The Silent Musician
Why Conducting Matters
Mark Wigglesworth
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- A good conductor unifies and inspires a large group of people for exactly the same set of reasons that any other leader does. Retaining one’s own responsibility for decision-making while creating a rewarding collective sense of collaboration might not be an exact science, but few would disagree that such a combination is the goal of contemporary leadership in pretty much any field.May 25 2024 5:25PM
- And away from a scientific context, the most common non-musical meaning of the verb ‘to conduct’ is well understood. An usher conducting you to your seat will most likely walk alongside you, probably just a shade in front, but as much accompanying you as leading you. And the amount of guidance you receive will depend as much on you as on the person who is conducting you. The usher is undoubtedly in charge, but not by much.May 25 2024 5:43PM
- As a seven- or eight-year-old, I was far too young to articulate any more than that, but the need for orchestral music to be coaxed and controlled, driven and steered, is one of the reasons it is a good idea to have one individual in charge. Musicians are perfectly capable of doing these things on their own, of course, but with large groups it is almost impossible to reach a unanimous opinion about the detailed route the music should take. A conductor’s responsibility is to create such unanimity – to make sure that every player is able to be part of the same performance.May 25 2024 5:46PM
- Composers define the sound, to a certain extent, but it’s not their role to restrict the imagination of those who play or hear it. Quite the opposite in fact. Every melody sings, every rhythm dances, every structure tells a story – but precisely what those songs, dances, and stories are is up to the performers.May 25 2024 5:47PM
- Music has to sound together, but it has to be emotionally co-ordinated as well. I think it is impossible to achieve one without the other. Performances require unity of expression as well as of execution. Music should feel free, but it also has to sound intentional. Especially classical music. Every note is a consequence of the one that precedes it, and is given meaning by the one that comes next. There is an intention behind every sound, an intention that – in an overarching orchestral sense – is led by the conductor.May 25 2024 5:47PM
- Yet a skill to convince an orchestra goes only so far. The musicians need to be able to express themselves as well. This is why it is so inappropriate to read about the players performing ‘under’ a particular conductor. The phrase implies downtrodden musicians, and probably the music too, being ‘beaten’ into submission. Such a relationship can never result in music-making that reveals more than the limit of one individual’s experience. Conductors have to put their personality into the orchestra.May 29 2024 6:44AM
- Maybe not. Perhaps there’s a danger in overthinking things, and I suspect in any walk of life the most successful people don’t waste time analysing their challenges or accomplishments. In the end, it is the most natural who are the most believable.May 29 2024 6:44AM