The fault of "listening to recordings" is not a fault of student conductors. It seems to be a relatively new method of learning, when I started the horn (in the dream time - that long ago) it was pretty much not mentioned occasionally on a new piece someone might buy a recording, but on the standards, Mozart, Strauss, etc. teachers and students would work with what was on the printed page.
Fast forward a few years. At a rehearsal of the local horn club we were playing a modern piece that had been recorded by the LA Horn Club. We read through it then one of our members recounted a story of being at a horn clinic at a university where a horn group was reading the same piece. It turns out the composer was walking down the hall. He stuck his head in the door when they finished and complemented them on playing it as he had written it. He went on to say that the LA Horn Club did it with their own interpretation that didn't match what he had written. Saying further that since the recording he hardly every heard it played in any other manner than that of the recording. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of matthew scheffelman Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 1:27 PM To: horn@music.memphis.edu Subject: [Hornlist] RE ;Conductors, difference between Old School and New School Hans, Maybe you have answered one crucial question.What is the difference between the old greats and the newer"super stars"? In one of your most recent posts you mentioned LISTENING. Listening is One of the qualities lacking both in modern conductors and modern quasi Musicians. Even at the highest levels today, listening has only become used for the answer to "I am in tune, I am playing the right rhythm, therefor I am right". The contrary to this is flexibility, shaping of the sound.... etc..... Many modern conductors learn their scores by FOLLOWING along with a recording. Even great ones use this technique. While the opportunity to conduct may be farther a few between, many conductors are learning MANY bad habits with this method. I believe the "New School" of conductors is quite great in many areas and with many people. For starters, it is a different way of going about rehearsal because of the extreme performance technique of the modern orchestral musician. There are not many reasons to be "old school" and yell rant and rave at the orchestra as there are MUCH fewer mistakes in execution by the top level orchestras. The relationship between the orchestra and the music director has changed also. There are more collaborations about programs between a "musicians committee" and the music director so programs and taste can be shown to come from within, rather the the singular vision of the conductor. This sharing and evolution is felt by the public through the performances which have personal meaning for the collective orchestra. Contrasting this with a "old school" conductor who chooses programs within his/her comfort zone, and missing what the collective orchestra might connect with more readily. Matthew Scheffelman horn __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/bgross%40airmail.net _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
