Master Class - Geoffery Brand Conducting

This is the extract of a Master Class presented Geoffery Brand on Conducting. Mr. Brand is an internationally recognised conductor of Wind and Brass Bands. He has also worked with a number of the major British and European Orchestras.

Nature of performance in music

Need to research the composer, what the piece is about, the why, how, when, what, etc of the piece.
Need to get into the composer's mind.
Need to be faithful to the composer's initial ideas. This is so that the work can be failthfully and loyally reproduced.
Composer's have 3 elements:

Sound :
Think about sound, it conveys their thinking. If we do not recreate the specific sound, we are being unfaithful.
Shape :
Musical stucture, (layout, architecture, form). The works logical stuture.
Space (Time) :
The piece must move forward. It must move through time, this is not clock time, it is the time of the heartbeat, a sensual time.
Conductors are recreative artists.

Score Study

Takes Time, there is no quick and easy way.
Who wrote?
Do I know another work by the same composer/arranger?
The work's history.
The composer's history.
Date the work was written and published.
The title can be a guide to its form, therefore suggesting a style and shape.
The form/structure of the work. Look at the end of the composition to see where it is going. Then look at the beginning to see where it is coming from. THen take the musical journey through the work, looking at it in totally.
What is the composer's initent? What were his/her moods, drama, emotional content, feelings, etc.
Relate what the composer was said in words, to what is being said in the music.
Look at the key(s) the work is in. What is there relationship, harmonic mood/feeling. It is a good idea to write down the keys and study the harmonic progressions.
What is the tempi/tempo of the work. Its changes in speed, the way sections are conected.
Characteristics, the shaping of phrases, points to aim for in the phrase, the amount of rubato, melody tracing, liner tracing.
Dynamics, accents, quality, quantity, subato changes. Constantly ask "Why did the composer do it this way?".
- "<" emphasis on the beginning of the note.
- "^" push through the note.
- Rhythm : syncopations, cross rhythms, repeating patterns, meter changes, bar lines (couting devices, why accent at the beginning of a bar?)
- Technical conserations : Large intervals, special effects, range (high and low), percussion equipment required (all percussion equipment is necessary. If one or more is missing we are not doing justice to the composer's wishes)
- Craftsmanship : How well made is the piece.
- Personal response : How do you react to it, emotionally, spiritually, physically. Are you drawn to it? Do you want to keep studying?
- Conseptualization : inwardly experience the work, how much are you enjoying it and looking forward to sharing it?
1 minute of playing time should reflect at least 1 hour of study time. Of course this also depends on the complexity of the piece.
Don't use a recording in the learning process. Are all recordings true and faithfully to the composer's intent? Only listen once you have fully studied and understood the work.
Once you fully understand the work, you can then go to the ensemble and share the work.
Don't go to the ensemble to hear the work, go to the ensemble to confirm your conseptualization of it.
You must know the work. The ensemble know when you are sight reading a score.
The ensemble can tell when you do know your score.

Art of Communication By Gesture

Every gesture is a means of conveying something you felt, or conseptualized.
Compser is the in the conductor's hands (whole body).
If you are confident about the music (ie. prepared it properly and have a detailed knowledge about the score) you will not make the wrong gesture.

Subsitution

Substitute for the compsoer, must become the compose and do the work the way he/she would.
Must allow the listner to hear the composer's thoughts.
The conductor must not come before the composer.

Five Factors Successful Conductors Use or Have

Motivate the performers.
Comprehensive knowledge of the music.
Ability to communicate in a coherant manner.
Energy (physical, emotional and mental).
Total sincerity and artistic integrity.

Rehearsal

The rehearsal is a workshop.
Rehearsals exist in order to achive an ideal - which is the realization and achivement of a performance, as perfect as possible, of the musical work being studied.
To this end there should be a striving for :
- faultless technique (intellectual satisfaction)
- artistic expression (emotional satisfaction)
Basically three methods of rehearsing.

1. The Conventional Generalizing.
Play through, get the general shape and feeling of what is right.
2. The Critical (or hypercritical) - Particularizing.
Get picky, must come back and then put it back into the whole picture/context (Generalization).
3. The Compartmental Specializing.
Think about certain aspects (technical), tuning, blend, balance, intonation, etc. This is good, but do not do it for long periods of time.
Usually all three are employed - but with a differnet emphasis, depending on time available, standard reached, familiarity with the music.
Plan the rehearsal time carefully, make judgements.
- Time of the piece
- Expreience of the group
- Difficulty of the piece
- Play all pieces which require performance

Aurally perceivable beneficial elements in a good performance of music

Accurate peresentation of the written sounds in terms of placing, pitch, duration.
- Sight and sound; aural capacity/capability; see and hear the pitches.
- Good to record the rehearsal, but not to rely on it all the time. Use it as an aid/tool.
Good ensemble - ensuring musical tidiness, togetherness.
- Bad ensemble playing could be your fault (eg. baton clarity, communication calrity).
Rhythmic accuracy - with pleasing movement.
- Composers write in horizontal lines, but think harmonically, vertically.
Well-tuned and blended sound.
- Tuning : exact concept of height or depth of a sound, scientifically the same.
- Intonation : relative placement of other notes; relative pitch placement.
- Each key has its own relative pitches and feel.
Expressive response - showing regard for the nature of the music being performed.
- Body language : can use the whole body, parts, head, eyes, etc. Don't have to rely on the hands.
- Must show expression with the body, If you don't, nothing will happen.
- Must be meaningful.
Balanced musical proportions - details presented with due regard to musical significance.
- Dynamic changes are an emotional change (ie forte is not just a big loud sound, it must have an emotional content).
- Use dynamics emotionally.
- Let the ensemble know where the music is going.
- Development of rhythmic/harmonic patterns.
Good musical shaping, spacing, strucural sense.
- See Sound, Shape and Space
Stylistic awareness - historical authenticity; aesthetic judgment.
- Stylistic authenticity - must be true to the composer and his times.
- Must hear the middle parts.
- Good to take scores (which you have studied) ti a concert and read and listen.
- Style is very important. It is captivating.
Suitable tempi - choice of speeds which allow the music to sound well.
- The whole duty, ability of a conductor is to deliver the tempi.
- If you don`t get the tempi correct, the performance will fail.
- Do notm present music as a metranome.
- Choose the speed at which the music sounds best.
A sense of performance - portrayal of understanding through authoritative presentation.
- It is possible to have points 1 - 9, but still not have a sense of performance.
- Must feel right!

Beat Pattern

Keep horizontal line steady.
Good ensemble is about good point of sound (ictus).
Must prepare the beginning and end of the sound.
Be constant.
Gestures must be specific, not just the hands, but body.
Gestures must have meaning.
If music in't moving, then it is dieing.