THE ORCHESTRA - THE CONDUCTOR’S INSTRUMENT

     “Is he going to beat her up after she stops singing” asked Dennis the menace, seeing a conductor waving his arms frantically while directing an opera singer and the orchestra.

     Conductors have different ways of directing an orchestra, some are very active and use their whole body to conduct, and some are very quiet with minimal movement. 

     Given that every single member of an orchestra is an accomplished musician who wouldn’t find a place in the orchestra if they didn’t reach the highest standards of proficiency in their instrument ... so, a question an audience often asks itself is, what on earth does the conductor do and why do they need someone to direct them and wave their arms at them like a traffic cops? 

     The answer is: The orchestra is the instrument of the conductor. Just as the instrumentalists in the orchestra are masters at their instruments and play their instrument with mastery. The conductor plays the orchestra as an instrument and is the master of the orchestra.

     An interesting aside - most orchestra’s are known by their name, Like the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra or the Berlin Philharmonic or the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, or London Symphony Orchestra, except in India, where if an orchestra, let’s say, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, visits to play, and if Zubin Mehta is the conductor, then nobody knows the name of the orchestra, they only know that Zubin Mehta played here. The name of the orchestra that he conducted is not remembered. And though, the way Indians see it is not exactly the right way to view an orchestra or a conductor, especially as it is in the case of Zubin Mehta, to most Indians, the conductor is inadvertently, but correctly, known to play an orchestra. 

HARMONY, BALANCE, CONCORD AND SYNCHRONICITY

     Music for orchestras is written in the language of musical notation in the form of sheet music called the score, and the musical score is arranged so that all the several different instruments, voices and instrument-groups play their different written parts to blend harmoniously together. 

     Orchestration is all about harmony, balance, concord and synchronisation. All the instruments in an orchestra harmonise; i.e. they play different but compatible notes that sound good when played at the same time. So, the string section of the orchestra, the first violins, second violins, violas and cello’s play different but complementary notes to produce a harmonised melody. This applies to each section, woodwinds and brass too. And, each section harmonises with each other in a balanced synchronization, entering and exiting at different times to add to the colours and textures of the musical work in accordance with the tonal quality of the group of instruments. This is done in precise coordination and consonance with the rhythm and overall musical conception that has been written by the composer who like a painter, uses a whole pallet of colours, tones and textures through various instruments in the creation of a musical work of art.

THE CONDUCTOR IS THE MUSICAL DIRECTOR  

     Each of the musicians in a big band or orchestra are competent musicians who are expert on their individual instruments, but the conductor or musical director knows every part in the entire score intimately and also has a basic knowledge of every instrument.

     By waving her/his baton and appearing to be a musical traffic director during a concert, the conductor showcases the proficiency of the whole orchestra.   

     The Conductor or Director of music of a music group or orchestra is more than a baton waving time keeper to the musicians. The conductor is a guide, controller and custodian of the music.

     A good conductor has a vision of a piece, and interprets musical works, exposing the artistic quality and distinct features of the music in an insightful and often moving way, contributing to the overall "voice" of the orchestra.

      The conductor leads the orchestra or band through rehearsals and prepares the musical ensemble for public presentations. During rehearsals, the director communicates his/her vision of the piece to the musicians and breathes life into the score, by shaping the whole conception of the music by demonstrating and verbally describing what exactly they need orchestra members to do to get a specific sound or feeling, and by tweaking the structure to create orchestral balance. The conductor rehearses the ensemble by executing specific arm movements to convey the mood of the music.

     The conductor aids the musicians with arm movements, communicating with the musicians in real-time, often with gestures and facial expressions; beginning the piece, cueing musicians and providing tempo reminders and indicating dynamics so they make their entries and exits and go soft and loud at the right time. 

    The way orchestras perform depends on the conducting style, and that’s why the same musical work often sound quite different under different conductors. 
Some conductors in performance are vigorous in their movements and some seem to hint minimally at what is expected of the orchestra. Some conductors allow the orchestra to lead itself and seem to listen and enjoy the music as it emerges. They are facilitators. Some move their hands artistically as if giving shape to the output of the orchestra, guiding rather than commanding. Generally, good conductors allow the musicians - the orchestra, to do what they do best i.e. play. 

     We’ll close with a humorous, yet to my mind, cynical quote from Thomas Beecham, the English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras ~ “There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn’t give a damn what goes on in between.”