The Score, the Orchestra, and the Conductor

510 Pages·2009·10.013 MB·English

by  Gustav Meier

The Score, the Orchestra, and the Conductor
The Score, the Orchestra,
and the Conductor
GUSTAV MEIER
1
2009
1
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Copyright © 2009 by Gustav Meier
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Meier, Gustav, 1929–
The score, the orchestra, and the conductor / Gustav Meier.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-532635-2; 978-0-19-532636-9 (pbk.)
1. Conducting. 2. Orchestral music—Interpretation (Phrasing, dynamics, etc.)
I. Title.
MT85.M337 2009
781.45—dc22 2008027044
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
for emy
With love and appreciation I dedicate this book
to Emy, my wife and best friend, who made
it possible for the book to become a reality.
This page intentionally left blank
contents
Introduction 3
chapter 1 The Beat 5
Introduction 5
A. Basic Techniques 6
1. The Baton 6
2. Placement of the Beat 6
3. The Size of the Beat 6
4. A System for Notating Beats 7
B. The Preparatory Beat 8
Introduction 8
1. Response to the Preparatory Beat 9
2. Influence of Orchestration on the Preparatory Beat 10
3. Preparatory Beat to Count 1 (without Setting Tempo) 15
4. Preparatory Beat to Count 1 (Setting Tempo):
The Rebound 17
5. Beat Patterns 18
6. Preparatory Beat to Counts Other Than 1 19
7. Preparatory Beat to Upbeats 21
C. Types of Beats 26
1. Standard Beat 26
2. Staccato Beat 27
3. Legato Beat 29
4. Nonrebound Beat 30
5. Neutral Beat 31
6. Circular Beat 32
D. Other Preparatory Beats 33
1. Multiple Preparatory Beats 33
2. The Added Nondurational Preparatory Beat 35
3. No Preparatory Beat for Solo Entrances 36
E. Irregular Meters 37
1. Description of the Patterns 37
2. Preparatory Beat to Count 1 39
viii Contents
3. Preparatory Beat to Other Counts 43
4. Preparatory Beat to Upbeats 43
F. Subdivision 44
1. Full Subdivision 44
2. Modified Subdivision 45
G. Ritardando and Accelerando 46
1. Definition 46
2. Subdivision in Ritardandos 47
3. Compounding Beats in Accelerandos 47
H. Bars to Be Conducted in One 48
1. Individual Bars 48
2. Groups of Bars 50
I. Subito Tempo and Dynamic Changes 53
1. Subito Tempo Changes from Slow to Fast at the Same
Dynamic Level 53
2. Subito Tempo Changes from Fast to Slow at the Same
Dynamic Level 54
3. Combination Fast to Slow, Slow to Slower, and Slow to Fast 54
ff (cid:3)
4. Subito Dynamic Changes from to 55
(cid:3) ff
5. Subito Dynamic Changes from to 56
(cid:4)z (cid:5)(cid:3)
6. and 58
7. Successive Preparatory Beats 58
8. Splitting a Single Preparatory Beat 59
J. Beat Options 61
1. Choosing the Beat Unit 61
2. Some Metrical Problems 61
a. Hemiola and Rebarring 61
b. Other Conflicting Patterns and Rebeaming 65
c. Polyrhythmic Sections 66
3. Suppressing the Rebound 67
4. Dictating 68
5. Cutoffs and Exits 71
6. The Luftpause 72
7. Fermatas 74
8. Tied Notes 81
9. Syncopations 82
10. Tacet Bars and Grand Pauses 84
11. Sudden Silences and Their Continuation 86
12. Stopping the Beat 88
13. To Conduct or Not to Conduct 88
14. Composite Rhythmic Textures 89
Contents ix
chapter 2 Reading the Score 97
A. Notation 97
B. Rhythm and Tempo 98
C. Metronome Markings 100
D. The Common Denominator 105
E. Dynamics 128
F. Phrasing and Articulation 129
chapter 3 Preparation of the Score for Conducting 131
A. Analysis 131
B. Reading Through the Orchestral Part of Each Instrument 131
C. Notation Issues 133
D. Cuing 142
E. Security 147
F. Marking the Score for Irregular Meters 149
chapter 4 Seating Arrangements: Symbols for a Cuing System 151
A. General and Historical Information 151
B. The String Section 152
C. The Woodwind Section 153
D. The Brass Section 154
E. The Percussion Section, Harp, Piano, and Celesta 155
F. Symbols and Positions 156
1. The String Section 156
2. The Woodwind Section 159
3. The Brass Section 165
G. Using Numbers Instead of Symbols to Indicate the Order
of Entrances 169
1. The String Section 170
2. The Woodwind Section 192
3. The Brass Section 206
H. Combined Traffic Patterns 208
chapter 5 Sorting the Orchestration 223
chapter 6 The Zigzag Way 243
A. Leading the Orchestra 243
B. The Zigzag Way 257
1. Beethoven, Symphony no. 2, First Movement—
Adagio molto 258