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"And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful." (1 Chronicles, chapter 15:22)

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The Conductor
Conductor and composer Anton Rubinstein (1887) by Ilya Repin, The Russian Museum, St. PeterburgThe conductor is the orchestra's "boss". He or she is the one required to prepare the orchestra to perform a musical pieceLeonard Bernstein guides the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and he does so by guiding the players how to perform it, both at the rehearsals that take place before the concert and during the actual performance. The conductor needs to possess vast knowledge in fields of performance practice, orchestration, the orchestral sound typical of different eras, music theory, the background to the writing of the piece, the manner in which the composer wishes to deliver his art to the audience and more. The conductor shows the rhythm, by which to play, with one hand, and uses the other one to indicate volume, entries and exits and other performance instructions.Zubin Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
The conductor is required for leadership and the ability to control the orchestra, which consists of many creative people, all brilliant in their own area. He is the one whose hand signals dictate the orchestra’s performance, for had each and every player decided independently how to perform his or her part, the result would have been undefined and lacking in uniformity.
The great conductors perform many of the musical pieces by remembering the entire score (the paper showing the notes of all instruments of the orchestra) by heart. ToscaniniToscanini with The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (1936) - courtesy of the The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra & Photo R. Weissenstein, Tel-Aviv, perhaps the most magnificent conductor in the history of music, possessed an astonishing memory, and conducted dozens of pieces every month, most of which, without having the score facing him.
Among the greatest conductors in history are Leonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein photo - courtesy of the The Israel Philharmonic OrchestraLeonard Bernstein conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Mahler, Haydn  and Lully, who died as a result of the conducting pole hitting his foot.



Beethoven Symphony No. 5, 3rd mvt
Arturo Toscanini/NBC Symphony Orchestra




Great conductors on USA stamps

An anecdote about a great conductor

Conductors Jokes
Conductors Jokes

Quotations of conductors
Quotations


Great conductors among the composers

Beethoven

Mahler

Haydn


Toscanini
One of the greatest conductors in history
Toscanini on a USA stamp

Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957)


Famous conductors on the web

Web sites about this conductorArturo Toscanini
Web sites about this conductorLeonard Bernstein
Web sites about this conductorHerbert von Karajan
Web sites about this conductorDaniel Barenboim
Web sites about this conductorBruno Walter
Web sites about this conductorClaudio Abbado
Web sites about this conductorKurt Masur
Web sites about this conductorSergiu Celibidache
Web sites about this conductorJohn Barbirolli
Web sites about this conductorZubin Mehta
Web sites about this conductorOtto Klemperer
Web sites about this conductorEugene Ormandy
Web sites about this conductorSeiji Ozawa
Web sites about this conductorAndré Previn
Conductors @ work
Berlioz with his poor orchestra players - a caricature from 1846, Bibliotheque de l'Opera, Paris
Berlioz
Verdi conducts the orchestra
Verdi
Toscanini with The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (1936) - courtesy of the The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra & Photo R. Weissenstein, Tel-Aviv
Toscanini
Leonard Bernstein - courtesy of the The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Bernstein
Chart for Conductors (1906) by Schliessmann, from 'Lustige Blatter'
From an old conducting book

Conductors on the WWW
Sites about conductors in the internet
Sites
Audio & Music  about conductors in the internet
Audio
Videos of conductors in the internet
Video
Images of conductors in the internet
Images


"Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands" (Psalms, psalm 66:1)


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