sandiegoopera OP t1_j6xrcqo wrote
Reply to comment by TheMusicArchivist in I'm Yves Abel, Principal Conductor of the San Diego Opera. I’ve conducted all over the globe, and even got to work with the great Leonard Bernstein while in training. AMA! by sandiegoopera
Anybody can become a conductor if they have had the discipline of playing an instrument and knowledge of styles and repertoire.
But then the physical aspect of how to sculpt music with your arms and hands is a gift not everyone can have, and then the mind, psychological/intrapersonal attributes, and frankly communication skills are not for everyone.
As for Puccini, I never think anything he ever wrote is not "organic". Knowledge of Italian and the voice is paramount as phrasing and rubato are all tied intimately to how one shapes the tempi, phrasing, rubato.
Amphy64 t1_j6zctvb wrote
That's very interesting, is comfort with the language a factor in selecting conductors, do they learn multiple languages like singers often do?
Eighteenth French complaints about opera can tend to focus on the idea of whether the language fits the medium and wanting the words to be understood, and the culture puts a lot of value on clarity and accurate enunciation when speaking so I've tended to see that as an aspect often emphasised in French opera.
(And the Puccini double bill sounds amazing btw, not as common to get to see those two of his!)
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