2905 replies to this topic

[Joe Brausam]

Haha, well there should be less "artistic freedom" with comducting. Becuase sometimes...well I just don't think some of them are trying to communicate anything other than dynamics. Its annoying.

[Frosty]

Haha, well there should be less "artistic freedom" with comducting.  Becuase sometimes...well I just don't think some of them are trying to communicate anything other than dynamics.  Its annoying.

Aren't dynamics part of artistic freedom? Artistic freedom is why you become a conductor. The reason you like a piece in the first place is because of an interpretation of the conductor. You can like one one conductors intretation of a piece and not anothers. It brings freshness to a very tired repetoire.

[Mr. Breathmask]

Shows you how many people paid notice of the Youtube thread we had going...

Indeed.

- Marc, who'll move this there now.

[Joe Brausam]

Haha, well there should be less "artistic freedom" with comducting.  Becuase sometimes...well I just don't think some of them are trying to communicate anything other than dynamics.  Its annoying.

Aren't dynamics part of artistic freedom? Artistic freedom is why you become a conductor. The reason you like a piece in the first place is because of an interpretation of the conductor. You can like one one conductors intretation of a piece and not anothers. It brings freshness to a very tired repetoire.

I understand what you mean comepletely and I agree that dynamics are a VERY important part, however I do not believe that clearly communicating the pulse and beat should suffer from it. Now maybe he did communicate that to some degree, but there are some that just...don't.

[superman]

(regarding previous post: Uhm, that really doesn't sound like a youth orchestra (although the sound quality is a bit too poor to really be sure). The trumpet section is remarkably good, even by world class standards. The horns are doing a great job too. Some of the syncopation work is weird, though. Overall a pretty professional performance I'd say. If that's a youth orchestra I'm floored

[KingPin]

Just found this one...

[AI]

That Japanese clip is so funny! I kept thinking he was going to trip over and crash head first into one of the violinists.

I think JW would be a little disturbed if he saw that video.

[Foxfan]

I didn't think the Japanese conductor was "that" bad. You do see him giving the beat and meter at least sometimes. For me, the worst I've seen was Claudio Abado (who is supposedly world renowned) conduct Dvorak's 9th symphony (my favorite non-film piece) on PBS a few years ago. I couldn't see anything logical in what he was doing... which is probably why the players just never looked at him.

[Red Rabbit]

Some high school playing some bad versions of Williams' best.

http://youtube.com/w...related&search=

[StrongBad992648]

There is SO much more to conducting than most think.

It is NOT all about keeping time and dynamics. That's what highschool directors, and a lot of "mediocre" conductors worry about.

The ones that transcend the medium, and become great don't neccessarily even show the beat. But they put forth the emotion or feeling they want out of the piece. I, personally, would much rather be conducting the mood of a piece than giving 1, 2, 3, 4. And most times, GOOD players would want that too. They can count. They don't need to be shown. You should only show the beats on intricate pieces such as the Rite of Spring or any very metrical pieces.

Naturally, a good conductor also shows cues...but meter is secondary. Really it is. I've seen some good conductors leaning one hand on the back rail of their podium with their baton moving wildly in the fashion they want the music played. I suggest watching Bernstein and seeing how much he really conducts the meter.

I mean, otherwise, without conductors' interpretations...what's the point of having over 100 versions of Beethoven's 9th? If all conductors just showed what was on the page with rhythm and dynamics...they'd all be carbon copies. That's why the greats all put in their own interpretations of lines.

[Foxfan]

Are you calling Williams a mediocre conductor?

At least with him, most of the recordings and performances sound alike, unlike some conductors that play pieces that slow down or speed up unnecessarily and musicians don't all follow at the same time.

[Mark Olivarez]

You haven't heard Williams conduct Goldsmith's ST:TMP theme.....

[BurgaFlippinMan]

a brilliant video involving the trailer voiceover guys

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=

[StrongBad992648]

Are you calling Williams a mediocre conductor?

Absolutely! I know I will probably get screamed at for this one...but he IS only a mediocre conductor. The guy is a performer, and a composer. He gets the job done with his conducting...he goes into the studio and records his music perfectly to the screen. In no way am I saying he can't get the job done.

However, if you watch him conduct for a whole piece up close...there are hardly any inflections in his conducting. He usually only conducts the beat. And in his old age, he is a bit "wobbly" with his pattern in the first place.

So before you freak out on me...YES I am a huge Williams fan. But is he an amazing conductor in the field of Bernstein and Toscannini? Nope. Not even close.

[JMan]

Although I like his conducting, I totally agree. He is at best a performer and BRILLIANT composer! From taking Conducting in college it seriously involves way more than what he does at concerts.

[Quint]

Are you calling Williams a mediocre conductor?

Absolutely! I know I will probably get screamed at for this one...but he IS only a mediocre conductor. The guy is a performer, and a composer. He gets the job done with his conducting...he goes into the studio and records his music perfectly to the screen. In no way am I saying he can't get the job done.

However, if you watch him conduct for a whole piece up close...there are hardly any inflections in his conducting. He usually only conducts the beat. And in his old age, he is a bit "wobbly" with his pattern in the first place.

So before you freak out on me...YES I am a huge Williams fan. But is he an amazing conductor in the field of Bernstein and Toscannini? Nope. Not even close.

So what would Toscannini have done with the Superman March and the LSO? Bettered Williams' effort? By your estimations I'd love to hear it, even though its not possible.

[StrongBad992648]

Undoubtedly the Superman March would be better. Absolutely undoubtedly. And yes, I too would love to hear it. I really would. I mean, there are some aspects of a March that just are prime by the time the orchestra even reads them. But the love theme, and other aspects of it...even if they are just subtle. They would be better.

Again, please don't get me wrong. Williams does a good job for what he has to do.

By the way, I might note that JMan and I have both been spoiled by probably the best Wind Ensemble conductor in the country.

[Saxbabe]

Clip from Austin Wind Symphony's August Tribute Concert to
"The Music Of John Williams" (Star Wars)


(Hhmm, I see a blurb attached that says The Austin Wind Symphony plays music strictly from the movies and television beerchug)

Heh, news clip-



Hollywood Bowl live performance (Don't know what year, hard to tell if that's JW way down there...)

Medley of Spielberg Movies set to film, good sound quality

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=

[Bowie]

In Williams' defense, I've never seen him conduct any of the more intimiate scores, that would actually require inflections in the beating pattern.

[JMan]

Undoubtedly the Superman March would be better. Absolutely undoubtedly. And yes, I too would love to hear it. I really would. I mean, there are some aspects of a March that just are prime by the time the orchestra even reads them. But the love theme, and other aspects of it...even if they are just subtle. They would be better.

Again, please don't get me wrong. Williams does a good job for what he has to do.

By the way, I might note that JMan and I have both been spoiled by probably the best Wind Ensemble conductor in the country.  

Correctamundo.

[Quint]

Give this guy a record deal!



Yes its Biff from BTTF

[Johnnyecks]

LOL


That was funny

[Romão]

Great
This guy may be talented after all.

[rocnathan]

Isn't that john candy?

But seriously, I always thought his best performance was in the Wing Commander games. :-D

"Is that the guy from star wars?"

[pixie_twinkle]

Very good!

[Red Rabbit]

That was funny. Good to see that he can make fun of himself.

[Datameister]

That made me laugh.

[Stefancos]

LOL!

[Richard Penna]

Fan..tastic

[AI]

"Just get in the car, Butthead"

"Who you calling a Butthead, Butthead?"

Best BTTF. line. ever.

But "Get the hell out of my car old man!" is a close 2nd.

[TheTennisBallKid]

Alex North's opening to 2001:

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=


ttbk

[Pasi Tiitinen]

That's great. 2001 never worked for me because of the use of those classical pieces.
There is too strong association to other images in my head with the R.& J. Strauss etc. music.
Only the Ligeti stuff worked for me.

Other overrated scene is the Ride of the Walkyries in Apocalypse.Now. Bland.

[robthehand]

Alex North's opening to 2001:

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=


ttbk

With all due respect to Alex North, I don't think that works at all. It's nice music, but completely wrong for the film IMO.

[Romão]

Try to watch that clip with the original sound off and play the the Planet Kryton at the same time.

[robthehand]

Wow - it syncs up perfectly!

I'll try and upload a version to YouTube, if I can figure out how.

[Romão]

Not only it syncs up perfectly, it works quite well too.

[Stefancos]

With all due respect to Alex North, I don't think that works at all. It's nice music, but completely wrong for the film IMO.

It's far to busy and fanfaric for that opening, and it doesn't build as well to it's climax as the Strauss piece does.
Nice music, but it sounds like a 1950's film with Gladiators.

[TheTennisBallKid]

Nice music, but it sounds like a 1950's film with Gladiators.

Strauss: And I looked at the film, and it was -- I don't even know how to describe how atrocious the music was.

It was like a 1950's Hercules movie.

And it wasn't because Alex's not a gifted writer, it's because he just doesn't have any knowledge of writing film scores. Real film scores like that. And it was like -- It was so corny. It was unbelievable.

ttbk

[Romão]

LOL

[Stefancos]

Oh great, My musical taste is the same of that of a Nazi symphatiser!