Rehearsal and Concert Observations
REHEARSAL OBSERVATION
Each individual conductor is very different. Some are effective and some are not. In my time, I have worked with many different conductors and they have been indeed different. Most of the methods they used were effective, however now after learning about proper conducting techniques, it is easy for me to see things at which some conductors should work on. The conductor whose rehearsal I observed was Dr. Alan Rieck who conducts the Women’s Concert Chorale at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Dr. Rieck had many strong points with his conducting, but also some weaknesses. The weaknesses at first seemed to be just things he wasn’t doing by the book correctly. But, after trying to sing along with him, those weaknesses were more easily noticeable. The biggest weakness that I found was that Dr. Rieck conducts very high in his vertical plane. As a member of this group 3 years ago, I never really noticed how difficult it can be to read at times, but now I really do see that where a person conducts is very important. If he would lower his hands a few inches, his pattern would have a lot more clarity.
Another small weakness I saw was that sometimes his releases end going upward in inappropriate places which almost leaves the choir hanging. It was sometimes hard to get a sense of when he precisely wanted the sound to end and if he wanted it to end abruptly or if he wanted it to fade.
Although there were a few problems that could be worked on, Dr. Rieck also had some very good conducting skills. His eye contact was very good. If all else failed with releases, his eyes would tell when people should cut off. He also has very smooth patterns. His beats are not choppy, causing poor phrasing. He has really good facials too. The best thing about his facials is that they show the dynamics he wants, but also the feeling that he wants. By looking at his face, it is easy to see if the piece is meant to be about pain or joy.
There were small issues with Dr. Rieck, but overall, he was very effective in his conducting. He seemed to stray from the typical conducting rules to evoke more of the personal style that he wanted, but it seemed to work alright for him. I would be curious to see what or how he was taught to conduct and see if it is like what I am learning now, or if it was a completely different approach.
CONCERT OBSERVATION
Seeing a conductor in a rehearsal is one thing, but observing a conductor in a performance is something totally different. For the concert review, I observed Dr. Gary Schwartzhoff, conductor of the Concert Choir at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Usually when I attend a concert, I focus on the ensemble, not the conductor. I never really realized how important the conductor is to the group. Going to a concert to watch the conductor is a very different experience, but it is an experience that helps to open the eyes of a person like myself. In watching Dr. Schwartzhoff, I learned and observed many things that I probably would have never seen if I were part of his ensemble.
Dr. Schwartzhoff did many things very well. The first thing I noticed was his cueing. Whenever he would cue a section to come in, he would turn his whole body toward that section and make eye contact with the section. He also would give a motion with his hand to come in. The only problem I could see with his cueing was that he did not give prep breaths to the section he was cueing. I could see that he was not giving the breaths because when he would turn to the side to cue the sopranos, it was quite obvious that he did not show a visible breath.
Another strong point to Dr. Schwartzhoff’s conducting was his beat pattern. His patterns were very clear. I could always see the ictus of the beat. His pattern was very consistent. He used subdivision very well too. He made the appropriate changes in pattern size according to the dynamics of the piece or the section of the piece. At times, however, he did appear to conduct somewhat high in the vertical plane which made it slightly hard to read in that aspect.
Dr. Schwartzhoff showed very clear cutoffs. The only thing about the cutoffs that I would have corrected was the ending loop to stop the sound was rather large which made it unclear as to where exactly the sound should be stopped. As for left-hand independence, he mirrored his right hand quite often. There were some occasions where he used his left hand to show crescendos and decrescendos, but most of the time he mirrored unless he was cueing in a section of the band. Sometimes the left hand was difficult to read when it came to sustaining phrases.
Dr. Schwartzhoff showed proper emotion for the songs as well. When the song became more or less intense, his whole body showed it. The only thing that I wish I could have gotten more of what his face! It would have been very nice to see if his face was showing what his body movements were showing. I think at one point he did smile because I saw his ears move at the same time.
Dr. Schwartzhoff’s level of preparedness and professionalism were definitely demonstrated through the performance. His posture was exceptional. He did not move excessively or do anything that was distracting to the ensemble or the audience. He was not scorebound. He showed that he and his ensemble were ready for this performance.
It seems that often the conductor is extremely overlooked. The audience is there to hear the ensemble, but they seem to forget about the conductor. It is easy to look past a man or woman who has their back to the audience and is merely waving their hands around at the people on stage. Without Dr. Schwartzhoff’s skill and preparedness, the ensemble would very possibly have fallen apart.