# What's it like to have Andris Nelsons (BSO) as a director?



## LAS (Dec 12, 2014)

We went to hear Dvorak's Stabat Mater yesterday, and once again I was struck by the rigidity of all the orchestra members. They move nothing but what's needed to play the instrument. Every now and then (2 or 3 times in the performance) someone would start nodding their head in a normal, but restrained fashion, and then would stop within 2 or 3 minutes. I had a picture of someone recording the performance and showing the offenders proof of their slip-ups and fining them a hundred dollars or something.

Is there any talk about this anywhere? Do professional musicians have their own message boards?

tia
las


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

LAS said:


> We went to hear Dvorak's Stabat Mater yesterday, and once again I was struck by the rigidity of all the orchestra members. They move nothing but what's needed to play the instrument. Every now and then (2 or 3 times in the performance) someone would start nodding their head in a normal, but restrained fashion, and then would stop within 2 or 3 minutes. I had a picture of someone recording the performance and showing the offenders proof of their slip-ups and fining them a hundred dollars or something.


I went to tonight's BSO performance of the same work.

Who cares what they look like when they play?


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

wkasimer said:


> I went to tonight's BSO performance of the same work.
> Who cares what they look like when they play?


Exactly!! excess gyrations, rocking-and rolling, bobbing and weaving can really be a huge distraction...it's also difficult to play a wind instrument if you are ducking and diving, twisting all the time...

I played for a conductor who thought maximum physical activity was a great plus!! he thought it looked engaging to the audience, and showed how much the musicians were into the music!! he even tried to get language into employment contracts - that musicians should appear "convincing and dedicated" on stage while performing!! [never mind if they could play well or not!!:lol:] that went nowhere, of course, but it was a pretty amazing proposal....
there is certainly physical communication inside the orchestra, inside sections, and between different sections - but the 'body English" is usually pretty subtle - a nod, a breath, a subtle cue or motion....


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## LAS (Dec 12, 2014)

I don't like excessive motion either. But the rigidity I see at the BSO makes me uncomfortable.


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