Bar 10 - "Why I love Beethoven"

No, friends, today's epistle is not about loving Beethoven (don't we all!), but it is about sharing our love of music with our public.  Specifically, we need to talk about public speaking.

I recall decades ago observing Leonard Slatkin speaking to the audience from the stage before conducting the Minnesota Orchestra in concert.  I felt at the time that it was cheesy and inappropriate; that the music should speak for itself and for Maestro to address the audience - unless his name started with the letter "Bernstein" - was simply grandstanding.  Harrumph!  

It turns out that it isn't grandstanding, if it is done with genuine care, knowledge and understanding of one's public and subject.  I speak at almost all CCM Philharmonia concerts; I plan on speaking next weekend when I appear with the Omaha Symphony, if for no other reason than to express my gratitude.  Thomas Wilkins, the gifted music director of that fine ensemble, is one of the most compelling speakers I have ever met.  His persona off the podium is overwhelming; positive, energetic, enthusiastic, inviting.  While I have not heard him speak from the podium, I can only imagine how his audience would be drawn in by his presence and how their appreciation of the concert would be enhanced.  I don't know if what Thomas possesses can be taught; I do know that, at least in the States, it is becoming increasingly necessary to acquire those skills as best we can.  It doesn't substitute for excellence in conducting, but it is part of the what the conductor needs today to be the music director of most American orchestras.

Music - classical music - is no longer a quotidian aspect of our society, as it still is in many parts of Europe and as it was for many here a century ago, when the United States was blessed with an influx of Europeans accustomed to attending concerts.  Gone is the era when a knowledgeable public, attired in jacket and tie, dresses and heels, joined together weekly to hear an orchestra or a soloist.  Musical literacy in America has been in decline for some time now; attention spans are dwindling, as is the appreciation of the communal concert experience.  While a sudden jump in interest in and comprehension of serious music would be lovely, none of us anticipate it occurring any time soon.  As I remarked in another venue a few days ago, "...it will never be what it was, and if we don't evolve and change NOW, we will be left and lost in the dust."

Programming is certainly part of that change, as is how we present concerts.  So is speaking, sharing pertinent, timely thoughts with the audience.  At CCM, I try to focus on points of reference; what is the unifying factor behind a program?  What non-musical element can the audience relate to that will inform and enhance their concert experience?  When is a story or a personal anecdote appropriate?  How technical should the talk be?  How long should one speak?

All of these concerns need to be addressed beforehand.  I used to script my remarks; now I consider for some days before what to talk about and try not to refer to notes when speaking.  Yes, I rehearse my talks; nothing worse than random "...er...um...ah...hmm..."  I never start a concert with talk; we always play some music before I welcome the audience, thank them for sharing their time with us and relate something of import about the music.  I don't always speak after the opening work, particularly if it is followed by a concerto.  If the meat of the program is on the second half, I will often address the public after intermission.  I don't speak before a choral work, or before a gala.  If there is only one work on a concert (Mahler 2, for example), I don't speak.

At CCM, because we perform in a relatively small (750 seat) hall, I will occasionally ask our audience a question and try to elicit a response.  No hiding at our concerts!  I have asked our public to name five works of Chabrier other than España, where a certain tune comes from, what painter may have influenced a composer we were featuring.  Concert going can no longer be a passive experience; we must engage and be engaging, apart from the flailing away on the podium which too many mistake for real conducting.  We must find a way to share without compromising artistic values or the general level of taste and decorum appropriate for a concert hall.  It isn't about making concert going "fun," it is about making the concert compelling and welcoming.

It is this balance - indeed, this frisson - that challenges us as conductors and music directors.  How to be engaging but serious, inviting but not ostentatious, personable while keeping the focus on the music.  Like anything else it requires PRACTICE.  And BRAVERY.  And JOY.

So, do you know of five works of Chabrier other than España?  Great composer, highly underrated.