To memorise or not to memorise

Last weekend with the Ulster Orchestra, I conducted Dvorak's New World Symphony from memory. Whilst this is not an extraordinary feat in itself, it did free me from the constraints of having to follow the music on a bit of paper and turn the pages at the correct time. This sounds obvious but believe me, if the conductor has learnt his trade properly and studied the score correctly he should know the music intimately and therefore huge parts of the music are not necessary for him to follow. However, this has its downside as what happens if he has a score open in front of him and has been conducting for some considerable time without needing to refer to the score, but suddenly comes to a bit of which he is unsure? Too late, the music is not open on the right page and suddenly panic will set in and pages will start flying as he hurriedly looks for the right place in the performance! Ninety-nine times out of a hundred the orchestra will save him, but they can see and sense the uncertainty in his eyes and demeanour, and nothing destroys the confidence of an orchestra in a conductor more than uncertainty. Therefore when I conduct from memory I make sure I know every note, well not quite every note, but I must make sure I can sing the piece all the way through in my mind before closing the score. I have a video recording of Toscanini conducting a live performance of Beethoven 5 and at the end of the symphony with the final chords, you know he expects a chord in one of the silent bars as he gives a definite donwbeat. There is shock registered on his face, then a flicker of disgust with himself, before the orchestra to a man (in those days) saves him and plays not a note. So it can happen to even the greatest of memory men, and Toscanini was one such as he used to rehearse and perform everything from memory. The audience will not have noticed, but the orchestra will, as they sense what all great conductors possess and that is the art of hypnosis as perpertrated by conductors was broken for a few seconds. That is perhaps a subject for another day, meanwhile I will only conduct those pieces I know as intimately as I know the back of my wife's hand. It gives me freedom and the ability to engage with each and every great musician within the orchestra without having to take my eyes off them, look down, and check I'm on the right page. After all, conducting music is a bit like having a conversation with someone, and when you talk to people, do you look them in the eyes or keep looking down at the floor?