Philadelphia Conservatory of Music - Variations Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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OrcAe:ifraf jaining If is said fhaf no sfring quarfef is beffer fhan ifs weakesf member. The frufh of fhis sfafemenf is obvious because, in fhe quarfef, fhe abilify of fhe individual player is so exposed. Alfhough if is nof so obvious, fhis sfafemenf is neverfheless equally frue abouf an orchesfra. lf seems fhaf many members of amafeur organizafions, school orchesfras, and nof a few who aspire fo a professional sfanding, have an erroneous idea fhaf fhe minimum fechnical proficiency required in any kind of ensemble playing is nof af all necessary in fhe orchesfra since, in fhe group, one covers fhe ofher players' shorfcomings. However, if does nof happen fo be so, and anyone wifh fairly discriminafe musical fasfe will agree wifh me fhaf fhere is no more afrocious sound fhan, for insfance, imperfecf playing in unison. In fhe orchesfra, ANY SINGLE PLAYER wifh fhe slighfesf deviafion from pifch can produce a fonal disfurbance confrary fo fhe sound of fhe WHOLE orchesfra. Why should any orchesfra be bad, professional or amafeur? A professional orchesfra mighf be bad because ifs personnel, or a parf of if, is unable fo meef fhe demands of a sfandard reperfory wifhin fhe Iimifed fime for rehearsal. The conducfor is obliged fo selecf fhe works nof according fo his players' abilifies, buf wifh an efforf fowards pre- senfing fhe same fype of programs as fhose presenfed by fhe finesf symphonic organizafions. Cfherwise, fhe culfural funcfion of such an orchesfra does nof seem fo be fulfilled. However, no such considerafions should cause amafeur orchesfras fo selecf works beyond fheir fechnical means. This, of course, does nof allow fhem fo play poor music. Through- ouf fhe counfry sfandards will be raised by fhe employmenf of a greafer number of younger, fechnically equipped musicians who have fhe proper affifude fowards orchesfral playing, and who undersfand fhe workings of a beffer orchesfra: whose arfisfic infegrify would nof permif fhem fo hide behind fhe back of someone else and evenfually sink fo a narrow professionalism la precarious exisfencel af fhe leasf. ln our recenf concerf in Wifherspoon Hall, fhe orchesfra acquiffed ifself wifh honor which I affribufe mainly fo a fhorough pracfising of fhe individual parfs. Each sfudenf was sfudying his parf wifh his respec-

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Each year as fhe new sfudenfs and I face each ofher for fhe firsf fime, I wonder how many of fhem have come fo us wifh a hearf full of dreams and a head full of ambifions and plans for fheir fufure. Many of fhem, no doubf, are hoping fo be able fo sfep info fheir favorife arfisf's place fhe momenf he abandons if. And each year as fheir comprehension of fundamenfals and arf- isfic values is awakened, I see fhem grow, develop, and alfer fhose plans. Perhaps fhey discard quife a few of fhose dreams, foo. They find fheir place as fhe familiar saying goes. Buf whaf none of us shall ever see is fhe hearfbreak caused by fhe necessify of abandoning fhose dreams, of fhe disillusionmenf undergone because of a faulfy evaluafion of falenfs and abilifies fosfered by well- meaning feachers, families, and friends, and a subsequenf unwillingness fo invesfigafe fhe real possibilifies open fo musicians of foday. Wifhin us are 'rwo selves: fhe worldly, ambifious self which is goaded on forever by fhe glamour of fhe achievemenfs, press build-up, and public acclaim accorded fhe arfisf as well as by successes of confempor- aries. If fells us fhaf if sufficienf zeal and devofion are exercised, we, foo, can sfand in high places. Then, fhere is our frue self which may wanf somefhing quife dif- ferenf-nof so worldly or ambifious, perhaps, buf somefhing infinifely finer: namely, fhe developmenf side-by-side wifh musical growfh of characfer fraifs which make for frue happiness and produce REAL PEOPLE. If I dared, I'd like fo ask each sfudenf, as a sorf of iEnfrance Exam,' Do you know yourself? Whaf do you wanf from fhis musical experience you are underfaking? Are you evaluafing your ambifions and abilifies fruly? We of fhe Faculfy of fhe Philadelphia Conservafory wanf fo grad- uafe REAL people as well as REAL musicians. KATHRYN R. GRUBE

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five feacher, iusf as he would sfudy a solo piece. I find fhis sfudy nof only helpful for ifs immediafe purpose, buf consider if highly beneficial maferial for general fechnical advancemenf for fhe sfudenf. Hence, our rehearsals are made more producfive, allowing me, as conducfor, fo concenfrafe on fine poinfs, fhe real purpose of an orchesfral rehearsal. In ofher words, I believe fhaf whaf fhe young player lacks in abilify when compared wifh experienced professional players, he musf make up wifh individual work. In order fo weld a group of players info a playable and responsive insfrumenf in 'rhe hands of a conducfor, a degree of alerfness and con- cenfrafion is necessary which nof everyone is willing or able fo give. Beafing fhe fime, giving fhe cues, efc. limporfanf as fhese may bel are only a secondary funcfion of a conducfor. I have heard excelleni' per- formances of a conducforless orchesfra in Moscow. Their STRONGEST poinf was fhe rhyfhmic precision, because fheir ensemble was based on lisfening and on exacf knowledge of fhe relafionship of one parf 'l'o anofher. The principal funcfion of a conducfor is fo draw ouf of fhe orchesfra fhe precise sounds fhaf correspond fo his arfisfic infenfions. A choice of a fempo and parficularly subfle deviafions from an esfablished fempo, fonal balance, fonal coloring by means of bringing ouf one sef of insfrumenfs and subduing ofhers, are buf a few of fhe means af a conducfor's command. In order fo obfain fhese resulfs from fhe orchesfra, if is necessary fo have players who are frained fo respond. The process of developing fhis degree of response is nof easy. Buf do fhe refurns for such invesfmenf of fime and energy iusfify fhe expendifure? Whaf did fhe sfudenfs gef ouf of fhe rehearsal and performance by way of musical safisfacfion aside from fhe fraining value? Well, fhey are experiencing a fhrill of playing fine music in a group, music which fhe maiorify of fhem could nof as yef perform indi- vidually. Since fhey have already spenf a good many years conscien- fiously learning fheir insfrumenfs, I cannof fhink of a beffer way of showing fhem why fhey really expend all fhis efforf, and perhaps sfimu- lafe fhem fo fry even harder. I felf fhaf in fhe Iasf concerf we nof only gave a musically safisfying performance, buf also proved again fhaf WHEN THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY. BORIS KOUTZEN