On Conductors: A Good Beat, and You Can Play to It
Back in the late 20th century, when I was young, there was a weekly show on television called "American Bandstand," on which host Dick Clark would play the top pop tunes that were on the radio that week, while a horde of teenagers danced in the background. Occasionally he would hold a microphone up to one of them and ask, "How did you like that song?" The response was basically always the same, "I liked it. It has a good beat, and you can dance to it."
To me it was so silly, a variation on the same review every time. Is there nothing more interesting or in-depth to say about a given song?
It occurred to me that musicians might review a conductor the same way:
"I like this conductor. He/she has a good beat, and you can play to it."
Oh really, is there nothing more to it than that? Well, yes, there is.
However: a "good beat" IS arguably the most important thing that an orchestral musician needs from a conductor. Clarity in the midst of the storm: to be able to look up and see clear-cut beat pattern, no matter what the music is doing - this is the crucial difference in being able to do your job with confidence and being lost in the aforementioned storm. If you look up and can't understand what you see, it's hard to land right. If you look up and you know exactly which beat is being given and when, then everyone can coordinate with confidence.
It's harder than it sounds - that beat has to come with great certitude. If the conductor is "following" the orchestra, the beat slows and spins into a circle of dismaying uncertainty, as orchestra follows conductor, who follows orchestra, and so forth. A great conductor has an excellent sense of anticipation, sensitive to what is happening in real life but also delivering their own straightforward vision.
Add to that a clear cue when you need it, and you can't help but love this conductor. The conductor can do any kind of ballet, odd movements or emoting they like, as long as that clear, accurate and coherent beat is reliably there.
To call out a particularly good conductor: Gustavo Dudamel is a master of the clear and accurate beat, and I would argue that is a main ingredient in his brilliant conducting.
Conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Certainly, he brings other things to the table: a sense of poetry, on-pointe musical choices in terms of tempi and dynamics, a thorough knowledge of the score, etc. But he has one of the most disciplined beats I’ve ever seen. Not only does he appear to feel and know the beat, but he constantly and clearly communicates it with great precision from the podium.
Of course, as I mentioned before, there is a lot more to the job than beating time. A conductor - a symphony's "music director" - is obliged fulfill many roles: musical, social and even societal. It's incredibly hard to be a jack of that many trades.
The music director chooses the program for the season - scheduling the repertoire and inviting the soloists. This program has to be both artistically valid and "marketable" - something that pleases the general audience, the board, the musicians and the critics alike. Quite a needle to thread.
In rehearsal, the conductor must keep things genial while still fixing problems of balance, intonation, coordination, rhythmic precision, etc.. And like an athletic coach, the conductor plays a role in maintaining morale, setting the tone, keeping it professional.
The conductor is also the public face of the organization, expected to deliver engaging pre-concert talks to the audience, win over donors and work amicably with board members from the community. And literally, his or her face may be plastered all over the city, on billboards, flags, program covers, the side of a building....
But at the heart of it all? A good beat. You can dance to it; you can play to it.
You might also like:
- Review: Mahler 6 with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil
- Weekend vote: should the conductor or performer speak about a piece before it is performed?
- Weekend vote: Has your local orchestra ever had a female conductor?
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Replies
Hah! I remember once a conductor giving a very poetic speech about a change he wanted, and a horn player responding with a very deadpan, "So do you want it louder or softer?" Cheeky!
I guess Dudamel would do well based on the hair parameter as well, though.
Laurie: Great comments. I'm only a life-long amateur violinist, but as a life-long music lover, it has always seemed to me that the "beat" is one of a handful of things that make music what it is. (I think that the other two are melody and harmony.) No matter what the type of music, the first thing we listen for is the beat. Once we catch on to that, it's what makes us know that we are listening to music (and not just random sounds).
Your comments on the intricacies of how a conductor communicates the beat (and the accompanying musical performance elements) adds a dimension to this issue that is not only insightful to performers, but to us listeners, too. Thank you.
Years ago, as a participant in the Baltimore Symphony's "Rusty Musicians" program (an amateur paired with a regular member of the BSO), I had the good fortune to play under the baton of Marin Alsop. I have two strong memories of her conducting: (1) she could explain very clearly how she wanted us to play particular passages, and (2) her beat was always quite clear. It was a great experience.
I look for three basic qualities in an ideal conductor:
Be a good musician.
Have the stick technique to convey that musicianship.
Don’t be a jerk.
I often have had to be satisfied to get one or of the above. However, I have sometimes had the pleasure of getting all three!
Thank you, Laurie, for this article about a very complex issue - rating the effectiveness of conductors. As a career musician, I have played as a violinist under a handful of great conductors and many poor conductors. I now spend the majority of my performing career on the podium, and I find myself regularly asking myself "What would I want from me as a player?" I find that maintaining the perspective of the player is critical to serving the orchestra in the best way possible. There are so many factors that go into judging a conductor, but part of what makes this task so complicated is the fact that the conductor is literally the only musician of an orchestra, band, or choir who does not make a sound. This means, among other things that conductors cannot audition anonymously (i.e., no blind auditions from behind a screen -- unless listening to the orchestra and how they SOUND under various conductors were the only criteria). This is also why judging or rating conductors is inherently subjective. If an instrumentalist plays a wrong note or a wrong rhythm, these are things that can be objectively evaluated, at least to a reasonable degree. Tone, musicality, and interpretation are, of course, still subjective. Another important factor is that different levels of orchestras actually need different things from conductors. I would argue that major symphonies rely or require far less clarity of beat or cuing from conductors but instead thrive on inspiration, vision, and charisma of conductors. As a conductor of regional, community, and high school honors orchestras, I know that I cannot be expressive at the expense of clarity, so I try to find a balance between showing the passion within the music while being as clear as possible with regard to articulation, phrasing, transitions, and overall tempos and cuing, of course. A conductor ultimately is the vessel for projecting the intent of the composer, and this is achieved by serving as an effective actor, mime, coach, musicologist, historian, and a counselor, among other things. As a music director, additional duties include curating programs, helping with marketing efforts, and serving as an ambassador for the organization, which involves fundraising events and public speaking to promote concerts. The music director at any level has the often unquantifiable task of earning the respect of both the fellow musicians of the ensemble and also that of the audience. It is a job that takes great discipline and care, but must come from a place of love. It certainly is a privilege to serve as a music director, especially during this time of great division. I have seen the profound impact live music, especially symphonic music, can and does have in bringing people together and connecting us all to our humanity. Thanks again for highlighting this wonderful aspect of our musical universe!
Overnight I dreamed up four qualities to look for in a community orchestra conductor, all of them more important in my view than the clarity of their beat.
1. A sense of enjoyment and humour. Rehearsals can and should be fun.
2. Command. We need to respect their authority.
3. Organization. Rehearsals should be carefully structured so as to waste as little time as possible. When I'm poised and ready to play I hate to have to listen to another rambling anecdote.
4. Deep knowledge of the score and of the instruments' capabilities.
As the day goes on I'll probably think of more.
That was a fruitful dream Steve! I really second 'organization': I hate digging for music during a rehearsal, and as for "What shall we play now?"...????
Richard - I first read your post as "frightful"! Of course I'd have to add empathy to my list. It's important that the conductor at least acknowledge the weaker string players with a smile and a helpful suggestion rather than just ignore them as some do. A hint to section leaders also.
Good points, Laurie! After more than half-century of playing with (and looking at) countless number of conductors including all possible quality levels from some who were barely professional to a few truly great ones, i have still never seen anyone whose beat is or was any clearer than Maestro Zubin Mehta's consistently had been at least since his 30s and until 2010 or around that time, when his serious health problems rudely interfered.
Peter, thank you for your thoughtful observations, from both sides of the podium! I think your point that different levels of orchestras need different things from a conductor is a good one. Related to that - I feel like conductors who have worked with a lot of different levels of orchestras tend to have well-honed communication skills on the podium. For example, Dudamel worked all those years in El Sistema, conducting super-sized orchestras with literally hundreds of children. Surely in some ways it is more difficult to conduct students and amateur orchestras; at the same time, if you are conducting a highly-skilled orchestra, you have to know how to drive the Ferrari. I would be curious to know what conductors think about that!
A conductor who has efficient rehearsal technique,knows when to help and when to get out of the way and knows that one is down,not up is good in my books.
After 37 years of professional playing Ive seen a wide variety of talent and "personalities".My favourite overall would be Simon Streatfield.What a gentleman!
The greatest technician Ive had was Charles Bruck,the assistant to Pierre Monteux.I spent twelve weeks at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Advanced Players in Hancock Maine back in 1991 and 1992.Grueling sessions but affects me to this day.
Laurie, it first must be said that Dudamel is in a bit of a category by himself. He is a conductor who appears once in a generation and who has an ability to transcend the music due to his enormous artistic intellect. There is no question that his years of conducting El Sistema had a profound impact on him in a variety of ways, but he has skills and insight - and a unique ability to communicate - all of which make him a perfect orchestral ambassador at all levels. It's interesting that you used the Ferrari analogy because I too often will make such a reference. For me, its that I prefer conducting community orchestras over a major symphony because I love to rebuild and shape an orchestra diverse with amateurs and professionals. Is it fun to drive the Ferrari once in a while? Of course! But I prefer taking the old rusty Mustang that's been left in a field, take it completely apart, polish every part, and put it back together. It's a joy and a privilege to get musicians to play beyond their perceived abilities. The big difference in this analogy is that one actually has to know how to drive a Ferrari, or they will likely crash. One can know very little about conducting, and a major symphony will still play quite beautifully in spite of the incompetence of a conductor. We see this all the time. To your point, this is precisely why the great Henry Fogel (former ED of the Chicago Symphony and President of the League of American Orchestras) stated that we have too many young conductors eager to be the next Bernstein and Dudamel, when what they really need is time with a community orchestra to develop their skills. Bernstein was considered young when he got his big break, but he was 40! Dudamel is an anomaly, having been 26 when he burst on the scene. My former violin professor at Northwester, Blair Milton, said of Dudamel that "He had the CSO in the palm of his hand in 30 seconds." When I asked why, it had nothing to do with conducting technique. It was the perfect combination of charisma, absolute knowledge of the scores, and clear vision and voice of what he wanted from the ensemble. He had that rare ability to channel the composer and knew how to ask for what he wanted.
Re. Dudamel - Simon Rattle was similarly young when he became principal conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
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November 1, 2024 at 08:11 PM · I know a professional horn player who grades conductors primarily on quality of hair.