Must read books!

  • Advice for Young Conductors - Weingartner
  • Anatomy of the Orchestra - Del Mar
  • Brigade de Cuisine - John McPhee
  • Heat - Bill Buford
  • Poetics of Music - Stravinsky
  • Tao Te Ching - Lao Tse
  • The Composer's Advocate - Leinsdorf
  • The Modern Conductor, 7th Edition - Green/Gibson
  • The Score, The Orchestra and The Conductor - Gustav Meier
  • Zen in the Art of Archery - Herrigel

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Why the 3rd mvmt of Fantastique is great...

Dear Readers,

Happy Thursday!  

We are working on Symphonie Fantastique (among other pieces) this semester in conducting class and the question came up about the 3rd movement - boring, or not boring?  Several members of the class were rather forthright about their feelings, and another member defended the movement, saying that she liked it a lot.  My assignment to her - give a talk on what you like about the 3rd mvmt of Fantastique.

Before weighing in further, I should add that I didn't like Fantastique at all for many years, not until I conducted it, in fact.  Furthermore, I didn't really get Berlioz style until working on and conducting Les Nuits d'Étés, Harold in Italy and Roméo.  Now even though I very much enjoy a lot of Berlioz, Fantastique is by no means my favorite of his works.  That said, I am especially fond of the 3rd movement.  Hmm…

So what do you think?  How do you feel about the 3rd movement?  And why?  I am interested in responses and opinions, and then I will be happy to share mine.

More to come.  Happy score study! - MG

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