OXFORD CONDUCTING INSTITUTE

CONDUCTING STUDIES CONFERENCE 2016

24-26 JUNE, ST ANNE’S COLLEGE,

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING, A REALITY CHECK: WHAT DO PRACTITIONERS SAY?

David Baltuch, PhD

d.baltuch@skynet.be

Abstract

A challenging aspect of the art of conducting is the absence of a clear chain of causality: what
exactly, in the orchestral playing, is the result of the conductor’s input? Consequently, research
about this art bears the risk of being a mere academic speculation, if intellectually appealing. In
my doctoral thesis devoted to orchestral conducting, I compare the opinions of respected
pedagogues, leading conductors and expert orchestra players about this art, using two models that
I have developed in order to facilitate this comparison: The Visible Action Continuum and The
Thematic String Matrix. These models aim to categorize the numerous topics that the
abovementioned practitioners address, including most themes that this conference focuses on
(pedagogy, leadership, verbal and non-verbal communication, rehearsal strategies, etc.). After a
brief presentation of my models, I shall discuss the practitioners’ opinions about some of these
themes. By centering on the practitioners’ opinions, I aim to provide a framework of thinking,
some sort of reality check, rooted in their experience as practitioners, that may inform our future
approach to orchestral conducting and, on these grounds, open paths for further research.

A challenging aspect in the study of orchestral conducting is the absence of a clear chain of causality
between the conductor’s gesture and the orchestral sound : what exactly, in a symphonic performance, is the
result of the conductor’s input? Number of scholars have raised this question and developed methodologies
to try and answer it, including scientific experiments and interviews. These studies inform us about important
aspects of the orchestral phenomenon. However, as far as methodology is concerned, how much does the
interview format allow the interviewees to express what constitutes for them the essence of this art, and to
what extent do these interviewees validly represent the entire conducting profession? How likely are the
abovementioned experiments to explain real life situations? In her doctoral dissertation (precisely in her
Chapter Eight, entitled ‘Biggest Lessons’), Theresa Marin Nakra, as a recognized expert in music
technology, expounds the issue of the orchestral sound mapping the conductor’s movements. Regardless of
the ‘objective’ recording of both gestures and sound provided by her electronic devices, she stated: “it is the
audience that ultimately decides if a mapping ‘works’ or not. If the audience is confused about the
relationship between the gesture and the music, then the mapping does not work”. Her conclusion raises two
questions: the impact of the conductor's gesture on the orchestral sound and our ability to perceive it.

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In my recent doctoral dissertation, I have decided to study the orchestral phenomenon by analysing
practitioners' testimonies about this art. However, it is easier said than done: which practitioners, what kind
of testimonies, and how to analyse them? I studied three main sources: 6 recognised conducting manuals, 58
testimonies provided by world-class conductors, and 50 testimonies shared by expert orchestra players. Due
to time constraints, I shall not delve into the rationale that guided me in the selection of my sources. I shall,
however, develop quite substantially the two main tools I have empirically derived from my readings in order
to analyse the wealth of data drawn from the testimonies, The Visible Action Continuum and The Thematic
String Matrix. The essence of my research consists in a comparison between points of views and in a
constant reshuffling of the data between the Continuum and the Matrix in order to provide different cognitive
environments and encourage different discussions.

Fig. 1
The Visible Action Continuum

The Visible Action Continuum rests on the premise that not all that conductors do is visible to us, either
because we are not present when they do it (score analysis or physical exercise), or because what they do is
not visible at all (mentally processing the orchestral sound, activating their inner hearing, or comparing the
one to the other), or yet because what they do is barely visible and reaches us mostly subliminally (subtle
facial expressions, eye gaze or muscular tension). The Visible Action Continuum divides into six points,
unfolding from Being, Knowledge and Preparation to Aptitude, Attitude, and “Action”. Whereas no action is
required, for example, in being charismatic (whatever this term may encapsulate), knowledge assumes the
previous action necessary to acquire it (for instance having learnt to play an instrument resulting in knowing
how to play it), preparation is by itself an action (bowing the string parts or playing the score on the piano)
but most of the time we do not see these actions. Aptitude enters the realm of visibility as it designates
potential skills that the conducting profession may require (for example organisational skills or absolute
pitch). We do not see these aptitudes per se but we may infer them when the conductor activates them. The
conductor’s attitude (friendliness, authority, respectfulness) are visible through corporeal indicators such as
facial expressions and bodily responses. Finally, actions are the most visible aspects of the conductor’s art

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(for example beating time or cueing in instruments), but not necessarily the ones on which the practitioners
comment the most.

Fig. 2
The Thematic Strings Matrix

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The Thematic Strings Matrix organises the data derived from the practitioners’ testimonies regardless of their
degree of visibility to the external observer but according to their intrinsic nature. Musical material refers to
the row material in the hands of the conductor. The Conductor’s self focuses on matters concerning the
conductor as a person. The conductor’s Knowledge and Interaction with the orchestra are fairly self-
explanatory. General interaction addresses the way conductors interact with the wider world. Distant horizon
explores further territories, which I shall describe later. Each of these strings harbors several themes.

The first string analyses topics related to the composer (their personality, life and style), to the score (choice
of edition or personal annotation style), to the orchestral sound (the balance between sections, the tone colour
of the instruments), and finally whatever lies behind the notes (joyfulness, sadness, liveliness) which I
termed Spirit of the music rather than Meaning of the music so as to avoid the controversial discussion about
musical meaning. The second string deals with the conductor's self: his or her inner state (how conductors
think about themselves or conceive of their role), their mental construct (for example their mental image of
the music, be it structural memory or inner sound), their relation to the self (their self-evaluative capabilities
or the demand they put on themselves), the way in which they work with themselves (musicological
research, playing or not the score on the piano, listening or not to other conductors’ readings), their personal
physicality (rehearsing their gestural discourse or raising their bodily consciousness), and finally their
personal evolution (how they see themselves evolve over time, and which factors may favour this evolution).
The third string addresses the conductor's musical knowledge, be it their expertise regarding instruments
(knowing the history and characteristics of the orchestral instruments or actively playing one), their ensemble
experience (whether as orchestra players, choristers or members of chamber music groups), their
compositional training (actively composing or knowing about composition), their historical knowledge
(music history, performance practice or compositional styles), and the miscellaneous category of “other
knowledge” (such as the conductor's ability to audition and select players or to assess the acoustics of a
concert hall).

The fourth string centers on the conductors' interaction with the orchestra, be it on a relational and
pedagogical register, or within the more formal realms of their common work (rehearsal technique, time
management, clarity of delivery). The next string deals with the conductor's general communicational
abilities, psychological skills and aptitude for leadership. As mentioned earlier, the sixth and last string
analyses what I called the conductor's Distant horizons, comprising their attunement to their time (whether in
terms of public taste or technological novelties), and their vision of the wider world (their political or
religious views, or their philosophical stance). Admittedly, this string partakes in the conductors’ persona
rather than their conducting proficiency but may, nonetheless, affect their music making, if only by the
subtext that the orchestra may attach to their gestural discourse, or by the players’ awareness of the
conductor's artistic standards and expectations or, yet, by the players' construction of their own musical
expectations towards the conductor. The last two themes analyse topics that I could not house in any previous

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string. From Ethics to Style refers to the impact that the conductors' work ethics may bear on their music
making (for example their idea of authenticity, whether historical or artistic, or the acceptance – or refusal –
of established traditions and norms). Adaptation refers to aspects such as the conductor's adaptation to the
acoustics of the concert hall, to the work habits of the orchestra, to the musical conceptions of the soloists, or
to the public taste.

What can we learn from the Continuum and the Matrix? As suggested by Figure 3, conducting manuals
comment most on the conductor's Attitude. This may seem paradoxical, given the number of pages that
manuals generally devote to beat patterns, which clearly refer to Actions. However, the ideas that the authors
develop in their manuals revolve primarily around Attitude, be it the conductor's attitude towards the
orchestra, the composer, the audience, or towards themselves.

Fig. 3
The Visible Action Continuum: Manuals

Figure 4 shows the same testimonies seen through the Matrix, and offers a complimentary perspective. Here,
the conductor's physicality is prominent and goes in line with the received idea of the conducting textbook.
Topics concerning the conductor's attitude shown on the Continuum are spread here between their relation to
the composer, to the self, or to the orchestra. It may also seem surprising that conducting manuals address all
the themes of the Matrix, including the most remotely connected to conducting, such as the conductors'
relation to the wider world or their attunement to their time.

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 Fig. 4
The Thematic String Matrix: Manuals

The difference between manuals and conductors is remarkable, as suggested by Figure 5. Whereas Attitude
remains an important element, the conductor's Aptitude seems to be their main focus, whether in terms of
musical aspects (absolute pitch or good memory), communication (with the orchestra or the wider world), or

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leadership. Conductors comment very little on what they physically do, for various possible reasons: they
may not be fully aware of their actions while conducting or may consider this aspect unimportant compared
to other aspects of their art. They comment much more about who they are as persons.

Fig. 5
The Visible Action Continuum: Conductors

Figure 6 displays again a notable difference between manuals and conductors. Inner State, referring to what
happens in the conductor's mind is the most developed theme. Physicality, which was the most important
theme for manuals, is number seven for conductors. The next three themes, however, Relation with the
Orchestra, Work with the Orchestra and Work with Oneself, respectively number two, four and three for
manuals, are number two, three and four in the conductors' testimonies. Interestingly, Figure 4 shows that
conductors comment substantially more on their work with the orchestra than on the work with themselves,
whereas manuals balance those themes fairly well. It is also worth noting the stress conductors put on the
wider world (including comments about politics, society, audience and media) and on the composer.

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 Fig. 6
The Thematic String Matrix: Conductors

Like manuals, players comment extensively on Attitude, mostly on the conductor's attitude towards the
orchestra. However, Figure 7 shows a great difference between the first three points of the continuum (out of
the realm of visibility) and the last three points, (entering the realm of visibility). The tendency for players to
comment most about what they see, and much less about what they may infer, is a consistent trait in their
testimonies, clearly prioritising practicality over speculations. Players and manuals develop the same main
themes: Relation with the Orchestra, Work with the Orchestra, and Personal Physicality.

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 Fig. 7
The Visible Action Continuum: Players

However, as suggested by Figure 8, players comment much more on the conductors' intercourse with the
orchestra than on their physicality. They also highlight the conductors' Inner State. Manuals and players
develop substantially four main themes, whereas conductors address to a similar degree many more aspects
of this art, possibly suggesting a more composite image of the phenomenon.

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 Fig. 8
The Thematic String Matrix: Players

So far, I have discussed hyper-structures (strings and themes) rather than the precise topics the practitioners
address. These hyper-structures are indicative of the way sources go about the subject rather than clearly
stating what they say about it. As I discovered, sources rarely contradict each other. Rather, they complement
one another. For example, they all agree on the importance of conducting technique, but the adjectives
describing this topic vary from precise and economical to beautiful, expressive or organic. Similarly, the

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relationship conductors develop, or are expected to develop, with the composer are described as obedience,
respect, identification, advocacy, humility, faithfulness and self-effacement, all of which may affect, ever so
slightly, the way conductors approach their art, which, in turn, may impact their musical output.

For each main source (manuals, conductors and players), I identified, on a statistical basis, ten golden rules,
which I called “key topics”. Only two of these key topics are common to all three sources and are expressed
in slightly different terms by each source. They concern the proficiency of the conductors' baton technique
and the efficiency of their rehearsal strategies. This seems in line with sheer common sense, and in a way it is
reassuring. However, seven of the manuals' key topics, and two of the conductors' key topics do not belong
to their respective top themes. Only players' ten key topics do. It seems, thus, that punctual and overall
agendas do not perfectly synchronize, possibly indicating that practitioners’ testimonies about orchestral
conducting may have some way to go in terms of conceptual consistency.

As a way to conclude, it may be pertinent to inquire how to best use my findings, where to proceed from
here, and why should the subject matter at all. My research aimed to approach the orchestral phenomenon in
a holistic way, and yet with some degree of detail. It may provide a frame of reference for more focused
studies, helping future researchers to keep in sight the entire picture of this gestalt profession when delving,
from up close, into smaller sections of it. Pedagogues may also benefit from this research when educating
young conductors, adapting their priorities and shaping their methods in accordance with testimonies shared
by expert practitioners. Orchestra boards may sharpen their criteria when choosing new conductors or music
directors, keeping in mind the players' expectations and the legacy of previous maestros. Further research
may test my categories, challenging or expanding them, or trying to validate them scientifically. Finally, if
our past and future symphonic repertoire matters to us, this research may modestly contribute to designing
the profile of excellence for the next generations of conductors, possibly inducing new rehearsal and
performance styles, and, with the help of future composers, elicit new sound worlds and renew our
symphonic experience.

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