Conducting Musical Styles Overview A competent conductor must do more than beat time. He or she must interpret the music, reflecting in gesture the style, expression, and dynamics of the score. The basic thesis of this chapter is that the con- ductor should retain the standard beat patterns for the sake of clarity but imbue them with expressive qualities by modifying the connecting gestures between beats ‘STYLES OF BEATING ‘COMPETENCY 8 Demonstrate styles of beating, Including the logato, staccato, ‘marcato, tenuto, and neutral nonexpressive) bea styles You must “look like” the music to communicate its expression and meaning to your ensemble. Since the beat is but a point in time, as a snap of the fingers at beat points, you can achieve style and expression only by changing the character ‘of your gestures between the beats. You may, for example, change the connection ‘or disconnection, length, intensity, lightness or heaviness, position, and level of your beating, These gestures in combination can portray the style of the music: legato, staccato, marcato, fenuto, and neutral Instruction Legato Legato is a smooth, sustained, connected style, You conduct it with flow- ing, curved gestures that connect the points of beat in the meter pattern. Move the baton slowly between beats with appropriate length and tension for the music being performed. Although the baton's movements are connected and smooth, use @ subtle fick ofthe wrist to define the exact point of beat Staccato Staccato is a detached, distinct style, usually indicated by a staccato ‘mark (dot) above each shortened note. To achieve this separation in conducting, you should flick the baton quickly from heat to beat in relatively straight lines, stopping momentarily on each count. The staccato beat is usually light in charac- ter: You can depict lightness by beating a small pattern with the wrist only with- ‘out tension, with little rebound, and ata high level. Some staccato passages are heavier and fuller in quality. Conduet louder, more vigorous staccato music using larger pattems, with more weight and rebound, while separating each count.Conducting Technique Marcato Marcato is also a separated style (literally “marked"), but itis heavier, louder, and stressed more than staccato. A series of accent marks (>) usually indi. cates marcato passages. Beata larger pattern on a lower plane, with heaviness and teasion, Hamner weight into it without much rebound. The degree of separation will dopend on the musical context Tenuto Tenuto isa style characterized by the stretching of beats for emphasis rather than by dynamic accentuation. A series of tenuto marks—that is, aline over each note—can signily the tent style, although the marks have erroneously ‘come to be seen as signifying legato. Conduct with smoothness, intensity, weight, and slow movement between beats to stretch the notes. The true fenuto style, as contrasted with the connected legato, requires a slight separation of beats. The notes are unaecented and fully sustained with tension, yet they are slightly detached. Conduct this separation with a small, subtle fick ofthe baton. Neutral The neutral or passive style lacks expressive quality and intensity. Conduct short, straight, connected lines without forearm tension to define the meter patter. This nonexpressive beat is effective for neutral backgrounds, where the important job of the conductor isto maintain precision in the accompaniment. Passive gestures are also used to-mark time during tutti rests, since no response is desired from per- formers. An active preparation atthe end of such periods signals the resumption of the musi, Ina similar way, you should use neutral gestures for any extra, preliminary counts that may precede a preparatory beat to guard against premature entrances, Conducting Activities 1. Practice the five basic styles of beating, using the appropriate preparatory gesture for each, Check your style patterns and preparations in the mirror, 2. Have your colleagues play or sing quarter notes on a predetermined pitch as yor conduct the sles ee if they ean read your stick, Do not sho them the music or tell them what you are conducting. Vary the order of the styles you beat. Remember, your preparation must indicate the style prior to attack. Figure 6-1 shows you how to notate the styles for this quarter-note drill 3. Prepare Excerpts 6-1 through 6-9 in Part III and the following excerpts from earlier chapters that exemplify the various styles: legato, 32, 3-8, 3-11, 45,5-7; staccato, 2-9, 2-10, 43; mareato, 2-5, 2-4, 8-1; tenuto, 2-4; and combinations, 5-1, M-5, Work to incorporate conducting styles as required by the musi. PL Vedeeiddedlededidedel Peeeliddedldesel sedel Bided died Lee feed Quarter Note Style CheckConducting Musical Styles a ‘SELF-CHECK MASTERY TEST 1, Conduct Excerpts 6-1 through 6.9 and other excerpts as requested by the instructor, Videorecord your class performance 2. Utilize the appropriate style pattern(s) for each composition, ‘8. Rate your video performance with the following checklist. CONDUCTING STYLES —— Preparatory beat clearly indicates style to follow —— Appropriate style(s) used and executed: —— Legato Comments Staccato Comments —— Marcato Comments —— Tenuto Comments Neutral (Nonexpressive} Comments ——— Musicians respond with requested styleConducting Musical Style 6-1 Trawersinfonie on Themes by C. M. von Weber BR, Wacwen A beautiful transeription from Weber's Euryanthe Overture demands expressive phrasing in legato style, The first phrase should intensify up to the accented notes atthe apes. Conduet stretched, separated Tenutar (m4) to give the expressive “uft- pause” effect, The erescendo and auance (mm LO andl 11) also require special attention with le-hand indications, Practice! Andante maestoso tendConducting Musical Style 161 6.2 Symphony no. 94, second movement J-Hww CCondiet this excerpt in four, using the standard four pattern. Stop on each count of the staceato beats, Stretch the tenuto by se ‘combining counts three and four, meld them together into ane gesture, Prepare the subito-fotisima “surprise” (av 16) with a sudden, aggressive upswing on count two, _ Andante (ind) den:162 6. Symphony no. 101, fist movement Musical Exoorpte J. Haw Because ofthe fast tempo, conduct dead-live, one-two prepasatory beats in plano-staceato style. Give the accents as subtle ‘emphases in the context ofthe piano dynamic level. PrestoConducting Musical Style 163 6-4 Symphony no. 5, Finale D, Suostaxovicnt Use your let hand to bring up the evecendo, Conduct a heavy marcato in & non troppo, nottoo-as. tempo, Cue the topline (om 6 beat 4). Gradually speed up the lst four measures. See Chapter 11, Accdorando. i Allegro non troppo(# = §8) 49m Pee St oF Sr FO oe 2 pry ‘abeel, poco a poco164 Musical Excerpts 65 LiArlésionne Suite no, 2, "Intermezzo" C. Baer 4 good study in contrasts, Begin with «heavy marcato; think of putting bully weigh into your bet. Signal subto plans in ‘he rest ) with your left hand, and use your left band to conduct the nnances and reinforce the legato spe. Signal the subi. fortis marcato on the upswing with mach am weight (a8) Be prepared forthe sudden slwgritenuto at the end Andante moderato Pp ——— we PP — —Conducting Musical Style | fF Sf 165166 Musical Excerpts 6-6 Emperote Overture ©. Sum (Conduct dead-three ive-four preparatory beats in fast tempo, marcato syle. This marcato needs separation in true march syle. Allegro Copyright © 1964 by Winger-Jones Music, Ine. Used by Permission,Conducting Musical Stylo 167 6-7 Prolude in E-flat Minor D, Suostaxovicn rT Conduct this excerpt in a slow thee, tenito se. Stretch the counts, Prepare the subi forte (a7) with an aggressive upswig 2 r the offoeat ofthe preceding fourth count (m 6); us left-hand and rightshand intensity to crescendo (m 8) and teat the accent v marks as exaggerated tenuto indications —beayy, stretched, and separated m 9). Careflly gauge the dimsnuendo to the ending r Adagio 4-63 (conduct tonuto style) wapressivo168 Musical Exconpts 68 “In These Delightful, Pleasant Groves” 1H, Poncent se a two-count, dead-tve prep for this fast taceato tempo. Your left hand can indicate subito and gradual dynamic changes as the music bounces slang. Refer to Chapter 8, ubido contrasts. Allegro, sempre staccato ‘these de-light-ful, pleas ant groves, In these de- Tin bt-ful, pleas - ant these de-light-ful, pleas ~ant these de-light-fl, pleas - ant i SS ‘these de-Light-ful, these de-light-ful, pleas ‘mf In these de-light-ful, pleas -ant groves, In theve de-light-ful, pleas - ant a eresc. poco & poco groves, Lat us cel-e-brate, let_us cel e-brate, Jet us cel-e-brate our hap-py, hap-py eres. poco a poco col-e-brate, let us ‘eroves, Let us cel-e-brate, let us hhap-py, hap-py P ‘erese, poco a Let us esl-e-brata, lotus vel -e-brate, lot us "orPse. poco a poco groves, Let us eol-e-brate, let us cel-e-brate, let us esl-e-brate our hap-py, hap-py crese. poco apocoi Conducting Musical Style 169 1 P = 4, ~ In those do-light-ful, these de-light-ful P Jn these de-light-ful, these de-light-fal pleas ~ ant T 2, In these de-light-ful, ‘these de-light-ful pleas - ant these de-light-ful_ pleas - ant crese, poco a poco SS ee hap-py, hap-py loves, = : 7 ‘groves, Lats cel-e-brate, let us cel-e-brate, let us ‘erese, poco a poco SS SS roves, Lotus eel-e-brate, let us _col-e-brate, let us celebrate our Teves - " ese, poco a poco oe felon sse= =e ; selre-bate et un eal lowes , pbs Baas ftpopoect tat - r roves, Letus cel-e-brate let ut celebrate et un cl-e-brate our loves,are ‘Musical Exerpee 69 Dido and Aeneas, “Great Minds Against Themselves Conspire” HL Purceu Conduct marcato until the soft imitative passage begins (m7, beat 2). Here, use your left hand to signal the sudden, soft ‘dynamic and beat ina light, somewshat detached styl, Cue with eyes and head nod (mm 7-8), See Chapter 8, Head ove nerease intensity (m 11) to the ending. Andante maestoso > WS, tf Great minds minds,Conducting Musical Style OT 9 Z most de - sire; ‘and shun the cure they most de - sire— they" most de - sire - orese, cure, the eure, and shun the cure they most de- sire, the reac. most de- sire; P