Essentials in Conducting

by Karl Wilson Gehrkens

ESSENTIALS

IN

CONDUCTING

BY

KARL WILSON GEHRKENS, A.M.

PROFESSOR OF SCHOOL MUSIC

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC

AUTHOR OF "MUSIC NOTATION AND TERMINOLOGY"

BOSTON

OLIVER DITSON COMPANY

NEW YORK CHAS. H. DITSON & CO.

⁠

CHICAGO LYON & HEALY

LONDON
WINTHROP ROGERS, Ltd.

Copyright MCMXIX

By Oliver Ditson Company

International Copyright Secured

To the Memory of

ROBERT C. BEDFORD

for many years

Secretary of the Board of Trustees

of

TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE

CONTENTS

			Page
Chapter	I—	Introduction	1
Chapter	II—	Personal Traits necessary in Conducting	8
Chapter	III—	The Technique of the Baton	20
Chapter	IV—	Interpretation in Conducting—Introductory	36
Chapter	V—	Interpretation in Conducting—Tempo	46
Chapter	VI—	Interpretation in Conducting—Dynamics	57
Chapter	VII—	Interpretation in Conducting—Timbre, Phrasing, etc.	64
Chapter	VIII—	The Supervisor of Music as Conductor	76
Chapter	IX—	The Community Chorus Conductor	85
Chapter	X—	The Orchestral Conductor	93
Chapter	XI—	Directing the Church Choir	108
Chapter	XII—	The Boy Choir and its Problems	118
Chapter	XIII—	The Conductor as Voice Trainer	131
Chapter	XIV—	The Art of Program Making	140
Chapter	XV—	Conductor and Accompanist	147
Chapter	XVI—	Efficency in the Rehearsal	152
Appendix	A—	Reference List	164
Appendix	B—	Score of second movement of Haydn's Symphony, No. 3	166
Index			181

PREFACE

In putting out this little book, the author is well aware of the fact that many musicians feel that conductors, like poets and teachers, are "born and not made"; but his experience in training supervisors of music has led him to feel that, although only the elementary phases of conducting can be taught, such instruction is nevertheless quite worth while, and is often surprisingly effective in its results. He has also come to believe that even the musical genius may profit by the experience of others and may thus be enabled to do effective work as a conductor more quickly than if he relied wholly upon his native ability.

The book is of course planned especially with the amateur in view, and the author, in writing it, has had in mind his own fruitless search for information upon the subject of conducting when he was just beginning his career as a teacher; and he has tried to say to the amateur of today those things that he himself so sorely needed to know at that time, and had to find out by blundering experience.

It should perhaps be stated that although the writer has himself had considerable experience in conducting, the material here presented is rather the result of observing and analyzing the work of others than an account of his own methods. In preparation for his task, the author has observed many of the better-known conductors in this country, both in rehearsal and in public performance, during a period of some twelve years, and the book represents an attempt to put into simple language and practical form the ideas gathered from this observation. It is hoped that as a result of reading these pages the amateur may not only have become more fully informed concerning those practical phases of conducting about which he has probably been seeking light, but may be inspired to further reading and additional music study in preparation for the larger aspects of the work.

The writer wishes to acknowledge the material assistance rendered him by Professor John Ross Frampton, of the Iowa State Teachers College, and Professor Osbourne McConathy, of Northwestern University, both of whom have read the book in manuscript and have given invaluable suggestions. He wishes also to acknowledge his very large debt to Professor George Dickinson, of Vassar College, who has read the material both in manuscript and in proof, and to whose pointed comments and criticisms many improvements both in material and in arrangement are due.

K. W. G.

Oberlin, Ohio
June, 1918