If the Baton Sounded....

Author: JULIO LANUZA GRACIA, Conductor

The figure of the Conductor appears as a real need when the number and variety of instruments grew. He was necessary to unite the players´ willings.

We don't know how the conducting was in the ancient times, though it is sure -common sense- that someone made this function. The Bible speaks of groups formed by singers, flutes, harps, drums, etc. In the eighteenth century we know, at last, how they conducted. But, what an upset!. The conductor beat the floor with a big stick and the musicians "followed" him. We will agree that this way of conducting was grotesque and it lacked of musical feeling.

Luckily, things have changed a lot of time ago. Today we have a wonderful language without words to be understood from the very first moment by the players: THE TECHNIQUE OF CONDUCTING!!!!

THE TECHNIQUE is the sum of gestures and attitudes the Conductor uses to transmit his will with clearness and accuracy to any kind of musical ensemble. The technical performance concerns almost exclusively the conductors´ arms. THE TECHNIQUE, by definition, is against any kind of theatrical and useless gestures, often very appreciated by the public, mostly ignorant, and by the critics who call "expressive conducting" the clownish pantomime made by the wrongly named "conductors".

In this sense, it goes in opposition to the clearness, and in consequence to the technique: to beat bars or measures before the music begins ( a horrid substitute of the real anacrusis); not to draw clearly the lines of the bar; to beat down the music-stand; to lean to indicate piano and to hide for the pianissimo; to kick the floor when the tempo slows down or goes faster; to jump; to practice fencing with the baton; to beat only up and down as if all the music were written in two parts; to play a "baton solo"; to beat legato when the music is staccato or vice versa; to subdivide when it is not necessary and not to do it when it is compulsory; to beat a tender carol with a huge gesture as if it were the Valkyries´ ride...; in fact, to beat with a gesture that is unaesthetical. We can not forget that one of the most important virtues of the Conductor is the elegance.

This, undoubtedly very hard and pitiless, opinions are the result of meditated reflections of the absolutely spartanic discipline acquired from my Maestro and friend FRANCISCO GARCÍA NIETO in the Royal Conservatory of Madrid. I want from here to state my thanks and little homage to his wonderful wisdom.

But THE TECHNIQUE is not the only thing; that is why I want to expose two premises Maestro GARCÍA NIETO repeated hundreds of times:

TO BE A GOOD CONDUCTOR IS COMPULSORY TO BE A GOOD MUSICIAN, BUT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH, IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE A PERFECT TECHNIQUE.

It is well known that great composers have failed when conducting a choir or an orchestra and they have even got lost in their own music.

THE TECHNIQUE must be always at the Music's service; this is the difference between a real Conductor and a simple "beater".

To finish this article I propose several reflections:

- Do you think that a lot of gestures, mostly useless, have a positive effect on the performance?

- Don't forget that a real Conductor gives always a sensation of harmony and balance that, undoubtedly, is reflected in the ensemble by terms of assurance and aplomb.

- TECHNIQUE is a synonym of CLEARNESS.

I hope that someone among you will agree with me or, at least, this opinions make you think about the difficult art of Conducting. I assure you that I can easily demonstrate what I say.

I finish saying: IF THE BATON SOUNDED....

This article has been written by JULIO LANUZA, Conductor. He gives courses of Technique for Conductors. He would like to know your opinions about this subject. Please contact in this email: szabaco@lander.es