Last Friday I posted a short clip of Leonard Bernstein calling out a student conductor. This of course led YouTube to generate a number of Lenny B. arguments with orchestra personnel all of which are quite delightful (and short). Here’s Lenny tussling with alto Krista Ludwig during a rehearsal for a Mahler piece with the Israeli Symphony Orchestra. She appears dissatisfied with Lenny’s tempo, but the Maestro charmingly walks her through it, calming her (sort of), BS-ing her (more or less) and getting his way in the end. We could all take a lesson from the patience and con-artistry displayed by Bernstein in this little clip…
May 1, 2024
3 Responses
He did the same to Jose Carreras while remaking West Side Story.
See for yourself and cringe along!
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/bernstein-l/tense-west-side-story-recording-jose-carreras/
He’s not my favorite Mahler conductor, I always felt like he was just rushing through it all at full volume. I guess that’s how she feels. I’m not sure how much assurance she takes when he tells her nobody can hear her anyway and all that matters is that people know she is singing. He’s saying only she and he will notice any mistakes. I agree it is a good lesson in patience and conning.
It’s a little like telling an actor not to worry since you’ll be playing the scene off another actors reactions and not theirs.