1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you should know, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 2: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh, there's Chuck, 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 2: there's Jerry, and you put the three of us together, sika, bassoon, 4 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 2: a tuba and an obo in our mouths. We'll pump 5 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: out some stuff you should. 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: Who plays what? 7 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 2: I play tuba? 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: Okay, I guess I'll play the obo that leaves Jerry 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: with a bassoon? 10 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 2: Okay, I think that's fair. 11 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: That sounds right. 12 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 2: When I think Jerry, I think bassoon and vice versa. 13 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: Uh, that's right. So we need to thank Livia for 14 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,160 Speaker 1: this one because she did a bang up job. And 15 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: we need to thank BBC Music Magazine and Andrew Green 16 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: because Livia and us got a lot of help from 17 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: Andrew Green's primer on conductors. Yeah, and this one was 18 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: my idea of because I think I just saw it. 19 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 1: Wasn't from seeing the movie Tar, even though I did 20 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: see that. I saw that in the theater a while 21 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: ago when it was out, But it kind of hit 22 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: me then, even like, what is such a weird job 23 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: that I know nothing about? And what are they doing 24 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: up there? And can anyone just get up there and 25 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: wave their arms around? 26 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 2: Sometimes from what I hear, Yes, there are some people 27 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 2: doing that out there. 28 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: But I found this thoroughly enjoyable to research and hopefully 29 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: talk about. 30 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, good pick. I'm not sure I ever would have 31 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 2: gotten to this one, so good job. 32 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: All right. 33 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 2: So I think I think you're probably in the majority 34 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 2: of people who don't really understand what a conductor does, 35 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: aside from standing up there and waving their arms. Yeah, 36 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: I know I was in that camp until fairly recently. 37 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: But the stuff you see conductors doing, which is again 38 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 2: conducting a symphony, waving their arms, there's a lot of 39 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 2: methods to that seeming madness, and what you're seeing when 40 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 2: you see that a conductor conducting a symphony is the 41 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: culmination of a lot of other work that's done behind 42 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 2: the scenes before the performance that the conductor does. Like 43 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 2: they really earn their money from what I can. 44 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: Tell, Yeah, absolutely, And just to be clear, I'm not 45 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: such a rube that I was like, what are they 46 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: just waving their arms around? Because I grew up in choir, 47 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: singing tenor in the choir, and so I certainly had 48 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: my share of choral conductors doing that stuff at me, 49 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: So I get what's going on there. But I was 50 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: just trying to make a joke. 51 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 2: Oh okay, yeah, I don't think anybody thought you were 52 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 2: a rube. 53 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: Well you never know, maybe. 54 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 2: A new listener, who knows, but you'd win them over 55 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:46,959 Speaker 2: by the end of the episode, guaranteed. 56 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: I'm not a roob. I'm a tenor. 57 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 2: You're a tenor. Huh. I've never really been much of 58 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 2: a singer, even though I sang in a band, but 59 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: as a reminder, then broke up and reformed without me. 60 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: Oh man, Yeah, satis Josh stories. 61 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 2: But also one of the most telling, isn't it. 62 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: No. Should we go back in time though, please, So 63 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: when you first joined that band. 64 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm going to take another shot at it. 65 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: No, we're going to go back in time to tell 66 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: you about the history of conducting. And this is sort 67 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: of prehistory stuff, because conducting an orchestra to perform a 68 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: symphonic orchestral piece wasn't really a thing early on as 69 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: far as using a conductor. That it started with what 70 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: I was talking about, which was choral music and vocal music. 71 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: And we're talking you know, in the early century CE 72 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: there were people that would keep a beat and stomp 73 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: a foot or wave their arms around to get a 74 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: choir on point. 75 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, because one of the really important things to remember 76 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 2: throughout this episode is that when you're playing music by yourself, 77 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 2: you have to to keep on tempo. But as you 78 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 2: add other people, whether you're playing music or singing, as 79 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: you had other people, they have to keep on tempo too, 80 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 2: but you all have to keep on the same tempo. Yeah, 81 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: and it really does help to have one person who's 82 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 2: keeping the tempo for everybody else. And that became a 83 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 2: parent very early on, and that does seem to be 84 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: kind of like the predecessor to the conductor, but it 85 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 2: wasn't until the i think eighteenth and nineteenth century. Yeah, 86 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: that kind of transition between the two where what we 87 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,679 Speaker 2: think of as a conductor today kind of came along. 88 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it was you know, choirs got bigger, 89 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: orchestras got bigger. You know, early on you might have 90 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: you know, a six piece ensemble or a four piece 91 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: or maybe you know, it would even climb as high 92 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: as like you know, fifteen or twenty what. And in 93 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: those days, you would have somebody that was actually playing 94 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: in that orchestra keeping the time. A lot of times 95 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: it was a violinist and they would use their bow 96 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: to tap things out or wave the bow around a little. 97 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: I think that's probably due to the fact that a 98 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: bow you can see even when you're sitting down, you 99 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: can hold it up and people can see it. Also, 100 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: a violinist, a violin is very small. It would you know, 101 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: you wouldn't ask the tuba player even though the tuba 102 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: is the bass and the bass is me the beat 103 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: that would be you. It'd be hard to like keep 104 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: the beat and play the tuba at the same like 105 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: indicate the beat to the rest of your orchestra while 106 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: playing the tuba. 107 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: I would think it'd be hard to conduct while playing 108 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 2: the violin too. 109 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: Well, you're not doing it while you're playing, because the 110 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: violin isn't always playing, Okay, you know what I mean. 111 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: I think it's like during the time where the like, 112 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: because they're not waving their bow around and also playing 113 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: at the same time. That's impossible. 114 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 2: Okay, let's get and go see ourselves. 115 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, there's someone They've got a bow in their 116 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: hand and they're playing the violin and they certainly are 117 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,039 Speaker 1: not able to wave it around at the same time. 118 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 2: All right, here's your five bucks. 119 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: Okay, Yeah, let's go forward. 120 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 2: It does seem, then, yes, to have started with the 121 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 2: violinists who apparently did conduct while they weren't playing. Also 122 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 2: the keyboardist whoever was playing like the piano or the 123 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 2: harpsichord or something like that, they might be doing it too. 124 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 2: But the reason why, even as impressive as it is 125 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 2: for somebody to be in the actual orchestra playing music 126 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 2: and then also conducting, whether they're playing at the moment 127 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 2: or not, it's pretty impressive. But one of the reasons 128 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 2: it was possible is because technically speaking, or comparatively speaking, 129 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 2: the music that was being made until the early nineteenth 130 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 2: century was fairly predictable, like it stayed on this a 131 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: general tempo. It didn't have all sorts of like sudden 132 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 2: surprising changes in twists and turns, so you could actually 133 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 2: keep an orchestra together while you were playing the violin 134 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 2: or in between the moments you were playing the violin. 135 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 2: It wasn't until Beethoven came along that the real need 136 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 2: for a person whose entire job it was was to 137 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 2: conduct everybody else playing the music, that really became a 138 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 2: necessary role. 139 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely in the classical era, and that's not classical 140 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: music is the broad term, but classical with a capital C, 141 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: which is to say, the period from seventeen fifty to 142 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty. Yeah, a lot of times you had composers 143 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: that would step in and conduct their own orchestras. Mozart 144 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: certainly did things like that. And these were as orchestras 145 00:07:58,080 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: were growing. I mentioned, you know, the size of the 146 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: orchestras being maybe as you know, small chamber groups and 147 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: things like that. As it got bigger and bigger and 148 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: you had, you know, thirty forty fifty people in an orchestra, 149 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: it wouldn't do to have that violinist. So the composer 150 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: themselves would lead the orchestra. And then, like you said, 151 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: once Beethoven came along and brought his really groundbreaking compositions, 152 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: that they needed a conductor. A lot of times it 153 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: was still the composer, but then came the idea of 154 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: someone that didn't compose it, is not playing in it, 155 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: and that the only job they have is to direct 156 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:42,199 Speaker 1: the orchestra. 157 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. And there's a great story that seems to be 158 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 2: true and accurate that at the debut of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, 159 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 2: which is the Ode to Joy, which is the part 160 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 2: of which is playing when they opened the vault and 161 00:08:58,520 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 2: die hard. 162 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: That's what it's best known for. 163 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 2: I think he wanted to conduct it himself, but he 164 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 2: had fallen death by then. Well he was Beethoven, this 165 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 2: is his ninth he'd already made a name for himself 166 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 2: even during his lifetime. So they led him. But they 167 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 2: had another conductor, the real conductor that the orchestra was 168 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 2: instructed to follow, because Beethoven was not able to keep 169 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 2: on time and conduct the symphony correctly. So apparently when 170 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 2: the whole thing ended, he was still conducting and somebody 171 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 2: had to tap him on the arm and be like, 172 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 2: turn around. The audience is applauding for you right now? 173 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: Yeah? Is that scene is captured very very well in 174 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: the Boogey Beethoven movie Bookie Knights and Immortal Beloved, the 175 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 1: great movie about Beethoven. 176 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 2: Gary Oldman, Oh, yeah, is it good? 177 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's good. I haven't seen it in a long time, 178 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: but I loved it back then, and also I was able. 179 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: It was lucky enough. I was so broke back when 180 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: I was living in New Jersey back in the nineties. 181 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 2: But how broke? 182 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: Were you so broke that the only way to get 183 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 1: into Carnegie Hall, not practice to see Beethoven's Ninth Symphony 184 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,839 Speaker 1: performed by the New York Philharmonic, was to hand out the. 185 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 2: Hour later. 186 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: No, no, the the not the bulletin, just the program 187 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: for the performance. Yeah, like the playbill. Somehow got on 188 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,839 Speaker 1: that little volunteer staff. Oh, and they're like, you can 189 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: hand out these playbills and then you can stay and 190 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 1: see the performance. And so I got to see O 191 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,719 Speaker 1: de Joy at the Carnegie Hall and oh wow, with 192 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: a full German choir, and it was just like unbelievable. 193 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 2: So you go, hey, what's that guy doing waving his 194 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 2: hands around? 195 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: I did. 196 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 2: Back. Let's get serious, though, Chuck. Okay, we said that 197 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 2: Beethoven was the reason why conducting became a necessity because 198 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 2: the music he was making was so complex that it 199 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 2: required way more people, like you said, and the more 200 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 2: people play saying, the more you need a conductor. And 201 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 2: so it was actually more about just keeping tempo as 202 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 2: it had been when you had the violinists like waving 203 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 2: their bow or some dude smacking his foot on the ground. 204 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 2: Even before then, it was about like actually interpreting the 205 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 2: music because the more dense and expressive and sophisticated the score. 206 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 2: The harder it is to write out exactly what every 207 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 2: single instrument is supposed to be doing at every single 208 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 2: moment in exactly what way. So there was a lot 209 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 2: of interpretation left and that role fell on the conductor, 210 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 2: And here we finally reached what a conductor really does. 211 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 2: This is like the foundation. The basis of their job 212 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 2: is interpreting the score and then getting the orchestra to 213 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 2: produce the sounds that meet that interpretation. 214 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. You know, even something written by Beethoven or 215 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: Wagner or something, it can be pretty detailed. But like 216 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: you said, there's there's no way to indicate every single 217 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: nuance that comes through in an orchestral performance by writing 218 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: it down on paper, and that's where interpretation can come from. 219 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: In fact, I believe it was Heyden and Mozart both 220 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 1: at times didn't indicate tempo like super clearly for things, 221 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 1: and they had the expectation that, hey, you know, the 222 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: musician should get in there and understand the spirit of 223 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: what's happening and they will instinctively kind of go to 224 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: what the right speed is. So that's where interpretation comes in, certainly, 225 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 1: not to you know, change the actual notes. But there's 226 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: so much more beyond the actual notes that goes into 227 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: a performance. 228 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 2: Right, right, And there was a I guess I think 229 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 2: Mahler had a second symphony where he noted that trombones, violins, 230 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 2: and viola should only play if necessary to prevent the 231 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 2: chorus from deflating. And I mean that who's going to 232 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 2: decide whether the chorus is deflating or not the conductor. 233 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 2: So as that music became more and more sophisticated, the 234 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 2: need for conductor became greater and greater. And I say 235 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 2: we take a break and we'll rejoin the conducting profession 236 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 2: afterward in about the nineteenth century. 237 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: Great, all right, so I guess we'll talk a little 238 00:13:55,760 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: bit about how this happens, right, Like what happened? If 239 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: you're a conductor and you're like, here's the piece that 240 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:09,439 Speaker 1: you're going to play for the Christmas concert in Atlanta 241 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: this December, first thing you're going to do as a conductor, 242 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: and really want to recommend this wired video on YouTube. 243 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: It's an interview with a conductor named Kent Tritele tr 244 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: I t l E. I can't remember exactly what the 245 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: video is, but it's just a really good interview with 246 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: an actual conductor kind of talking about the job of conducting, 247 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: and Kent points out that like kind of what you wanted, 248 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: what you're trying to do when you first get that piece, 249 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: and this is you know, you're not in a room 250 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: with the orchestra at this point. You're on your own. 251 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: It's like a movie director or a play director getting 252 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: a script. You want to really just figure out the 253 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: architecture of the piece as a whole and really dig 254 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: into every instrumental part, like every single one. You have 255 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: to know a understand where they come in, where they 256 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: come out, where it should be a rising sound or 257 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: falling sound, and of course there's great Italian names for 258 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: all this stuff, whether it should be punchy or whether 259 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: it should be flowy, and sort of notate just like 260 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: you would break down a movie script or something or 261 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: replace script, just the architecture and the feeling that you're 262 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: trying to convey and really just take note of all 263 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: that stuff. 264 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 2: Yes, So, I mean that's like the first step in 265 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 2: putting on a symphony concert, Like that's what the conductor 266 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 2: has to do is go through and figure out how 267 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 2: they're going to present it. And then comes the time 268 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 2: where you have to teach or work with all of 269 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 2: the musicians that are going to perform this with you 270 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 2: to explain this is how we're going to do it. 271 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 2: And there's a couple of ways to do this, and 272 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 2: one was practiced by some of the most well known 273 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 2: conductors of the twentieth century. It is like the Golden 274 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 2: Age of conductors. One was that you could be a 275 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 2: dictator and a jerk and what was known as now 276 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 2: kind of derogatorily is a maestro. That was one way 277 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 2: to do it. Fortunately, there seems to be a much 278 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 2: larger push these days toward much more communal I guess, 279 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 2: a nicer, kinder, gentler way of approaching it, working together 280 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 2: rather than bossing around, and that that's kind of the 281 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 2: way that composers seemed to do it. Apparently there's a 282 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 2: lot of there's some old maestro is still working, yeah, 283 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 2: and that a lot of people are waiting for them 284 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 2: to die apparently. Yeah. 285 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: I think the collaborative approach in general and the arts 286 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: can be a great way to go. Although all tourship 287 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: and films and I guess the maestro, maestroness, you know, 288 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: some people made great work doing that stuff. So it's 289 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: not to say that that can't work, but it just 290 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 1: seems as a whole like the arts have become a 291 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: little more collaborative. Sure in the last fifty years, forty years. 292 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, I read a really good description of that. It 293 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 2: was a blog post from the Symphony Nova Scotia, their 294 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 2: director of music, their lead conductor, Holly Mathieson wrote, Maestro 295 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 2: maestra or Holly and it's about, you know, which one 296 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 2: does she want to be called? And she goes kind 297 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 2: of into detail about, you know, the history of those 298 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 2: ill tempered, mean, dictatorial maestro maestros. I can't remember what 299 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 2: the plural would be. I guess maestree. 300 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: I think it would No, I mean that sounds right, 301 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: all right, I'm. 302 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 2: Just going to keep with maestros. That like how that's 303 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:57,640 Speaker 2: changed and how like you said, it's become much more 304 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 2: collaborative over time. So it was definitely worth reading. It 305 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 2: gives a really clear picture of, you know, just a 306 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 2: couple of different approaches to the whole thing. 307 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:10,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. What is also can kind of vary 308 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: as how, you know, how flashy they are and how 309 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: much attention they might be trying to draw. Because if 310 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: you've ever seen a conductor who is really getting down 311 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: up there. They may just be feeling that passion and 312 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 1: just getting into it. They may have an ego which 313 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,160 Speaker 1: is saying, look at me, look at me. That certainly happens, 314 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: but not always. Sometimes they're you know, everyone has their 315 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:39,880 Speaker 1: own their own style. Sometimes there's not much emotion. Sometimes 316 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: you know, you're they have their back to the audience, 317 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 1: so the only time you're going to see their faces, 318 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 1: and like a televised performance or something like, that's what 319 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: your orchestra is seeing. But I do want to recommend 320 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: another video. I hope you watched this one that just 321 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: look up Candide the dancing conductor on YouTube and his 322 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 1: conductor named our Old Fear Wits. 323 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 2: I guess I am going with the left for Wits. 324 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 1: Okay, I'm going with whatever he wants to be called, 325 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: because this guy is a treasure and the fun and 326 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: emotion that he has while he's conducting is just infectious, 327 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: and I just I want to, like, I want to 328 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: hug this guy. I want to have him over for dinner. 329 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. And I saw that, you know, he's kind of 330 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 2: putting it on pretty thick because he knew that this 331 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 2: was being filmed. But it does. I've seen other stuff 332 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 2: of his too, when he's you know, a little more subdued, 333 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 2: but compared to other conductors, he's you know, very expressive. 334 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:37,919 Speaker 2: And yeah, you definitely want to hang out with him 335 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:40,439 Speaker 2: and maybe give him a hug here or there, just 336 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 2: because he seems like a great guy. 337 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: Seems dude. 338 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, So that's I mean, that's what the public, the 339 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 2: concert going public who don't really know what's going on, 340 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 2: tend to notice the most. But the the behind the 341 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 2: scenes work that leads up to that. Again, when you're 342 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 2: interpreting a score, you have to figure that out yourself, 343 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 2: and then you start working with the musicians. You have 344 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 2: to work with every single musician to get the absolute 345 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 2: most out of them. You have to gain their trust. 346 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 2: And if you can gain their trust, then you can 347 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,199 Speaker 2: actually get them to play the way you want. If 348 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 2: they don't trust you, they're going to kind of go 349 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 2: around your back and collaborate together without you, kind of 350 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,119 Speaker 2: like me. It's the lead singer of that band I 351 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 2: was in in dust school, right. They were not listening 352 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 2: to me or following my lead. And I saw a 353 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 2: great quote about that. There's an ama on Reddit with 354 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 2: a conductor from twenty eighteen and this conductor who I 355 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 2: think was at the Flagstaff Symphony at the time, they 356 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 2: said that when a bad conductor makes a mistake, no 357 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 2: one notices. When a good conductor makes a mistake, it's 358 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 2: a disaster. And that's because the symphony doesn't follow a 359 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,679 Speaker 2: bad conductor, so when he makes a mistake, it doesn't 360 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 2: translate through to the symphony. But a good conductor, if 361 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 2: they make a mistake, the symphony is actually following them, 362 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 2: and so that mistake gets telegraphed through the actual sound. 363 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 2: So that's a huge part of it is gaining the 364 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:13,879 Speaker 2: trust and the respect of your orchestra, and one of 365 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 2: the ways that you do that is working closely with them, 366 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 2: but also knowing what you're talking about. You have to 367 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 2: be a master not necessarily how to play, but in 368 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 2: understanding how every single instrument, what you can get out 369 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 2: of it, and how to do that. 370 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, So, you know, backing up a little bit, 371 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: if you want to get this job, the first thing 372 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: you have to do, basically is get a degree in music. 373 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: I don't know that that's a requirement as far as 374 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,959 Speaker 1: like a standard or anything, but I can't imagine anyone 375 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,360 Speaker 1: rising to the level of you know, kind of prominent 376 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:51,239 Speaker 1: conductor that didn't have a degree in music. So you 377 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: have your degree in music, you are almost one hundred 378 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: percent of the time a former player in an orchestra. 379 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: You can just you know, be someone who can play 380 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: an instrument and decides right away you want to get 381 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: into conducting. So you you go to a civic group 382 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: or a high school and you kind of start and 383 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: work your way up. But chances are you have played 384 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: in an orchestra and that you can play at least 385 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: one instrument very very very well, at a very high level, 386 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: probably like orchestral professional orchestra level, right, But chances are 387 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: that conductor plays more than one instrument, you know, that 388 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,360 Speaker 1: can play a little violin, a little piano, maybe even 389 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 1: a little tube every now and then you never know. 390 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 2: Well then they've captured my heart. 391 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: But if you are that conductor, usually like in a 392 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: if you're the conductor for like a city, uh and 393 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 1: there and their their symphony, then you are probably also 394 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: the music director. So your job is not just like 395 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:54,959 Speaker 1: all right, I got to get this piece together. It's 396 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: I have a full time job of running being the 397 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: musical director, running this program, working with a community any 398 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 1: sort of like kind of stuff the conductors probably don't 399 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: love doing as far as like, oh, if you've got 400 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: you got to go to dinner with these fund funders 401 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 1: and people who are raising money, like all the kind 402 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: of stuff that goes along with just as you would 403 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,919 Speaker 1: if you were if you ran a theater and you 404 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: were directing plays, like the directing of the play is 405 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,440 Speaker 1: the least of your job at times, I'm sure. 406 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a really good analogy too. Like imagine that 407 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 2: you have like a good like a playhouse in your town. Yeah, 408 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 2: there's like one person who's like running the playhouse, and 409 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 2: they're probably also the lead director. They're the director who 410 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 2: has the highest esteem among the directors probably other directors 411 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 2: that work for too. Same thing. With a symphony or 412 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 2: an opera, you have a lead conductor who's probably also 413 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 2: the musical director, so that in addition to conducting symphonies, 414 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 2: they have to do all the other stuff that you 415 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 2: said too. And then there's assistant directors who might direct 416 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,239 Speaker 2: a symphony and they help in other ways, but they 417 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 2: don't have the responsibility heaped on them that the music 418 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 2: musical director does as well. I saw it down to 419 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 2: things like helping design and approve those those programs that 420 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,159 Speaker 2: you were handing out to get into. Yeah, they have 421 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 2: their their hands and like basically everything that's going on 422 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,679 Speaker 2: for you know, a particular symphony that they're they're working on. 423 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:29,360 Speaker 1: They have their fingers in every woodwind hole. Yeah, let's 424 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:30,200 Speaker 1: probably have a name. 425 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 2: Uh, I think it's just holes. 426 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: Yeah great, Hey. 427 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 2: You nailed it. 428 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,280 Speaker 1: Let's talk about the baton a little bit because when 429 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: I when I asked Livia to help us with this article, 430 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: I specifically said, you know, what's up with the history 431 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,479 Speaker 1: of that thing and what's it all about? And it 432 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,879 Speaker 1: hopefully comes as no surprise that the baton is is 433 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: not some magical wand that a magician might use. It's 434 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: just something that's bigger and then you can see it 435 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: better and it's more wavy, and it allows you to 436 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 1: make bigger gestures. Not all conductors use the wand or 437 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 1: the baton, but most of them do these days. And 438 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: I think you generally kind of think of that baton 439 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: being held in the hand when you think of a conductor. 440 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, apparently you can thank Louis Spoor, the German composer 441 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,199 Speaker 2: and conductor from the I guess early nineteenth century for 442 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 2: adopting the baton first, And it was a kind of 443 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 2: a cone shaped wooden implement at first, And then I'm 444 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 2: sure Louis born. People who follow were like, I'm getting 445 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 2: carpal tunnel here. Can we use something a little a 446 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 2: little lighter, a little thinner, And so the baton kind 447 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 2: of evolved became longer, a little pointier. It used to 448 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 2: be made of wood or ebony. Today it's much more 449 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 2: likely to be made of like like carbon fiber or 450 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 2: something like that. Yeah, high tech stuff. And I saw 451 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,359 Speaker 2: that they're between about ten to twenty six inches in length. 452 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 2: And what they're doing with that, it's like you said, 453 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:05,159 Speaker 2: it emphasizes gestures. And the reason why most conductors do 454 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 2: use a baton is because the size of symphonies today 455 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 2: are so huge. The people in the back need to 456 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 2: see your hands and what they're doing a lot better 457 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 2: than they would have if you had just like a 458 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 2: twenty piece group that you know, we're all sitting all 459 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:22,439 Speaker 2: close up on you. 460 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, did I get that across? 461 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 2: I want to make sure because I can say it 462 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 2: all over again. 463 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,879 Speaker 1: I think you got across. Okay again, I want to 464 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: recommend that Kent Tritle wired video because over about twelve minutes, 465 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 1: an actual conductor really breaks down what they're doing with 466 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: their hands. And I'm not going to just repeat what 467 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: he said or pretend to actually understand all of that, 468 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: but overall what's going on is because most people are 469 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: right handed, the right hand is generally the one with 470 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 1: a baton, and it's generally the metronome. It's the timekeeper, 471 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: and that is one of the biggest parts to the 472 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: job still is keeping the time for everyone to see. 473 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:10,679 Speaker 1: And you have to be really, really, really good at it. 474 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: You got to have a great, great sense of tempo. 475 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,600 Speaker 1: You know, a drummer probably obviously is somebody who would 476 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:20,280 Speaker 1: be a little more prone to be a good conductor, 477 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 1: I would imagine. But it's very hard to do because, 478 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:29,239 Speaker 1: as Kent Tritele explains, keeping time period is hard and 479 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: when he has students, the first lesson is literally just 480 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 1: keeping a sixty second beat, so lowering your hand and 481 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,920 Speaker 1: stopping at the bottom every second to a click track 482 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,439 Speaker 1: or a metronome, And he said, doing that is just 483 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: hard enough. But then when you add you know, one 484 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty beats a minute, that's still kind of 485 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 1: easy because it's just double. But what if it's one 486 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty two, one hundred and forty one right, 487 00:27:54,359 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: seventy three, and you're in this performance and you're adrenaline 488 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,439 Speaker 1: and is surging, and somebody might mess up or do 489 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 1: something and that makes you takes you out of your 490 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,159 Speaker 1: mindset and you have to like throw out all that 491 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: emotion and still be able to keep that perfect beat 492 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: with your right hand for everyone to see. 493 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, Because the point he was making was that when 494 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:21,880 Speaker 2: when somebody does mess up, or when you're adrenaline is surging, 495 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 2: time starts to take different shape than it does like 496 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 2: under normal circumstances when everything is calm and you're just rehearsing. 497 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 2: But you have to be able to keep that sense 498 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 2: of time no matter what the circumstance. I just think 499 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:35,920 Speaker 2: it's amazing. 500 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:40,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like a drummer in a rock band, you know, 501 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: it's it's very common when you perform like a show out, 502 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: that you play all of your songs faster than you 503 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,280 Speaker 1: do in a rehearsal because you're up there, you're jazz, 504 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, that drummer behind you instead 505 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 1: of one two, three four counting it out. It's like, well, two, three, four, 506 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: and you're the ramones. 507 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 2: Right, pretty great, No, the ruins are great. 508 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, but that's just sort of a thing. And it's 509 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: kind of the same thing. You have to be able 510 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,239 Speaker 1: to block all that out. You're keeping time with that 511 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: right hand and then your left hand. The other thing 512 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 1: your right hand is doing is not just tempo, but entrance, 513 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 1: like when you would wait for the strings to come in. 514 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: Your left hand is generally indicating the exit and then 515 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 1: everything else the emotion, the flow, the rising and falling, 516 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 1: whether or not it's punchy and staccato or like really flowy. 517 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 2: So smooth is Billy D. 518 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: It smooth as Billy D. And while you're doing that 519 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: with that left hand and pointing at you know, the 520 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: brass section to stop, you still have to be keeping 521 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 1: that perfect beat with the right hand. So again, like 522 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 1: a drummer, you have to have real independence of your 523 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 1: left and right hand. 524 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, the left hand can't know what the right hand 525 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 2: is doing, and vice versa. Yeah, And that takes a 526 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 2: lot of practice too, not just keeping time, but like 527 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 2: making your hands do different things at different time while 528 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 2: also keeping tempo. It is like like that's why there's 529 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 2: just really a handful of people running around on the 530 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 2: planet right now. We're qualified to conduct an orchestra because 531 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 2: of all the effort and training and understanding that it 532 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 2: takes to do that. I mean, I thought that was 533 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 2: pretty neat before, but it was just so alien to 534 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 2: me that I just kind of admired it out of 535 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 2: its status in the world of art high art. Now 536 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 2: that I understand it even more, I admire it even further. 537 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 2: I mean, like just what they do is mind blowing. 538 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:42,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's super cool. And just to put a little 539 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: button real quick because I know we'll probably get letters. 540 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: You know, the right hand is keeping that beat, and 541 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: I said, it's always sort of doing that, but the 542 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: right hand can take breaks from just that metronomic rhythmic 543 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: thing that you're doing. Because sometimes you'll see a conductor 544 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: using both hands kind of mirroring one another and opposite directions. 545 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: That's when you know, you might be a big sweeping 546 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: sort of motion with both hands, but then it'll go 547 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: back to kind of keeping that beat. But there are 548 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: little breaks here and there with that tempo. 549 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. The only thing is is if you're giving your 550 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 2: right hand a break, you don't want to shake the 551 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 2: wrist out or else. Security impact the score. Oh, that's 552 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 2: one thing I said, It impacts the score. The other 553 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 2: thing about the conductor is they're the only person in 554 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 2: that whole orchestra up there performing that has the entire 555 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 2: score in front of them. All the other people are 556 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,320 Speaker 2: playing the violent parts, or the tuba parts, or the 557 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 2: obo or bassoon parts. That's what they have in front 558 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:44,479 Speaker 2: of them. They don't know, at least not on paper, 559 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 2: what the people around them are playing, so they have 560 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 2: to rely on the conductor to help to help them 561 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 2: understand who's doing what by watching the conductor at any 562 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 2: given moment. 563 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know what I couldn't find, And I know 564 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: someone will know this because I know for sure we've 565 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: had listeners that play in orchestras. But what actually do 566 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: they have in front of them, as like a violinist. 567 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 1: I know it's obviously the violin part, but is it 568 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: just the violin pages or is it. 569 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 2: Like really like a Hustler magazine. 570 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 1: Or or they're you know, like, you can't just only 571 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: have your thing. You've got to know kind of what 572 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: else is going on a little bit No, because it 573 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: seems like that'd be like having only your lines in 574 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: a script, right. 575 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 2: I think that's why some conductors are dictators. There can 576 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 2: be dictators because you are so reliant on them. And 577 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 2: I think you figure it out during practice and rehearsal, 578 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 2: like you understand. But I think, well, what I saw, 579 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:48,840 Speaker 2: they have just their their part in front of them. 580 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: So there's no you know, spaces in between that says 581 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 1: like woodwind part or anything like that. 582 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 2: I don't know if it says that, but it wouldn't 583 00:32:57,720 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 2: have the notes the woodwinds are playing. 584 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 1: No, no, no, that's what I'm saying. I'm saying anything to 585 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: indicate where they are in the piece. That's not only 586 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 1: I see. Yeah, like a framework. 587 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 2: I have no idea. I can make up an answer 588 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 2: if you want, please do. Uh. No, they don't have 589 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 2: any frame of reference. 590 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 1: Now we'll hear from someone and we'll follow up on that. 591 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 2: I say, we take another break. I'm two for two 592 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 2: for calling the breaks today. 593 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 1: Nice work. 594 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 2: Uh And then we'll come back and we'll talk about well, well, 595 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 2: we'll answer a question. Okay, I'm not even gonna say 596 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 2: what the question is. 597 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 1: I think they know. 598 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 2: All right, Chuck, So here's the question. Do you really 599 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,920 Speaker 2: need a conductor to perform a symphony as an orchestra, 600 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 2: Well do you huh? 601 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:12,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, great question, because you know when you see that 602 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: kind of showmanship up there, and you might think, I mean, 603 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:20,319 Speaker 1: for me personally, I'm there for that, like I want 604 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,520 Speaker 1: to see my conductor just going off, and I want 605 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: to see hair flying around yea, and I want to 606 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: see somebody really getting into it. Other might people might 607 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: be turned off by that. We should mention that. Tritle 608 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 1: and others confirmed that, like, hey, that's that's part of it. 609 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: But you can't let that, let that get in the 610 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,840 Speaker 1: way of things. But all that sort of leads to 611 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:41,960 Speaker 1: what you're saying is like, do we even need these 612 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 1: people up there? 613 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 2: Uh? 614 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:46,040 Speaker 1: And there have been efforts to find that out right. 615 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,839 Speaker 2: Yeah. There's a very famous conductor named Andre Previn who 616 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 2: I've even heard of. He too, is or was, I'm 617 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 2: not sure when he stopped. He was definitely performing up 618 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 2: until recently if he's not still, but he was the 619 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,719 Speaker 2: conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. When a TV documentary 620 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:05,959 Speaker 2: back in nineteen seventy three was made, it was called 621 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 2: Who Needs a Conductor? Yeah, And he started out conducting 622 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 2: the London Symphony Orchestra with Beethoven's Fifth Right, Yeah, they 623 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 2: get started and going and he's conducting, and then all 624 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 2: of a sudden he just stops and exits the stage, 625 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:26,400 Speaker 2: and the orchestra just keeps going without literally without missing 626 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,719 Speaker 2: a beat, and they perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony for the 627 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 2: rest of the time without any incident or hardship. And 628 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,360 Speaker 2: that does kind of lead to the question like, could 629 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 2: you just do away with conductors? The answer seems to 630 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 2: be to an extent, but you really wouldn't want the 631 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,880 Speaker 2: results as like a concert going public, and really no, 632 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 2: the answers kind of no, you don't want to do 633 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:51,920 Speaker 2: away with conductors. 634 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think a lot of it has to 635 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 1: do with everything we talked about that has everything to 636 00:35:56,440 --> 00:36:00,800 Speaker 1: do with anything other than just standing there and your arms, 637 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:05,320 Speaker 1: like all the preparation, leading the rehearsal, being the director 638 00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: of their performance. And Livia points out that you know 639 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:14,120 Speaker 1: that singular sort of vision for how you're going to 640 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:17,279 Speaker 1: do the piece. If you don't have that, then it's 641 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 1: not saying that people will all just be doing their 642 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:24,280 Speaker 1: own thing and it would be garbage, but getting everyone 643 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:26,439 Speaker 1: on the same page eventually which is where you would 644 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: have to get to to perform it in front of people. 645 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,439 Speaker 1: I would think that would just be a nightmare trying 646 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: to get that many people on the same page as 647 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 1: far as that interpretation. 648 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 2: Right, I mean, think about it. If you've got a 649 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 2: beef between your tuba player and your bassoon player, and 650 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 2: everybody is talking about how, you know, how this one 651 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 2: part's going to be played, and they're disagreeing, who's gonna 652 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 2: win out right? That's where the conductor comes in. The 653 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 2: conductor says, I'm winning out both of you. Shut up, 654 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:58,719 Speaker 2: shut up, and they sit down and shut up, and 655 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 2: you do what the conductor tells him to. 656 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:03,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, tuba would win though, because the old saying in 657 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,360 Speaker 1: the in the symphony, you don't with the tuba player. 658 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 2: It's true. Goodbye sixth grade classes. 659 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: Right, So should we mention if you mentioned Andre Previn? 660 00:37:16,239 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: Of course? Should we go over a few of these 661 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: other famous conductors. 662 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:22,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, let's start with Tuscanini. 663 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, you mean Arturo Tuscanini. 664 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 2: Very nice. That is a spinning image impression of how 665 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 2: Tuscanini talked. 666 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:38,480 Speaker 1: So Tuscanini was obviously Italian, directed the met Opera in 667 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 1: New York and Tuscanini sort of spanned a couple of 668 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:46,920 Speaker 1: time periods I'm bridging the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and 669 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 1: was a child prodigy and kind of one thing he 670 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 1: was known for was his photographic memory, such that his 671 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:57,640 Speaker 1: eyesight failed later in his career and he still could 672 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 1: conduct because he had these orchestral pieces, you know, just 673 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:02,440 Speaker 1: committed to his memory. 674 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, and apparently he was one of the ones who 675 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 2: started to form this image of like the temperamental, dictatorial conductor, right, Yeah, 676 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:15,399 Speaker 2: But I also read that he was very well known 677 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 2: for working very closely with musicians to help get things, 678 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 2: you know, hammered out like he was a dedicated leader. 679 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 2: I guess so he you know, he was a very 680 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,959 Speaker 2: complex and complicated person, and he helped kind of lay 681 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 2: the groundwork for what the general public understood is the 682 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 2: maestro and what was acceptable, some of which is kind 683 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 2: of unacceptable. But he overall seems to have been generally, 684 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 2: at the very least a great conductor, if not a 685 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:48,520 Speaker 2: you know, so so person. But you know who isn't. 686 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know it's a position of power. And 687 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:52,560 Speaker 1: have you seen the movie. 688 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,279 Speaker 2: Tar I No, I don't know what you're talking about. 689 00:38:55,880 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 1: It's oh god is Tar? No? No, oh god, no, 690 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 1: people are screaming at me right now. It's uh. It's 691 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:15,239 Speaker 1: a movie about a woman who is a conductor, made 692 00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 1: by Todd Fields, one of the few movies he's directed. Oh, 693 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:19,160 Speaker 1: Kate Blanchad, of course. 694 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 2: Oh you're talking about Tron. 695 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:25,399 Speaker 1: Oh man, you just you're you're in a roll today. 696 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:29,239 Speaker 1: Huh uh No, this is out a couple of years ago. 697 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: I feel like, no, I haven't heard of it. Yeah, 698 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, t Ar. And it's a movie about 699 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:40,719 Speaker 1: a woman, Lydia Tar, who is a conductor, and kind 700 00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: of like a little bit of the how power can 701 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 1: go wrong in that position, And it just seems like 702 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:52,520 Speaker 1: it is one of those positions where you know, hopefully 703 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: you use your power wisely, but like you mentioned, with 704 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,960 Speaker 1: these temper tantrums and dictator dictatorial sort of methods, it's 705 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:02,799 Speaker 1: definitely a position that can historically get out of hand. 706 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:05,520 Speaker 2: Oh and Tuscanini also is well known for as a 707 00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:07,680 Speaker 2: philanderer too, And I think that that was a big 708 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 2: deal during the twentieth century for some of those maestro conductors. 709 00:40:12,239 --> 00:40:16,880 Speaker 2: They were playboys, to say the least. For sure, and 710 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:19,720 Speaker 2: they did, and they found some of their conquests from 711 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:22,799 Speaker 2: their orchestra. And yeah, I mean today we look back 712 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:25,360 Speaker 2: when we're like, yes, that's an abusive power. You're abusing 713 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 2: your power because you're in such a powerful position. These 714 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,360 Speaker 2: people are looking up to you, and you're leveraging that 715 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,120 Speaker 2: to sleep with them. So that's like one of the 716 00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 2: big criticisms that twentieth century maestro have leveled at them. 717 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:42,200 Speaker 2: And then they say like, hey, we were all like 718 00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:44,760 Speaker 2: Boomers and Boomer's parents. This is what we did. 719 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 1: Well, talking and touches on that stuff. So I think 720 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:49,920 Speaker 1: you'd like it. You and you me should watch it. 721 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,239 Speaker 2: Oh, I like Kate Blanchette any day, she's great. 722 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:56,840 Speaker 1: I'll mention Leonard Bernstein another famous conductor. Yeah, he's great, 723 00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 1: gentleman from Massachusetts, from Lawrence, mass and was the first 724 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:06,719 Speaker 1: American conductor and musical director of the New York Philharmonic 725 00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:10,040 Speaker 1: from fifty eight to sixty nine and really just sort 726 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,920 Speaker 1: of brought classical music to a really big audience. And 727 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:16,360 Speaker 1: one thing we haven't talked about is just the impact 728 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:21,479 Speaker 1: that the recording industry and recording orchestras did not only 729 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 1: for just making classical music and orchestral music more popular 730 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:28,360 Speaker 1: and bringing it to the masses, but making some of 731 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:31,920 Speaker 1: these conductors stars because the record you got wasn't just 732 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:35,880 Speaker 1: Beethoven's Knight. That was you know, Leonard Bernstein and the 733 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:38,239 Speaker 1: New York Philharmonic to Beethoven's Knight. 734 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:42,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty cool. We also we can't not mention von Carrion, 735 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:48,319 Speaker 2: Herbert von Carrajon. He was one of those bad boy maestros, 736 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:51,440 Speaker 2: but he was also well known as being like one 737 00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 2: of the greatest that's ever lived too. Like that's the 738 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 2: other thing too, That's why these guys got away with 739 00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:59,800 Speaker 2: this is because they were so good at what they did. 740 00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:02,520 Speaker 2: They were just looked up to in so many ways. 741 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:07,320 Speaker 2: It just excused all this other behavior. And then there's yeah, 742 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 2: that's one thing. I'm glad you brought that up. Carayon 743 00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:13,120 Speaker 2: was a literal Nazi. He was born in Austria. He 744 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 2: was a member of the Nazi Party, and he's like, 745 00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 2: we're just gonna leave that behind the past. Let's not 746 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:19,800 Speaker 2: talk about that anymore. 747 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:22,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, he was to be fair, he was cleared by 748 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: an Allied tribunal, but that sort of followed him through 749 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:27,920 Speaker 1: his career for sure, as it does, even though it 750 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:29,080 Speaker 1: didn't seem to hurt it that much. 751 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:34,040 Speaker 2: No. On the other side of the isle is Carlos Kleeber, 752 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:36,920 Speaker 2: whose father Eric Kleeber, was also a conductor, and they 753 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 2: left Germany because of the Nazis because they were like 754 00:42:40,239 --> 00:42:43,880 Speaker 2: Nazis suck. So they moved to Argentina and Carlos Kleeber 755 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:47,080 Speaker 2: developed his craft there and became a very well known 756 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 2: not just conductor, but recluse and carry on. Said that 757 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,400 Speaker 2: Kleeber only conducts when the fridge is empty, like he 758 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:56,480 Speaker 2: just for the last like ten or twenty years of 759 00:42:56,480 --> 00:42:59,480 Speaker 2: his life, he just he did not want to conduct. 760 00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 2: He conducted only what he wanted to and he only 761 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:03,560 Speaker 2: did it when he absolutely had two basically. 762 00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:08,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, I want to shout out yol Levy, who this 763 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:13,640 Speaker 1: was the musical director at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra starting 764 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:16,799 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty eight for about twelve years, and I 765 00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:18,840 Speaker 1: just remember it was a very big deal. Yo Levy 766 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:23,240 Speaker 1: really kind of vaulted Atlanta's Symphony into a world class 767 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:27,680 Speaker 1: organization and really put him on the map as far 768 00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:31,080 Speaker 1: as you know, it was Atlanta and it was the 769 00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 1: late eighties, and so I think there was this idea 770 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,480 Speaker 1: of like you know, the sort of the third Area 771 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:40,200 Speaker 1: Podunk Symphony, yea, and he really really changed that. In 772 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:46,360 Speaker 1: Atlanta is a world class symphony now being directed musical 773 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:51,279 Speaker 1: director and lee conductor by Natalie Stutzman, who was the 774 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,600 Speaker 1: first woman to be musical director here in Atlanta. And 775 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:56,680 Speaker 1: it's a good time to talk about women because we 776 00:43:56,719 --> 00:44:00,000 Speaker 1: probably said he quite a bit. The history of conductor 777 00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:05,960 Speaker 1: is just rife with white European men. In general, I 778 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:11,839 Speaker 1: think eleven percent of musical directors were women, and this 779 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:17,000 Speaker 1: is a twenty twenty three report, and you know that's 780 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:19,279 Speaker 1: changing more and more. There have been women here and there. 781 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:22,799 Speaker 1: Cap Lanchette certainly one of them, but we got one 782 00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:26,280 Speaker 1: here in Atlanta, Natalie Stutzman. That's neat French. 783 00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:30,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. There was a woman conductor who was back in 784 00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:33,759 Speaker 2: the early twentieth century, Antonio Rico. She was like the 785 00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:37,200 Speaker 2: first one. But I read that like after the first 786 00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:40,759 Speaker 2: decade or so of her, like the novelty kind of 787 00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:44,120 Speaker 2: wore off, and she had trouble finding work. So she's like, final, 788 00:44:44,239 --> 00:44:46,520 Speaker 2: just found my own symphony, and she did in Denver, 789 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:50,000 Speaker 2: and she kept that position for decades until her death. 790 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,680 Speaker 2: And I think nineteen eighty nine, but she really opened 791 00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 2: the door for female conductors to come. 792 00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, And we're talking about a lot of Americans too, 793 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:04,759 Speaker 1: you know, considering where classical music came from, not surprising 794 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:09,480 Speaker 1: that Europeans are mainly conductors. But they've also pointed out that, 795 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:13,399 Speaker 1: like you know, they they don't do it well here 796 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:16,600 Speaker 1: in America as far as having a real system in place, 797 00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:21,239 Speaker 1: right to get great young assistant conductors and things like that, 798 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:26,319 Speaker 1: a real pathway to leading like a major orchestra in 799 00:45:26,360 --> 00:45:28,560 Speaker 1: the United States, and that's something that they're i think 800 00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:29,920 Speaker 1: trying to work on and get better at. 801 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:33,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, which would be a big deal because among conductors 802 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:39,319 Speaker 2: and musical directors it's mostly white European men. If you 803 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:42,719 Speaker 2: look at assistant directors, it's much more diverse. So if 804 00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:45,600 Speaker 2: you can start figuring out how to promote talent from there, 805 00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:47,560 Speaker 2: then yeah, you'd have the whole field would be a 806 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:51,080 Speaker 2: lot more diverse, which is great. Anytime you ad diversity, 807 00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:52,200 Speaker 2: things expand. 808 00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:55,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you're right when you look at the ranks 809 00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:58,960 Speaker 1: of assistants and then even on down the line, because 810 00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:01,680 Speaker 1: there are many many people that together, more and more 811 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:06,640 Speaker 1: people of color getting involved. I think only four the 812 00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:09,960 Speaker 1: twenty five largest ensembles in the United States. Twenty one 813 00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:16,200 Speaker 1: of the twenty five are European. Still, so still a 814 00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:16,880 Speaker 1: lot of work to do. 815 00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:20,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. Oh, one more person I want to shout out 816 00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:24,839 Speaker 2: is Simon Raddle. He's with the Berlin Philharmonic, which is 817 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:30,880 Speaker 2: typically either the first or second best symphony in the world, 818 00:46:31,120 --> 00:46:33,840 Speaker 2: depending on who is rating it at the time. I 819 00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:38,160 Speaker 2: also saw Cleveland very frequently falls into the top five 820 00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:38,640 Speaker 2: to ten. 821 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:42,160 Speaker 1: Nice Cleveland rocks, Yeah, exactly. 822 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:46,000 Speaker 2: But Simon Rattle, I think is kind of emblematic of 823 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:49,080 Speaker 2: the way that conductors are going these days. He started 824 00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:56,520 Speaker 2: instituting free lunchtime concerts, educational programs for underserved communities, streaming 825 00:46:56,560 --> 00:47:00,640 Speaker 2: stuff online. He's doing more twentieth century composed, not just 826 00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:03,400 Speaker 2: people who've been dead for a couple hundred years. 827 00:47:03,480 --> 00:47:03,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. 828 00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:06,799 Speaker 2: So it's really like it's just it's expanding. I think 829 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:09,360 Speaker 2: it's always good when things expand, because it's not like 830 00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:13,840 Speaker 2: they're going to just abandon all the traditional stuff. You can't, 831 00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:15,879 Speaker 2: why would you. But that doesn't mean you can't also 832 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:18,400 Speaker 2: incorporate new stuff too. Why do you have to go 833 00:47:18,480 --> 00:47:20,319 Speaker 2: see the same thing year after year? 834 00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:24,120 Speaker 1: Casual Friday, flip flop Wednesday. 835 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:28,040 Speaker 2: That's right, Taco Tuesday, Taco Tuesday. 836 00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:30,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's perfect man. I want to be in that organ. 837 00:47:30,239 --> 00:47:32,600 Speaker 2: Yeah for sure. Well, if you want to know more 838 00:47:32,600 --> 00:47:35,720 Speaker 2: about conductors, just go online and start watching some videos 839 00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:37,880 Speaker 2: of them. It's pretty fun and you'll hear some pretty 840 00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:40,480 Speaker 2: good music too. You might even hear something you heard 841 00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:43,439 Speaker 2: and die hard. And since I said that, it's time 842 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:47,719 Speaker 2: for listener mail, I'm gonna call this. 843 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:50,360 Speaker 1: Hey, let's get into the weeds with quartz vibration. 844 00:47:50,800 --> 00:47:52,280 Speaker 2: Oh no, I saw this one. 845 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:54,400 Speaker 1: There were a couple of these, because there are some 846 00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:56,200 Speaker 1: people out there that know a lot more about this 847 00:47:56,239 --> 00:47:59,240 Speaker 1: than we do. Thankfully. Hey, guys, been a consistent listener 848 00:47:59,239 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 1: for about ten years. Your enlightenment and witty banter has 849 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:04,000 Speaker 1: seen me through many good times and bad. I'm a 850 00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:07,400 Speaker 1: computer design engineer and listen to the Atomic Clock episode yesterday. 851 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:09,840 Speaker 1: I want to clarify what seems to be a misunderstanding 852 00:48:10,160 --> 00:48:14,440 Speaker 1: about the resident frequency of quurts. You commented that Courts 853 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:19,399 Speaker 1: repeatedly vibrates at thirty two, seven hundred and sixty eight 854 00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:22,479 Speaker 1: hertz when energize, which is often the case of many 855 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:26,400 Speaker 1: time pieces, but Quurtz does not inherently vibrate at thirty 856 00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:30,080 Speaker 1: two point seven to six eight killer herts. Yeah, that 857 00:48:30,200 --> 00:48:31,439 Speaker 1: was just different than the herts. 858 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:32,000 Speaker 2: Ok. 859 00:48:32,080 --> 00:48:36,360 Speaker 1: Sorry, there would have to be some sort of divine 860 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:39,959 Speaker 1: miracle for courts to vibrate at thirty two thousand, seven 861 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:42,440 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty eight herts, which just happens to be a 862 00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:45,600 Speaker 1: very computer friendly number for a time piece. As you know, 863 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:47,839 Speaker 1: almost all computers are designed to work based on ones 864 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:50,600 Speaker 1: and zeros, and those binary numbers are stored as a 865 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:56,040 Speaker 1: vector of binary digits bits. Hey, so they tend to 866 00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:59,719 Speaker 1: support a number of range a number range up to 867 00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:02,879 Speaker 1: some value. That's a power of two point three two 868 00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:08,600 Speaker 1: seven six ' eight just happens to be two to 869 00:49:08,640 --> 00:49:11,359 Speaker 1: the power of fifteen, which means thirty two thy seven 870 00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty eight is the upper limit represented by 871 00:49:14,120 --> 00:49:18,080 Speaker 1: a fifteen bit digito. Whow by a fifteen bit number 872 00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:20,440 Speaker 1: in a computer that can count the ticks and a 873 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:22,720 Speaker 1: digital watch before incrementing the seconds. 874 00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:26,239 Speaker 2: Whoo, Now I know how other people feel when I 875 00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:27,440 Speaker 2: try to explain something. 876 00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:31,640 Speaker 1: Scott finishes up by saying, quartz crystal will naturally have 877 00:49:31,719 --> 00:49:34,920 Speaker 1: a variable resonant frequency depending on its size, though it 878 00:49:34,960 --> 00:49:37,080 Speaker 1: could be thirty two point seven to six a killer 879 00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:40,600 Speaker 1: hertz or two megahertz or two hundred megahertz depending on 880 00:49:40,640 --> 00:49:43,680 Speaker 1: its size. The mass produced thirty two point seven six 881 00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:47,120 Speaker 1: a killer hertz crystal, commonly used in time pieces, was 882 00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:51,279 Speaker 1: specifically grown and laser trimmed to the exact size and 883 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:54,480 Speaker 1: shape to make it computer and time piece friendly. I 884 00:49:54,480 --> 00:49:57,960 Speaker 1: actually finally understand. That is excellent, Scott, he says, come 885 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:00,920 Speaker 1: see us in San Jose, California sometime. 886 00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:03,719 Speaker 2: Yeah. Nice, Scott, thank you very much. We have to 887 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:05,720 Speaker 2: go back and reread that one so I can absorb 888 00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:06,280 Speaker 2: it fully. 889 00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:11,200 Speaker 1: Sure you will, I will, okay. 890 00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:13,960 Speaker 2: Fine, If you want to be like Scott and explain 891 00:50:14,080 --> 00:50:16,839 Speaker 2: something to us in depth, we love that kind of thing. 892 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 2: It just might take us reading it a couple of times. 893 00:50:20,120 --> 00:50:23,600 Speaker 2: You can send that email to stuff podcast at iHeartRadio 894 00:50:23,680 --> 00:50:27,440 Speaker 2: dot com. 895 00:50:28,560 --> 00:50:31,440 Speaker 1: Stuff you Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For 896 00:50:31,520 --> 00:50:35,719 Speaker 1: more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 897 00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.