This was an unrehearsed run, made on the basis of having heard other people conducting the piece in the previous days. So, in point of fact, this was very similar task to that we posited for the class in 2024 and 2025.
The purpose here was, as with all my demonstrations, to show that it is possible to achieve more, not through instructing the orchestra verbally but just through better technique. To be precise, to show:
- That gesture does not need to be perfect
- It needs to contain information,
- It needs to be understood,
- It needs to be connected both to the musical content and the sound;
- That if we meet those conditions, we will be able to get music in the room and work with it.
If we cannot do this with gesture, no amount of rehearsal time will achieve the right outcome. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the key to effective conducting is therefore to learn these skills first. Only once they have been mastered does rehearsal time actually open the door to results which are significantly better. Failing that technical capacity, all rehearsal time achieves is to de-calibrate musicians by establishing a relationship based on flawed gestural premises. It is therefore a process which can never result in real artistry.
For the 2026 class, I thought it might be helpful to provide some thoughts about the process in this particular instance, which are available below for logged-in members.
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