The ClarinetThe clarinet has a cylindrical tube
with a mouthpiece at one end and
a bell
at the other. It is very expressive
and nearly as agile as the flute,
but it has
a more powerful tone..
RangeThe clarinet is played in treble clef.
It is a transposing instrument
commonly
in B flat (for flat keys) and in A (for
sharp keys).
The Chalumeau Register
The register contains the lowest
notes of the clarinet range. It is very
dark
in tone and hollow-sounding. The
tone gets lighter as pitch rises.
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ConductorThe conductor is the key person
responsible for directing the musicians
in the performance of a musical work.
He puts the multiplicity of instrumental
sounds in order while providing
interpretation for the music.
History
Conducting became a full-time virtuoso
profession only in the 19th Century
although it has existed for a long time in
history. In the earlier times, one of the
keyboard player or a concert master
often acted as the conductor by
functioning as a time beater. They
achieved this either by beating time with
their hands, by tapping the violin bow or
by a steady background beat on the
keyboard. Eventually, conducting became
a profession by itself due partly to the
efforts of composer-conductors to achieve
higher standards of performance. Also, in
the 19th Century, music has elevated to a
higher position in the arts than it had before.
Composers began to write increasingly
complex music that demanded more and
more skilful musicians. This fostered
the rise of the virtuoso conductor- one
who can hold all the forces together
and make interpretive sense of the
sounds.
Qualifications of the Modern ConductorAlthough in principle, the modern
conductor is concerned with maintaining
a rhythmically united performance by
the orchestra, he also needs to
control all the abstract aspects that
influence the performance. Thus his
qualifications include mastery of at
least one instrument, an extended study
of orchestration, wide musical knowledge
including composition. He should
also have a distinguishing talent for
interpretation, so that he can understand
the will of the composer as captured in the
score and best bring out the essence of
the musical work.The conductor should
have a sense of pitch in his mind, so that
when the actual rendition does not come
up to the standard fixed in his musical
imagination, he will set about attaining
that ideal during the rehearsal. It is
therefore necessary that he know the
score thoroughly. This allows him to
hold the eyes of the musicians and thus
control the fine points of interpretation.
It is important that the conductor possess
a charismatic or attractive personality.
As soon as he gets on the podiums, he is
able to draw all attention to himself. His
gestures and expressions should be easily
understood by the musicians so that they
can understand his musical instructions
and also to guide the audience in listening
to the music.
General Techniques of Conducting :
PostureThe body position should be comfortable.
Stand with legs apart, knees slightly bent
and back straight. The arms should be
lifted up straight out in front of the body.
The right hand is generally used to
indicate the meter (the number of beats)
and tempo. It moves in recognized pattern
in groups of two, three, four or more beats.
The left hand is to signal entries of different
instruments and to communicate musical
aspects such as increase or decrease in
volume.
The BatonThe baton is a stick of about 12 inches
long, made of light wood, with a
pear-shaped handle of a size that fits the
particular hand and allows the thumb and
first finger to contact the shaft.It is the conductor's
technical instrument used to beat time
and indicate poise and tempo. It is
usually held in the right hand, although
left-handed people may hold it in their left
hand instead. The baton becomes a
continuation of the arm, amplifying its
expressions and gestures accordingly.
The Conductor's gestures should be
projected to the tip of the stick. At times,
the Conductor may prefer not to use the
baton as it creates certain rigidity, which
is not very appropriate when conducting
a delicate music piece. Thus, the usage of
the baton is subjected to the
discretion of the Conductor.
Time-beating in the right handTime-beating in 3 Right hand: down, right,
up
Final WordsThe skill of conducting is as varied as music
itself since conducting styles vary greatly
among different conductors. In the creative
element of conducting, there can be no
specific expressions and gestures. They
are developed according to the mutual
relationship and understanding between
the orchestra and the conductor.
By: EvElYn.. :)
