Cambridge Companion To Conducting, The

Description:
In this wide-ranging inside view of the history and practice of conducting, analysis and advice comes directly from working conductors, including Sir Charles Mackerras on opera, Bramwell Tovey on being an Artistic Director, Martyn Brabbins on modern music, Leon Botstein on programming and Vance George on choral conducting, and from those who work closely with conductors: a leading violinist describes working as a soloist with Stokowski, Ormandy and Barbirolli, while Solti and Abbado's studio producer explains orchestral recording, and one of the world's most powerful managers tells all. The book includes advice on how to conduct different types of groups (choral, opera, symphony, early music) and provides a substantial history of conducting as a study of national traditions. It is an unusually honest book about a secretive industry and managers, artistic directors, soloists, players and conductors openly discuss their different perspectives for the first time.

Review:
'... a rewarding and often revealing read ...'. Classical Music '... this volume clearly succeeds in providing illuminating insight, practical advice and insider information that is otherwise often unavailable in academic circles. The current volume encourages conductors, and to a certain extent scholars, to seriously examine their own music philosophies and performance concepts. It offers examples of how to rethink, retool, and make responsible and informed choices about the presentation of music to a variety of listeners. Most notably, however, this collection of essays displays the fundamental impact the conducting profession has had, and continues to have, on fostering creativity and engendering social and cultural change.' Nineteenth-Century Music Review

Table of Contents:
Part I. Practice: 1. The technique of conducting Raymond Holden; 2. Conductors in rehearsal Charles Barber; 3. Studio conduction Michael Haas; 4. The conductor and the soloist Joseph Silverstein; 5. Choral conducting Vance George; 6. Opera conducting Sir Charles Mackerras; 7. The orchestra speaks Robert L. Ripley; Part II. History: 8. The rise of conductors Jose Antonio Bowen; 9. The central European tradition Jose Antonio Bowen and Raymond Holden; 10. The French tradition David Cairns; 11. The Italian tradition Michael Rose; 12. The American tradition Jose Antonio Bowen and David Mermelstein; 13. The English tradition Stephen Johnson; 14. The Russian tradition David Nice; Part III. Issues: 15. The conductor as Artistic Director Bramwell Tovey; 16. Women on the podium Michelle Edwards; 17. Conducting early music Bernard Sherman; 18. Training conductors Harold Faberman; 19. The composer/conductor and modern music Martyn Brabbins; 20. Managers and the business of conduction Stephen Wright; 21. The future of conducting Leon Botstein.

Author Biography:
Jose Antonio Bowen is Caestecker Chair of Music and Director of the Music Program at Georgetown University. He is also the Director of the Music Program and Director of the Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music (C.H.A.R.M.)