Use your instrument only to speak

It’s amazing the capability of musicians to suppress their own thoughts and feelings. Is it because of the environment of dictatorship that is a conductor, which creates a culture supported by management that we feel we cannot say what we want. Of course this is not universally true - some brave souls will say exactly what is on their minds - and maybe on everyone else’s. The problem is that they then seem to be seen by those around them as moaners, and in time are not taken seriously ‘... well nobody else complained’. Today a conductor asked for an acoustic screen to be removed from in front of the trombones. To be fair he asked if anyone objected, and nobody did. The viola player who sat in front of the trombone section was too worn down to want to be seen as the one complaining again.
Legal noise levels are being exceeded, but management will never know, and despite them being able to tick all the boxes of looking after the musician’s hearing, here is at least one musician being placed at risk where it will never be recorded. Of course the viola player only has himself to blame. Or does he? Where does the responsibility lie here?

Anyone for Canned Worms?

This week we had another conductor who spent a minimum ammount of time rehearsing. Great. Unfortunately the beat was nothing like we experienced last week, and we struggled to discern the difference between an up beat, a down beat or any other beat. Put this with very ‘musical’ rubato, and unpredictable subdividing (where one beat is split into two or more, thus giving 5 or more beats in a bar where there would otherwise be only four for example). The interesting thing is that everybody just does their best - it all hangs together somehow, although the fear and stress among the musicians is palpable. We are polite, professional and subservient and thus nobody dares say to the conductor ‘I am having trouble following your beat’. He might be offended, he may think you are being unreasonable because nobody before you dared criticise, and he might in turn find fault with your playing, and embarrass you pubicly. So the conductor, whose job it is to tell experienced musicians how to play, is never helped by the same musicians to do his job better. Is there a solution?

Promote the Guest or Promote the Orchestra?

It’s amazing how an those who run an orchestra seem almost embarrassed by it at times. So it seems when you look at the orchestra programme, and come along to the concerts. An orchestra I was playing with this week has a constant stream of guest soloists. These are inevitably presented as the selling point for the concert. The orchestra barely ever seems to present a concert as the main attraction in itself. The most amazing thing then is that very often the management who pay for the publicity, conductors, soloists never seem to ask that those presenting the concert to give due credit to the orchestra. Singers and conductors alike seem happy to take all the glory, indulge in mutual admiration, though of course letting the orchestra stand up at the end. Thanks. There is also of course the plug for the soloist’s CD on sale afterwards. Do the orchestra not have any? The musicians do not really worry too much about this in any personal way, but would you not think that those responsible for the success of the orchestra would somehow put the ‘product’ more to the fore, and have some of the hype directed towards it rather than the outside transient elements.

The Fallout of Fame

Another week - another concert. We had the chance to work with a real legendary conductor and composer this week - one of the perks of being a musician is getting to meet these people you have admired for years. I have never met anyone so rude and so disrespectful towards musicians. What is it? Is it being famous for decades that makes one feel better than others - that blinds your eyes to your own mistakes, and blames those below when you make a mess of things? Is it a resentment because even though you have international recognition, it is not enough. It was three days of ridicule from a talented man who is destroyed by his own complexes, and spoiled by those who do not help him understand human nature, and personal responsibility, but tell him what he wants to hear - ‘Yes Maestro - they are shocking - it could not possibly be your fault’ when he gives no cues, no hint of what he is beating where, no chance to ask what is happening. Of course the tap can be turned on or off - one minute anger, the next charm. But who am I to criticise such a great musician? I’ll just keep practicing my triangle and one day I’ll get there....

Do what I say - don't do what I say

It never ceases to amaze me how a conductor can look for something then when he gets it make out the musician is destroying what was there already. They do not even know they are doing it! Any conductor reading this will, I have no doubt think 'well, that's not me anyway'. But are you sure??

Again today the old - 'play exactly with the beat' thing. But then when someone plays with the beat, it becomes - 'you are rushing - you must feel it'. Is there any solution to this problem? Watching and listening are two such different things, and we all do both.

With the Beat or Listen?

We had a concert this week with a conductor who rehearsed very little, yet seemed to achieve a result that surpassed many other concerts that were much more rehearsed. He was chrystal clear in his beat. This seems a simple matter but it’s amazing how often you just cannot tell by looking up what the conductors want or where to play. Problems just did not seem to arise. Everyone was free to play their best. 

So many conductors these days seem to think ‘play exactly on the beat’, yet the beat is unclear and musicians judge it differently. Some will try and spot that point that is ‘the beat’, others want to be sure and play more safely, and play after they know the beat has happened. Of course we listen to each other but therein lies the danger - if you listen you are late - you are reacting. Somebody has to have the courage to play. 

It was great to see a good balance between slavish playing with the conductor and the fear of being early which leads to a 3/4 second delay, depending where you are sitting. How together will that be?