Manny Laureano

Gentles all,

When I read Patrick's post about the jerk conductor he had a recent experience with, it made me sad because that sort of behavior is so unnecessary. You motivate players with a sincere love for what you do, not sarcasm and condescension.

So, I wanted to help counter that with a positive post about our boy, Osmo. The past couple of days in rehearsal have ben intense as we prepare the Eroica, the 1st, and the overture to Fidelio. A few things happened that I wanted to report to give hope that not all conductors are jerks.

Osmo is very big on getting the biggest dynamic range he can but it goes from the softest he can get not just the loud. It's one of the reaons the MO has such a distinct sound. There are very few orchestras that play a true pianissimo like us. So, he was working on a passage with the fiddles and it was very intense. He yelled out an instruction and I think he saw a reaction on the faces of some of the players. He stopped conducting and said to himself but out loud in a chastened way, "Osmo, why do you have to scream?" Then he sort of shook his head and apologized and proceeded to correct and lavish the fiddles with praise for playing a difficult passage well.

Yesterday he did something else that'll do your hearts good. He was tuning a tricky section with the woodwinds in finale of the Eroica when he stopped and said something to the strings I've been waiting to hear for thirty years:

"I have to say something as a wind player (he is a rather good clarinetist). When I am tuning the winds please do not pluck your strings to give the "proper" intonation. This is very annoying. They do not have the opportunity to offer the pitch to correct every one of you when you play out of tune. Maybe your intention is good but it is really hurtful. Please don't do it."

Praise the lord!

It's that kind of rehearsing and human relations approach that makes my job an immense pleasure, folks, honestly. There was a time when he first got here where I had my weeks in the barrel. What I've found is that if you really pay attention to what the guy with the stick wants and look at a piece of music in terms of thinking what he's going to want here or there, you're going to have an easier time of it. That only happens as time passes and you pay attention.

Anyway, I've done this 3rd symphony a hunbdred times but this ranks up there as one of the two best I've ever done. The other conductor I loved doing this with was Klaus Tennstedt. It was the big, romanticized style but I loved every second of it. You know, all the inserts and stuff. Fun to do. This weeks version is all the original notes but very powerful, anyway.

See you at the hall,

ML