Synopses & Reviews
In this wide-ranging inside view of the history and practice of conducting, analysis and advice comes directly from working conductors, including Sir Charles Mackerras on opera, Bramwell Tovey on being an Artistic Director, Martyn Brabbins on modern music, Leon Botstein on programming and Vance George on choral conducting, and from those who work closely with conductors: a leading violinist describes working as a soloist with Stokowski, Ormandy and Barbirolli, while Solti and Abbado's studio producer explains orchestral recording, and one of the world's most powerful managers tells all. The book includes advice on how to conduct different types of groups (choral, opera, symphony, early music) and provides a substantial history of conducting as a study of national traditions. It is an unusually honest book about a secretive industry and managers, artistic directors, soloists, players and conductors openly discuss their different perspectives for the first time.
Review
"Fascinating reading...Dozens of absorbing topics make this collection a page turner. Highly recommended." --Opera JournalThese essays, brought together by JoséAntonio Bowen, are exploratory rather than didactic...Of particular use are the two bibliographies...By chossing practical musicians as his contributors, Bowen ensures that the vast majority of the commentary is perceptive and relevant to working musicians as well as to the interested reader.The essays are pithy, touching on a massive range of subjects without becoming stuck in a bog of polemics.Perhaps most admirably, Bowen is not afraid of opposing points of view...This is a rewarding and often revealing read.
Robin Newton, Classical MusicThis volume presents a comprehensive (sometimes intersecting, sometimes contradictory) range of views about conducting. ... [Bowen] provides depth and informed criticism of the conducting styles of different conducting luminaries...[and] meticulously detail how these conductors handled tempi, marking, the rehearsal process, a conducting ethos, realization of the composer's intentions, and sonic ideals...The American tradition as Bowen and David Mermelstein suggest, is unique in the paradox of its simultaneous rootedness in European origins and struggle to become independent of them...Their approach is original: they reference cities and their orchestras, instead of prominent conductors, as the central core of conducting traditions...As a whole, this volume clearly succeeds in providing illuminating insight, practical advice and insider information that is otherwise unavailable in academic circles...Most notably, however, this collection of essays displays the fundamental impact the conducting profession has had, and continues to have on fostering creativity and engendering social and cultural change.
Dr. Joel Novarro, 19th-century Music ReviewThe essays on national traditions in the Companion are rich in anecdote...The 'Issues' section is also unusually interesting.
Richard Osborne, The OldieThis is a very comprehensive, honest and highly interesting book , both for a broad public who wants to see behind the face off this profession and for practicing conductors: dieses Buch nur also sehr umfassend, ehrlich und hoch interessant ansehen kann, sowohl, für ein breites Publikum, das etwas hinter die Fassade dieses Berufs sehen will, als auch für angehended Dirigenten.Pizzicato 5JoséBowen's aim is to bridge the gap between textbooks on conducting and biographies of conductors through the combination of practical details with a fresh look at the musical, social, and economic history of conducting(pp. xvi-xvii). The result is a highly engaging and colorful book, reflecting the complexity of the subject... Bowen avoids the danger of overlap in the use of so many different voices... Bowen's opening chapter to Part II of the book on The Rise of Conductingis an excellent brief historical introduction to the ensuing six chapters on the most influential conducting traditions... Bowen did a superb editing job, avoiding redundancy as the contributors offer their individual perspectives... The Cambridge Companion to Conducting delivers on its promise to be an unusually honest book about the secretive industry, (in which) managers, artistic directors, soloists, players, and conductors openly discuss their different perspectives for the first time(p. i). It is highly recommended for any serious conducting student and the sophisticated musical layperson. The broad range of essays will raise more questions than the book itself can answer, which seems appropriate and necessary. Because Bowen and his contributors identify many of the important issues to be considered before entering the complex and exceptional world of conducting, this volume will be an important companion and catalyst for further discussions in the near future. "
Dr Siegwart Reichwald, Journal of Musicological ResearchThe Cambridge Companion to Conducting, edited by JoséAntonio Bowen, offers tangible observations on the real world of conducting.This is a welcome addition to the current choice of conducting texts, which consist mainly of extensive description and illustrations of conducting technique.
Paula Zerkle, IAWM JournalThis book falls into three parts - 'Practice', 'History' and 'Issues' - which is as good a way as any of getting this almost unwieldy subject into some kind of order...I welcome the contributions from the practitioners of the craft...worth the attention of any aspiring accompanist...full of practical and valuable advice."
Robert Matthew-Walker, International Record Review
About the Author
JoséAntonio Bowen is Caestecker Chair of Music and Director of the Music Program at Georgetown University. He is also the Director of the Music Program and Director of the Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music (C.H.A.R.M.)
Table of Contents
Part I. Practice: 1. The technique of conducting Raymond Holden; 2. Conductors in rehearsal Charles Barber; 3. Studio conduction Michael Haas; 4. The conductor and the soloist Joseph Silverstein; 5. Choral conducting Vance George; 6. Opera conducting Sir Charles Mackerras; 7. The orchestra speaks Robert L. Ripley; Part II. History: 8. The rise of conductors JoséAntonio Bowen; 9. The central European tradition JoséAntonio Bowen and Raymond Holden; 10. The French tradition David Cairns; 11. The Italian tradition Michael Rose; 12. The American tradition JoséAntonio Bowen and David Mermelstein; 13. The English tradition Stephen Johnson; 14. The Russian tradition David Nice; Part III. Issues: 15. The conductor as Artistic Director Bramwell Tovey; 16. Women on the podium Michelle Edwards; 17. Conducting early music Bernard Sherman; 18. Training conductors Harold Faberman; 19. The composer/conductor and modern music Martyn Brabbins; 20. Managers and the business of conduction Stephen Wright; 21. The future of conducting Leon Botstein.