Conducting Business: Unveiling the Mystery Behind the Maestro

by Leonard Slatkin

Overview

Conducting an orchestra is something that is seen as well as heard, but it is quite misunderstood when it comes to knowing what this person actually does for a living. This most mysterious of jobs is brought to life for the music lover as well as for the aspiring maestro in a new book by Leonard Slatkin.

Drawing on his own experiences on and off the podium, Slatkin brings us into the world of the baton. He tells tales of some of the most fascinating people in the musical world, including Frank Sinatra, Leonard Bernstein, and John Williams. He takes the reader to the great concert halls and orchestras, soundstages in Hollywood, and opera pits around the globe.

Mr. Slatkin recounts his controversial appearance at the Metropolitan Opera, his creation and direction of summer music festivals, and a shattering concert experience that took place four days following 9/11. Life in the recording studio and on the road as well as health issues confronting the conductor provide an insider's glimpse into the private world of public figures.

Covering everything from learning how to read music to standing in front of an orchestra for the first time, what to wear, and how to deal with the press, Conducting Business is a unique look at a unique profession.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476821337
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2012
Series:	Amadeus
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Leonard Slatkin (Detroit, MI) has held positions that include directorships with orchestras in Washington DC, Saint Louis, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles and at the BBC. He has been nominated for 60 Grammys and won seven. His awards include the National Medal for the Arts and honorary degrees from twelve universities.

Table of Contents

Praeludium xi

Part One 1

1 The Bug Bites 3

2 Life Before Life 10

3 Growing Up Slatkin 22

4 Some of That Jazz 31

5 The Turning Point 37

6 Listening with Your Eyes 43

7 Walter Susskind 49

8 The Juilliard 54

9 Jean Morel 60

10 What the Composer Tells Us 65

11 Second Banana 79

Part Two 85

12 A Career Begins 87

13 A Life in the Year 93

14 John Edwards and David Hyslop 99

15 Keeping it All Together 104

16 Playing for Keeps 114

17 Running the Ship 123

18 Leonard Bernstein 141

19 Alice and the Carter Affair 145

20 As the World Turned 153

21 Days and Nights at the Opera 165

22 Everybody Dies 175

23 Hitting the Road 179

24 Summertime and the Livin' is Complicated 191

25 9/15 198

26 Two More Weeks at the Opera 205

27 Heart and Sole 222

28 One Strike and They're Out 233

Part Three 243

29 Ten Essential Decisions 245

30 Ten FAQs 274

Codetta 285

Acknowledgments 291

Music Excerpt Sources 293

Index 295