dow30

Hi Manny,

I have been try to broaden my horizons a little, so I have watching my Leonard Bernstein dvd's quite attentively. However, Mr. Bernstein makes this gesture with his baton and I really can't figure out what it means. Maybe you can clarify this for me.

Excerpt from Sibelius 2nd Symphony in D.
Video Sibelius 2nd Symphony in D (excerpt) - Leonard, Bernstein, NY, Philharmonic, Sibelius - Dailymotion Share Your Videos

Thanks,
Kim

Manny Laureano

Ah, he caught one of the 2nd violinists napping and it was a gentle way to awaken him!

(that was great, Kim... thanks so much for the day brightener!)

ML

Richard Oliver

Big Smile!

I'll laugh about it at work tonight.

Why am I thinking of Danny Kaye?


Richard

tpter1

Wonderful! Now I can say Bernstein and I share the same technique!

Vulgano Brother

Isn't that called "sticcato?"

Pedal C

That's too funny...he even had a spare ready!

I know a conductor who turned his head to the left while giving an especially large upbeat and punctured his eardrum with the baton. He said it hurt like hell, but he was too embarrassed to admit to what he'd done, so he finished the last few minutes of the rehearsal before going to the hospital. Fortunately, he didn't damage any of the important parts of the ear, so after a few weeks, the eardrum healed and his hearing was back to normal.

masterfulmusic29

My college band conductor did his doctoral dissertation on Lennie. And he does that special move every once in a while and I always wondered what to call it. However, to "Lennie's" credit at least he had a spare
James

Manny Laureano

I always have stuff happen with batons in concert with MYS.

A couple of years ago, I was using a longer-than-usual baton to conduct Rhapsody in Blue. At one point towards the very end, I gave a very strong downbeat and the laws of physics took over. My hand came down faster than the weakest part of this long baton could stand and the top 3/4 of the stick went sailing towards the trombone section while the handle stayed in my hand.

This last Rite of Spring show, in the middle of the Danse Sacrale, I clipped my music stand and the damned thing fairly disintegrated and I was, once again, left with the handle in my hand. I threw the thing to the ground, disgusted, and just went au naturel for the rest of it. A little boy in the audience, came up to me during the bows and brought the handle to me as the audience showed their appreciation to him. I laughed and gave it back to him. He turned out to be the son of our board president who later returned it to me because he insisted it become an MYS relic!

ML

dow30

I think I will put a new indestructable baton on the market, made of pvc or hard rubber, some kind of rubber grip for the handle, and a runaway strap that goes around the wrist, so it doesn't get away from you when you get a little over zealous in your conducting. Until then, may I suggest taking a rubberband and wrap it several times around the bottom of the baton until it creates a ridge so it does't go flying out of your hand. Or take the rubberband, tie a knot in the middle so you now have two loops, slide one loop over the bottom of the baton and the other loop over your thumb. Now, you don't have to worry about that thing sailing away. And Manny, try conducting a little bit more "gingerly" from now on.

KJaeger

My junior high band director used to keep a spare baton or two on his music stand - so that he could fire his baton at the recalcitrant percussion section when they misbehaved