Among today’s crop of conductors I can’t find a single one who performs on their instrument with any semblance of regularity. It took me a while to find out that The Dude played violin at one point, though there is absolutely no mention of him doing that in public for the last 14 years (though from some reports in the press he seems on the verge of being capable of transubstantiation). My fellow Buffalonian Michael Christie got himself a degree in Trumpet, but ditto on the disappearing instrument. My buddy Alastair Willis? No idea. I do know that his sister is a helluva horn player, but that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong – I like all these guys, but my question is: “How do conductors expect orchestras to take us seriously if we don’t play our instruments?”
-Bill Eddins
I read it here.
I take conductors seriously when they are good conductors. I’m honestly not bothered at all if they don’t perform on an instrument. I am bothered by incompetent conductors. That is what drives me absolutely bonkers.
Well, that and oboe reeds. Duh.
But maybe some of you are annoyed that conductors don’t play instruments. Feel free to comment here … or go over to Bill Eddins post and comment there.
OK, I did that. I know I’ve looked at some of the student conductors we’ve worked with and thought “if only that person had spent some time playing in an orchestra they might have a clue about why what they are doing is so ineffectual”. But continuing to practice an instrument? – I’m not sure I understand what benefit that would have on their conducting. Obviously the blogger feels that it affects his conducting, so I asked him exactly how it does; I will be interested to read his response. It would be interesting to know what our FMD* feels about that – I have heard him occasionally sit down at the piano and play beautifully, though I don’t know if he actually still practices or not, and I wonder if he feels it has any effect on his conducting.
*former music director