistent withe cues, tempi and beating patterns. There is nothing more terrifying than to look up at conductor twirling the baton in the air like a skylight. Or looking for the noexistent downbeat. WTF!!! Or the micromillimeter twitching of the right hand to indicate pianissimo. AAAAAAARRRRGH. Communicate with troops in the back row, not just the octet semicircle within whispering distance. --wabotte _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/loren%40mayhews.us _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
