The Silent Musician: Why Conducting Matters

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After Paul Hindemith read this, he suggested a work consisting of nothing but pauses and fermatas in 1916. [2] Classical compositions [ edit ] Unlike a caesura, it is not meant to change the tempo, but tends to shorten the note before it, so that the next note can be played on the beat it’s supposed to. There are times when I feel a book should be written about the good and bad of listening to recordings of works that you are preparing or studying. I like the above quote as one version of coping with the dilemma of being influenced by what others have done. The Misinterpretation of Silence and its Disastrous Consequences" by Type O Negative on Slow, Deep and Hard (1991) DeWoskin, Kenneth J. – A Song for One or Two, Center for Chinese Studies, the University of Michigan, 1982 (p. 117)

A conductor is one of classical music’s most recognizable figures. Many people who have never actually been to an orchestral concert have an image of what one looks like. But rarely does such a well-known profession attract so many questions: ‘Surely orchestras can play perfectly well without you? Do you really make any difference to the performance?’The researchers estimated expectations by building a statistical model that was fed with a huge variety of Western music. This model enabled the researchers to assess how well their participants’ brains were predicting the notes they heard or imagined. Their analysis showed that, regardless of whether music was actually audible, their volunteers’ brains predicted it in a very similar way.

The University of Manchester’s Julian Dodd doesn’t think so, however. Distilling the concept to its most basic definition, he believes that music must involve the organisation of sounds according to instruction planned by a composer and then executed by a performer. Since all the sounds – such as a baby crying or someone coughing – that might occur in a piece like 4’33” are incidental and unplanned by the composer, it cannot meet this essential criteria, Dodd says. Instead, he prefers to consider it a piece of conceptual art. So far we have looked at rests, which take the place of a single note or multiple, and tacet markings, which tells the musician not to play for a long time.So, rests are used for short pauses, usually anywhere from a semiquaver (sixteenth note) to ten measures or so (this changes in different pieces of music – sometimes you’ll see a 64-bar rest symbol), and then anything above that would be a Tacet sign. Of all the notions most likely to rile more conservative critics, the idea of composing music with no sound may be the most provocative. But can silence ever make a valuable artistic statement? If not, why are people still willing to pay good money for the chance to rest their ears? It is terrific to read this truth. Often when I ask what someone thinks a conductor’s instrument is, the reply is usually either the orchestra, the baton or some other observation. I often elaborate when talking about this that the concertmaster’s basic view of the conductor is his left kneecap, the trumpet his right eyebrow etc. Consequently, it is essential that the conductor’s body is so trained that whatever bit a player sees gives the same accurate message.

This book is not intended to be an instruction manual for conductors, nor is it a history of conducting. It is for all who wonder what conductors actually do. Exploring the relationships with the musicians and music they conduct, and the public and personal responsibilities they face, Mark Wigglesworth writes with engaging honesty about the role for any music lover curious to know whether or not the profession really matters. Beneath the surface lies a fascinating and unusual profession. The conductor's job spec includes refining colour, manipulating sound and balance, interpretation and philosophy. They think deeply about music, culture, history and performance practice and they need to inspire 70 or so - sometimes rebellious - musicians. But how does that all come together to create a distinctive performance? Yves Klein, Overcoming the Problematics of Art: The Writings of Yves Klein (Spring Publications, 2007)It is so wonderful to be able to read a beautifully written and constructed book which exactlyinforms the reader what a conductor is with disarming accuracy and humility and with a touch of humour when needed. Wigglesworth has offered here the most enlightening text I have ever read on the art of conducting. Unlike most of the books on my conductor’s shelf, it does not attempt to provide the supposed 'right' answers but casts a web of paradoxical ideas to ignite one’s inner discovery. If relied upon repeatedly, and never in haste, any chapter or the entire text will provide a lifetime of rejuvenated learning and self-revelation."

But what happens when artists release or compose music that is completely silent? How is it possible to gain meaning from these pieces? To answer that question, here are ten silent musical compositions and why their silence gives them artistic or historical value.A caesura is made of two forward slash marks ( //), and is placed in between measures or notes to indicate a small pause in which the beat of a piece is not counted.