Horn Players on Conductorsby Aaron Manela, Cornucopia, May 1998 |
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Harold Meek, Horn & Conductor
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Horn players, I think, have a particularly slanted view of conductors. We've all experienced conductors, both good and bad, and we rate them on criteria ranging from temperament to knowledge to talent. Meek, Schuller, and Yancich give us insight into the famous conductors of the Twentieth Century. Their insight shows us, with the authority of experience, what makes a conductor great, or a dud, and what conductors must do to be effective and true to their art -- in front of an orchestra and in front of an audience. As a horn player, and hopefully a future conductor, I found all three books to be valuable.
Meek's work is short and to the point -- enjoyable if altogether too brief. His premise is that of advice to a conductor, on how to "guide and control the wealth of the instrument's expression." He gives some tips on subjects ranging from the importance of the fourth horn to seating, following by a brief anecdotal biography, focused on his relationship with Serge Koussevitzky, who, while autocratic, was also Meek's greatest champion. The rest of the book is devoted to a history of the horn, and to specific excerpts from the symphonic repertoire, examples that serve as a good reference for any conductor or hornist.
Schuller's tome is fascinating, though one must get past a good deal of ranting about how and why just about every conductor of our time has desecrated the works of the masters, either through purpose, ego, or accident. Schuller writes from the point of view of the composer. He presents the reader with a philosophy of conducting, which, summed up, says, "Know the music. Do exactly what the composer said to do in the score." He then spends the next 400 pages analyzing specific examples and how they are performed (and how they should have been performed) in a vast number of recordings. Consider this a reference book for in-depth score study, and ignore the cheap shots he takes at neo-romantic composers.
Yancich's book has been a joy to read. It is an autobiography composed of loosely organized anecdotes, the ruminations of an old gentleman, as it were. He writes of his career from his days in the Army band in WWII to the present, and he has an amusing tale to tell about almost everyone, from Eugene Ormandy to Yancich's personal nemesis, George Szell. In contrast to Schuller, he is always polite, even while being harshly critical. Of the three, this is the most valuable reading for any horn player.
Harold Meek, who was a founding member of the IHS and the first editor of the Horn Call, died in 1998. Gunther Schuller was named an Honorary Member of the IHS in 2000. Milan Yancich can be found at many horn workshops selling books and music from his publishing company, Wind Music. Aaron Manela is an amateur horn player and was assistant conductor of the Brandeis Wind Ensemble. In 2000, he moved to Charlottesville VA to be with his fiance, and last we knew he was considering a computer-related job offer. Email aaronmanela@yahoo.com