Arts Issues: The dreaded Maestro!

Editor’s note: John Jeter, music director and conductor of the Fort Smith Symphony, will pen an “Arts Issues” column to appear on The City Wire the second and fourth Friday of each month beginning in July. The column will cover a wide range of topics in the broad arts communities. Jeter can be reached at [email protected]

If we take a trip back a few hundred years, we find that most people played some sort of musical instrument for fun. It was only a matter of time before musical events became larger scale, operas, orchestras, large scale choral works, bigger became better.

As these forces increased in size someone was needed to get things going. To begin with, someone needed to get a performance started and then stop it, hopefully with everyone in the ensemble doing these things together. Starting all at the same time as well as all stopping at the same time is a good thing!

Someone also needed to help rehearse a group.

These responsibilities first fell on the composers whose music was being performed. Back in the day, the only music played was newly composed music by composers who were alive at the time. The idea of performing the “classics,” the old stuff did not exist. Composers would direct ensembles either at the keyboard or by standing somewhere in the group either waving their arms or pounding a large wooden stick or staff on the floor.

Yes, that’s right, one would hear the tapping or pounding of the beat during a performance. Not only was this annoying but it could be potentially dangerous. French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) could be very emphatic with the stick pounding. One day he rammed his conductor’s staff straight into his foot. The injury became severely infected leading to gangrene and his death. Ouch!

As time passed it was decided that the audible tapping on the beat was too intrusive so composers not knowing really how to conduct sort of improvised leading a group. Of course, their real work was happening in the rehearsals leading up to a performance.

Mozart (1756-1791) often conducted his own operas.

Later, to the annoyance of many, Beethoven (1770-1827) conducted his own performances becoming the greatest composer who was also the worst conductor ever. He would yell at musicians who were making mistakes, accidentally smack performers sitting close to him, decide to sign along during a performance and best of all insisted on leading performances after becoming deaf!

Leading an orchestra without being able to hear it is like driving a car blindfolded — not recommended!

As we progressed into the 1800’s, more larger scale concerts began taking place in different places at the same time making it impossible for composers to lead all of their concerts. We complain about air travel today, it was really bad in the 1800’s! As a result, the leaders of orchestras, the first chair violinist would direct performances with his bow either seated or standing in front of the orchestra.

By 1850, things really changed. Compositions became more complicated, requiring “professionals” to perform the music. The pieces frequently required even larger forces to perform them. Someone was needed to put it all together and it’s at about this time that the conductor as we know him or her today was born.

The requirements for conductors were and still are: superb musicianship, performance background on an instrument, understanding of musical form, harmony, counterpoint (the interweaving of melodies), knowledge of all of the instruments, leadership and solid conducting technique.

Even more important attributes include: imposing scowl, big head of hair (a hold over from Beethoven who had a huge scruffy main), a huge ego and some sort of psychological/emotional impediment making a conductor eccentric and just plain odd. Oh and most importantly, a thick foreign accent. Gotta have the accent: “Zee troompets hour nut toogeddor.”

By the 20th Century a “history” or collection of popular classical works from the great composers of the past begins to become the standard for orchestras and opera companies to perform. Without the presence of the composers (who are mostly deceased by this time) the conductor becomes the “star” of a symphonic performance in many cases much to the chagrin of the orchestra members themselves. The tongue-in-cheek attributes listed above become somewhat standard for many superstar conductors.

However, a superb conductor is an exciting thing to an audience and orchestra. Even the term “conductor” is a romanticized version of leader or director. Leaders and directors do just that for a group. A “conductor” however is a conduit or vessel through which the aesthetic and spiritual message of the great composers is transmitted from on high, through the conductor to the orchestra to the audience. Sounds pretty serious to me! Think of any line of work today where one is referred to as “The Master” — Maestro!

Of course the reality is very different. Conductors facilitate exciting and meaningful concert performances through complete knowledge of the music, intensive rehearsal technique and leadership during performance. The gestures one sees a conductor make at a concert are reminders to the orchestra of things like tempo, dynamics (loud and soft), entrances, balances (for example making sure a particular instrument can be heard while many others are playing), intensity and style. These things have all been worked out at rehearsal but need to be made special at a concert. An effective conductor helps make this happen. Ironically, he or she is the only one on stage NOT playing an instrument!

Today, orchestra conductors are multitaskers involved in everything from fundraising and marketing to grant writing and administrative work.

Yes, orchestra conducting has an unusual history with lots of stereotypes. Who knows, if you are lucky, you might meet a “normal” conductor someday!

Conductor notes

John Jeter is presently in his 16th season as the music director and conductor of the Fort Smith Symphony. He is the recipient of the American Symphony Orchestra League 2002 Helen M. Thompson Award, and has held conducting positions with the Indianapolis Symphony, North Arkansas Symphony, Greater Indianapolis Youth Symphony, Purdue University, University of Tulsa and University of Oklahoma. He has conducted numerous orchestras in the United States and Europe. Jeter is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Hartt School of Music with a degree in music theory and piano and graduated with distinction from Butler University’s Jordan College of Fine Arts with a master’s degree in orchestral conducting. Jeter is a voting member of The Recording Academy for the classical music categories of the Grammy Awards.