Watching the Baton: Pianists Working with Conductors

Pianists are often called upon to serve in many functions. In addition to solo repertoire, we are often asked to collaborate with instrumental and vocal soloists as their accompanist. We might be called upon to play in a chamber ensemble -- performing piano trios and quartets.. These roles often come fairly naturally to most pianists because in many ways they are extensions of the same role -- that of soloist.

There is another role that is common for the pianist. In this role, the soloist must now function as orchestra. No longer does the pianist make musical choices based solely upon their personal interpretation. Now, every decision is subject to the direction, vision, and mind of the conductor. The various settings where the pianist might sit under a conductor's baton are wide and varied; they range from large orchestras to choral ensembles, opera rehearsals, and churches. Regardless of the setting, the expectation of the pianist is always the same -- follow the conductor!

Personally, I did not do a lot of pianistic work under a conductor's baton during my studies. I've sang in choirs to fulfill the ensemble requirements for my degrees, but rarely served as the principle accompanist for the ensemble. As I grew into my profession, I found myself learning how to follow a conductor through rehearsals for musicals and a few high school choirs.  My situation has changed immensely now that I am in West Texas. Currently, I sit under 6 different conductors on a semi-regular basis. These conductors include collegiate professors, Ministers of Music, and community musicians. A few of these conductors are among the best conductors I have ever sat under and I learn more about the art of working with a conductor each time I sit in one of their rehearsals. Most of the conductors I have had the pleasure to work with are actually quite good. I have been very lucky. Occasionally, there are people on the podium who should never have held a baton in their life. Thankfully, those encounters are few and far between!

I am not a conductor at all! Let's start with that statement from the beginning. My conducting consists of merely maintaining a beat pattern and attempting to convey some of the musical shape I want. I choose to remain behind the piano instead of on the podium for a reason. However, while sitting at the piano, I have learned that there are a few things that the pianist needs from the conductor in order to provide them with the best accompaniment possible.

• Clarity. Whether we are talking about the beat pattern or the verbal instructions coming from the podium, it is essential that your communication be clear. This is not a matter of enunciation either (although that also helps). When working through a difficult passage, please don't stop showing me where the downbeat of each measure is. If you are bouncing your hands in the air on every eighth note in an effort to "make music," you are probably not telling me much that I need to know. It is also helpful if you tell me -- and the other members of your ensemble -- where you are beginning in the score when addressing trouble spots. I am trying to read your mind as much as I can, but there are limits.
• Respect for my time. Most of the time, this is an extension of the clarity issue. Please thoroughly prepare your rehearsal before starting and know what you intend to do before your ensemble walks in the room. If I am waiting for you to figure out what you are doing next -- or worse, if you have to pause to figure out the rhythmic pattern that you are trying to teach -- you are not making the best use of my time. Additionally, please be aware of the ending time of the rehearsal. If things need to run longer than expected every once in a while, I'll be a team player and hang in there with you. If you are extending the length of the session every time I see you, I'm going to begin resenting the fact that you don't care about my other commitments and I will begin looking for an escape.
• Maintain a sense of humor and joyfulness. If you are not passionate about the music and enjoying the process, how can you expect those who sit under your baton to feel any differently? When things just aren't going right, a word from you -- whether it is witty, silly, or encouraging -- can change the direction of the entire rehearsal; often times, when you help us relax, things suddenly begin to improve dramatically as well.
• Give me honest feedback. I hope I'm doing a good job for you. It helps to hear your opinion on the subject too. Let me know what is working well and what's not. I can't fix things if I don't know there is a problem.

Let's face it.....sometimes we will all encounter a person standing on the podium who is calling themselves a "conductor" who probably shouldn't own a baton. If only there were a law against the misuse of such a powerful item! When this happens, what can a pianist do to make the best of the situation?

• Be a team player. Remember that you aren't the only one getting poorly communicated information. Do your best to support the ensemble.
• Ask questions. In some cases, the conductor just needs to be asked for clarity in order to make a change. A politely phrased question can often do wonders for everyone involved.
• Maintain a professional, positive attitude. 
• Do the best you can in the situation. Thoroughly prepare your portion of the music and make sure that you are not adding to the confusion.
• Walk away from an unproductive situation if necessary. Sometimes we are experiencing more frustration than the help we are trying to provide. When these situations arise, make sure that you are finishing the commitment you are currently in (especially follow through to the performance that you are preparing for), give ample notice of your departure, and avoid unnecessary confrontation with the conductor at all costs.

"Down in the Forest" by Landon Ronald

With the beginning of a new semester, a lot of new repertoire is making its way to my music rack these days. Most of it is vocal music, much of which I have either performed or studied. When a student hands me a song I don't know....by a composer with whom I'm unfamiliar.....I become very intrigued and excited to learn more. Such was the case last week when I was first introduced to "Down in the Forest" by Landon Ronald (1873-1938).

Landon Ronald was an English conductor, pianist, and composer. His first professional break came in 1891 when he became accompanist and coach at Covent Garden. Ronald would later make his conducting debut in the same house, conducting the 1896 production of Faust. Shortly thereafter, Ronald would meet the soprano Nellie Melba who was without a pianist and needed to be prepared for the role of Manon. Melba recounts that Ronald spent a sleepless night learning the score (since he was not familiar with the opera) before arriving for rehearsal the next morning. The two worked through the opera as well as many art songs. At the conclusion of their time together, the soprano told Ronald to "Remember that for the future, you are Melba's sole accompanist."  Many years later, in the 1920s, Ronald recommended a career specializing in piano accompanying after hearing a performance by the young pianist, Gerald Moore.

Melba and Moore were not Landon Ronald's only influential friends. He was also a devoted companion of the English composer Edward Elgar and the violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler. Ronald would become a major proponent of Elgar's symphonic music; as a result of his devotion, Elgar dedicated his symphonic poem Falstaff to Ronald. Landon was the requested conductor for many of Kreisler's concerto recordings. 

Conducting opportunities in major houses soon began to dwindle for Ronald (as they did for many of England's conductors in the early 20th century). As a result, Ronald looked to other arenas to make an impact on the English musical tradition. From 1898 to 1902, he conducted musical theater productions in London's West End. Beginning in 1910, Ronald served as principal of the Guildhall School of Music in London; he would remain in this position until his death in 1938.

The compositions of Landon Ronald are diverse, ranging from a symphonic poem and incidental music to a ballet, Britannia's Reign. However, it is his song repertoire that has seen the most success; of these works, "Down in the Forest" is the only piece that remains in the modern repertoire. 

"Down in the Forest" was composed in 1906, the second song of a five poem cycle entitled Cycle of Life. Upon listening to the song, it is clearly reminiscent of the early years of musical theater with its soaring melodic line and undulating accompaniment. Although the harmonic progression is relatively slow, the perpetual movement in the accompaniment helps to propel the song from one verse to the next with the aid of a recurring piano interlude. Ronald's song is a sharp contrast to the other vocal works produced in the early years of the 20th century and a charming example of British song.

Returning from Injury

With the beginning of a new academic year, I decided it was also an appropriate time to return to weekly posts here on Collaborations. It is also appropriate since I am returning to the keyboard after a minor injury....and I decided that would be a great place to resume our conversation. Since I'm not a health professional, I will simply share my own story of injury and my road to recovery.

At the end of the spring semester, I knew something was wrong. While playing vocal juries, I began to experience numbness in the pads of fingers 1 through 3 in my right hand. There had been no noticeable warning of the problem. It just came on suddenly while playing a Brahms lied. I did not experience pain. I did not lose dexterity. But still, something wasn't right.

That's the first thing that must happen when dealing with an injury -- you simply must admit to yourself that there is a problem. This can also be one of the most challenging steps to recovery. Many pianists will attempt to write off their problems as simple fatigue. Let me be very clear.....there is a difference between an ache and acute pain. Pain is not a sign that the hands are merely fatigued. Pain and numbness are not normal and should be addressed.

Summer break was fast approaching for me, so I knew I had some time to rest and recover...and seek medical treatment if necessary. I immediately cancelled all of my upcoming engagements for the summer and began to turn to remedies that had provided relief for my hands in the past. I rested and took a significant break from practicing. I visited a massage therapist and experimented with both warm water soaks and icing to hopefully reduce any inflammation.

Although the numbness was not getting worse, it wasn't improving either. In order to make sure there was ample time to recover over the summer, I began consulting medical professionals fairly soon after arriving at my parents' home in eastern Arkansas. My first visit was to an orthopedic surgeon. I knew the doctor was the son of one of my former piano professors from graduate school and would be aware of the demands that pianists put on their hands. I was rather disappointed with this consultation. It consisted of a 5 minute conversation about my symptoms and a quick tap on my wrist with his fingertips. He immediately proclaimed that I had carpal tunnel syndrome and that an injection would provide relief. I explained that I was more interested in recovery rather than a short-term fix to my problem....so an injection was not really the route I wanted to go. He then prescribed a regiment of the oral steroid Prednisone. If the steroids did not solve the problem, he would begin to prepare me for surgery.

Since I didn't have a good feeling about the prospect of surgery and was not sure that it was the appropriate course of action, I sought a second opinion. After speaking with colleagues in the Memphis area, I learned that several had experienced good results while being treated at the Mississippi Upper Cervical Clinic in Southaven, Mississippi. I have received chiropractic care to deal with injuries incurred during an accident last summer and have seen its benefits, so I decided that it would be worthwhile to at least consult with Dr. Qualls.

Dr. Qualls' examination was very detailed. It was his opinion that the numbness I was experiencing was the result of a series of compressed nerves in my neck. While it would not be a quick solution, he was confident that the problem could be corrected without the need for surgery. I decided to continue with the chiropractic care throughout the summer. I was hopeful that I would fully recover since I was experiencing consistent, incremental improvement.

Now I am 3 months out from the initial onset of the hand issue. I continue to experience numbness occasionally, but it is not a daily occurrence. I am simply being cautious in my playing, making sure that I have ample time to stretch, warm up, and rest during each rehearsal period. I am continuing to receive chiropractic care now that I am back in west Texas and am confident that I will return to full health in the near future.

So what lessons have I learned from this experience? We know our bodies better than anyone else does -- and that often includes our doctors. It is important that we trust our instincts. Surgery seemed to be an overly aggressive response to me since there was no pain and no guarantee that I would be able to continue functioning after the procedure. There were simply too many uncertainties involved when other less-invasive treatments were still available to me. When it all comes down to it, we know which decision is right for our circumstances and our body. Combine your personal instincts with advice from medical professionals and prayer to find your road to recovery.