Conductors in rehearsal

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  • Dave2002
    Full Member
    • Dec 2010
    • 18014

    Conductors in rehearsal

    Prompted by a recent offer of a set of Verdi CDs I discovered a few recordings of Toscanini in rehearsal -

    NBC Symphony Orchestra · Verdi: Ballo in Maschera - Arturo Toscanini in Rehearsal · Song · 2009


    http://open.spotify.com/track/6JfamnKXWaiBpeInbSSjNQ I have to say that I can't hear any difference between the first version which Toscanini felt wasn't right - "in tempo" - and the one which follows. I was also surprised at how much he did in Italian - with an American orchestra. The example with the double basses - is pretty excruciating. I wonder if the Italian language was a problem for many of the musicians. Perhaps the NBC orchestra which he worked with a lot got used to it.

    Are there any other recordings of conductors in rehearsal which are of interest? There are some of Bruno Walter which are worth hearing.
  • mercia
    Full Member
    • Nov 2010
    • 8920

    #2
    quite a few videos on youtube of conductors rehearsing, but you probably knew that already

    e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kqzx86-SJc

    Comment

    • umslopogaas
      Full Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 1977

      #3
      The 1966 DG LP set of 'Tristan und Isolde' runs to nine sides; the tenth is given over to about 20 minutes of Karl Bohm rehearsing the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra with Wolfgang Windgassen, Eberhard Waechter and Erwin Wohlfahrt (who sings the Shepherd at the start of Act 3). Its in German, but the booklet gives an English translation. i have listened to it a long time ago, but its hard work for one like me who isnt musically trained, though I think it would be fascinating for musicians, especially those who have worked in orchestras and with singers. Unfortunately this rehearsal excerpt is not included on the CD version.

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      • Ferretfancy
        Full Member
        • Nov 2010
        • 3487

        #4
        I have an entertaining CD of Beecham in Rehearsal in the Salle Wagram in Paris with the RPO, but we don't get much detailed work. Rain on the roof prevented recording, but a tape was left running as the orchestra were regaled by a series of anecdotes which are priceless. I don't suppose the disc is still in circulation, but it's well worth seeking out!

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        • Don Petter

          #5
          I see that the one which started it all (in LP days, at least) - The Birth of a Performance, with Bruno Walter rehearsing and then performing Mozart's 'Linz' Symphony - has resurfaced as a download from Naxos:

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          • Eine Alpensinfonie
            Host
            • Nov 2010
            • 20570

            #6
            Interesting ones include Boult rehearsing Vaughan Williams' The Pilgrim's Progress, Britten rehearsing his War Requiem, Elgar, his 2nd symphony.

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            • Hornspieler
              Late Member
              • Sep 2012
              • 1847

              #7
              The rehearsal shown on TV of Leonard Bernstein rehearsing his "West Side Story" with Kiri te Kanawa and José Carreras was hilarious - if you didn't mind Bernstein's language.

              Hs

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              • Eine Alpensinfonie
                Host
                • Nov 2010
                • 20570

                #8
                Originally posted by Hornspieler View Post
                The rehearsal shown on TV of Leonard Bernstein rehearsing his "West Side Story" with Kiri te Kanawa and José Carreras was hilarious - if you didn't mind Bernstein's language.

                Hs
                And his contra-tent with the trumpeter when rehearsing the Enigma Variations.

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                • Pabmusic
                  Full Member
                  • May 2011
                  • 5537

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
                  Interesting ones include Boult rehearsing Vaughan Williams' The Pilgrim's Progress, Britten rehearsing his War Requiem, Elgar, his 2nd symphony.

                  The 1927 (?) Elgar take (one side of a 78) was done without his knowledge, which makes it even more interesting than later 'staged' recordings.

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                  • Stunsworth
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 1553

                    #10
                    There's also Britten rehearsing the War Requiem.
                    Steve

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                    • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                      Gone fishin'
                      • Sep 2011
                      • 30163

                      #11
                      Mravinsky (a man of few words - you wouldn't want to argue with him! - but what an ear that could hear what the second violins in a Tutti were doing wrong ):

                      Le grand chef russe Evgueni Mravinsky répète les premières mesures du 4ème mouvement de la 2ème symphonie de Brahms (une vacherie pour l'orchestre, soit dit ...
                      [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

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                      • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                        Gone fishin'
                        • Sep 2011
                        • 30163

                        #12
                        Furtwangler, standing like a clock at five past six, arms flapping like a penguin with two broken wings - and yet ... the results! (Again with few words):

                        [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

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                        • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                          Gone fishin'
                          • Sep 2011
                          • 30163

                          #13
                          Barbirolli rehearsing students in a "warhorse":

                          Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.


                          ... and professionals in a work then unfamiliar to them:

                          [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

                          Comment

                          • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                            Gone fishin'
                            • Sep 2011
                            • 30163

                            #14
                            Not a "rehearsal", but Szell gives a masterclass to Levine (and others):

                            In this excerpt from a 1966 Bell Telephone Hour TV series, George Szell works with conductors Michael Charry, Stephen Foreman, and James Levine.
                            [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

                            Comment

                            • Dave2002
                              Full Member
                              • Dec 2010
                              • 18014

                              #15
                              Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
                              Mravinsky (a man of few words - you wouldn't want to argue with him! - but what an ear that could hear what the second violins in a Tutti were doing wrong ):

                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoGoVQKvtxU
                              Much less chatty than Kleiber. He didn't seem as severe as I'd feared, very matter of fact. Perhaps there was no confrontation because no one dared, so it all seemed very civilised!

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