“The conductor must see and hear, be resourceful and energetic, must know the nature and possibilities of instruments… The performers must feel that he feels, understands and is touched. His inner fire warms them, his enthusiasm carries them, he exudes the energy of music.
Hector Berlioz”
“Hector Berlioz in his essay The Art of Conducting states that among all artists, the composer is the only one who depends on intermediaries between him and the audience, in whose power it is to bring the work to brilliant success or destroy it. One of those intermediaries is the conductor, the one who directs the orchestra or choir (Latin dirigere – to direct, guide), responsible for the most faithful interpretation of the work. He directs the performers, determines the rhythm, volume, coordinates their playing, gives preference to one instrument over another, like a sculptor whose medium of work is music instead of stone.”
“History of Conducting”
“The earliest known form of conducting can already be found among the Egyptians and ancient peoples. Singers and musicians In ancient times, usually in temples, the conductor, known as the “heironom” (hand-turner), led using his hands and fingers to shape and guide the melody. This early form of conducting was preserved until the Middle Ages within the context of church monophonic music. After that, a type of stick was introduced, which the designated performer would move according to the rhythm of the music, and this became the precursor to the future conductor’s baton.
During the Baroque period, one of the performers, usually the first violinist, would also serve as the director of the performance, determining the rhythm. They would use the bow to conduct, or move the neck of their instrument, or in the case of a harpist or harpsichordist, direct the singers.
At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a significant expansion of the orchestra, which until then had an average of about thirty performers. More instruments were introduced, and it became necessary to control the performances. The first conductors appeared, who were not also performers, and they followed the performance from a raised podium, using a conductor’s baton. This is the century in which philharmonics and large orchestras are formed, which, in addition to playing in theaters and operas, begin to independently perform instrumental works by composers.
The first conductors were mainly composers. The most famous in this dual role were: Carl Maria von Weber, Felix Mendelssohn, and Franz Liszt.
The technique of conducting was first theoretically developed and described by composers, who were also conductors, Hector Berlioz and Richard Wagner. Their essays on the art of conducting give importance to the role of the conductor as someone who creates their interpretation of the work, who is not just a “metronome” or a time driver. Their work was the beginning of the style of orchestral performances, and Wagner’s theories changed a number of key points in performances, such as tempo, dynamics, or the role of the first violin in the orchestra.
These were the beginnings of modern conducting, which in the 20th century also developed its own sign language for communication between the conductor and the performers.
However, regardless of the rules, conducting remains the heart The essence of free communication with performers is that there are no absolute rules on how to conduct correctly. The conductor must establish a relationship with the performers and the work itself, and create a harmonious whole.
Conducting is largely the result of heritage and tradition, a technique that is passed down from teacher to student, and to which a touch of magic needs to be added to bring us closer to the true nature of the written work.
Arturo Toscanini, one of the greatest conductors of his time, is still a leading figure in classical music sixty years after his death. He was simply called Maestro. He was a student of Verdi, the successor of the great Italian school of musical interpretation.
He was born in Italy in 1867, and at the age of nine he began playing the cello, fascinated by the instrument and classical music. At the age of fourteen, he played in the opera orchestra of his hometown of Parma. As he delved into the music world, he learned to play the piano, violin, sing, compose, organize, and lead groups of performers. He was known for his remarkable photographic memory of musical notes and extraordinary ability to concentrate.
At the age of eighteen, he finished conservatory and became a member of a traveling Italian orchestra as the principal cellist. The following year, he traveled with them on a tour to Brazil. This journey would be a turning point in his further career.
During a performance of Verdi’s Aida in Rio de Janeiro, the previous conductor unexpectedly left the stage. Toscanini was asked by the members of the orchestra to take over the leadership because he was already known for memorizing entire works they performed. He accepted the task without prior preparation and thus had his conducting debut at the age of nineteen, conducting all twelve operas in 26 performances until the end of the tour.
Word of his talent quickly spread, and Toscanini became a sought-after opera conductor in Italy, landing a position at Milan’s La Scala. He completely replaced the cello with a conductor’s baton.
In the following years, he performed and led He desired to perform on all the world’s stages, from the Milan’s La Scala to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and conducted famous opera and symphony orchestras worldwide.
In the 1930s, he retreated from Europe to North America due to the rise of fascism, refusing engagements and invitations from Mussolini and Hitler.
In the last seventeen years of his life, he led NBC’s symphony orchestra in New York.
He had an exceptional ability to balance the entire orchestra, a strong musical intuition, and an ear for details. On one occasion during a rehearsal, feeling that the performance of a certain piece was too heavy, he tried to vividly demonstrate how to achieve lightness in the execution. He took out a silk handkerchief from his pocket and tossed it into the air. The whole orchestra silently watched as the handkerchief gently fell to the ground. After witnessing that, they played that part exactly as Toscanini had envisioned.
In a time when conductors adjusted works to their own personalities and desires, with even composers themselves believing it should be done that way. However, he could also be fierce at times. Okay, in rehearsals, he would throw the conductor’s baton, yell at the musicians if they were lazy or unprepared. But he never fired anyone and he tried to build an atmosphere of a family home in the orchestra. He demanded the same level of preparedness from himself as he did from the performers. His work was in service of the music, not for his own promotion or success. He didn’t give interviews, didn’t have an agent, and avoided applause.
He was the first conductor to regularly broadcast music on radio and television with the NBC Symphony Orchestra and recorded many classical music albums, including all nine symphonies by Beethoven and four by Brahms.
Toscanini always conducted without notes and scores because he knew hundreds of operas, symphonies, and concerts by heart.
In this way, amidst the flood of 20th-century popular music, he revived the love for classical music and opera, and he always remained faithful to almost the same repertoire: Beethoven, Wagner, Brahms, Verdi, deepening the understanding of these composers and bringing freshness to each performance. In his new performance, he avoided more contemporary authors, stating that he couldn’t get that music into his head and heart in any way.
Although he considered his repertoire old-fashioned, Stravinsky said about him: “I have never met a conductor of such reputation, modesty, conscientiousness, and artistic honesty.”
He worked tirelessly until the age of 87 and died in 1957 at the age of 90. His last concert was dedicated to Wagner’s works.
Toscanini is a conductor who dedicated his work to the search for the essence of music, defending the true ideas of composers and a rich tradition. By bringing emotions, interpretive richness, and humanity into his work, he created a harmonious connection between the performers and the music, conveying to the audience an indescribable experience of beauty.
1 NBC is an acronym for the National Broadcasting Company, now an American television network headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York.