2 ms·

Maybe I worded wrongly, or you've misread or probably both. Conductor knowing how to play instruments (plural and all of them in the orchestra), and well at tha

Maybe I worded wrongly, or you've misread or probably both. Conductor knowing how to play instruments (plural and all of them in the orchestra), and well at that, is not happening. An instrument - yes, as often is the case with music, at least to a certain level. What's more important, which was the point, is to understand realities of playing each one in order to understand what, how, and where to take the orchestra. Not ever playing even a single one would probably render the effort impossible at the highest level.

kragen 4y ago
Apparently in every single case they played at least one instrument at a world-class level, and in at least one case they were said to play "most of the instruments that comprise an orchestra", though presumably not at a world-class level. Hanging out with musicians leads me to believe that probably nearly all these conductors could play most of the instruments in the orchestra at a basic level, because it's totally normal for musicians to play around on instruments they don't specialize in, and there's a lot of skill transfer. Evidently conductors who founded orchestras without having world-class skill in playing at least one instrument did not achieve the level of excellence of the ones in my list above, and the folks who select conductors to conduct existing orchestras evidently consistently select conductors with world-class skill in playing at least one instrument. Perhaps, as you seem to be saying, they are wrong to do so, and a basic level of skill in one along with understanding the realities of playing each one would be sufficient. Conceivably it's an outdated or simply incorrect prejudice, similar to how almost no women were selected as conductors or even orchestra instrumentalists. But that doesn't seem like the way to bet.
- Keyframe 4y ago
  That does make me think now is it an actual pre-requisite to be a conductor at a high level or just the way things have been. We seem not have much/any counter examples?
  - kragen 4y ago
    It's hard to know, but surely some rich or politically powerful music fans have attempted founding an orchestra with themselves as the conductor. None of them seem to have become famous — but that could "just" be a matter of the musicians' prejudices.

kragen 4y ago

Apparently in every single case they played at least one instrument at a world-class level, and in at least one case they were said to play "most of the instruments that comprise an orchestra", though presumably not at a world-class level. Hanging out with musicians leads me to believe that probably nearly all these conductors could play most of the instruments in the orchestra at a basic level, because it's totally normal for musicians to play around on instruments they don't specialize in, and there's a lot of skill transfer. Evidently conductors who founded orchestras without having world-class skill in playing at least one instrument did not achieve the level of excellence of the ones in my list above, and the folks who select conductors to conduct existing orchestras evidently consistently select conductors with world-class skill in playing at least one instrument. Perhaps, as you seem to be saying, they are wrong to do so, and a basic level of skill in one along with understanding the realities of playing each one would be sufficient. Conceivably it's an outdated or simply incorrect prejudice, similar to how almost no women were selected as conductors or even orchestra instrumentalists. But that doesn't seem like the way to bet.

Keyframe 4y ago
That does make me think now is it an actual pre-requisite to be a conductor at a high level or just the way things have been. We seem not have much/any counter examples?
- kragen 4y ago
  It's hard to know, but surely some rich or politically powerful music fans have attempted founding an orchestra with themselves as the conductor. None of them seem to have become famous — but that could "just" be a matter of the musicians' prejudices.