# Conductor with a great left hand technique



## daspianist (May 13, 2011)

Could someone here kindly recommend a conductor (preferably with ample video footage available on Youtube or elsewhere) that has a great left hand (or, non-baton hand) technique for phrasing, cue, and etc? I have seen videos of some trainee and student conductors, and I always find their left hand to be somewhat artificial and forced when it comes to indicating phrase, and would like to see how the masters do it.. thanks!!


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## Stasou (Apr 23, 2011)

I would say that probably the baton-less conductors, in general, are best at communicating phrasing with their hands. Try watching Yuri Temirkanov, Pierre Boulez, etc.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Check out some early Bernstein footage like the Young People's Concerts with the NY Phil. Its marvelous energetic technique without the flamboyancy of his later years (which I also enjoy but most likely not what you are looking for).


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)




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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

There are a number of left-handed conductors, although precious few examples on YouTube. Here re a couple of clips of Donald Runnicles:











Another famous left-handed conductor is Paavo Berglund:











I have it on good authority from orchestral musicians that, after a few minutes, they soon become accustomed to the leftie approach and it causes no problems.


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## hemidemisemiquaver (Apr 22, 2011)

Stasou said:


> I would say that probably the baton-less conductors, in general, are best at communicating phrasing with their hands. Try watching Yuri Temirkanov, Pierre Boulez, etc.


I second that. By the way, how do conductors behave if a piece is polyrhythmic and they have to denote separate tempos at the same time? Do they give commands to different musicians with different hands at the time - for the ultimate perfection, you know?


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

Stasou said:


> I would say that probably the baton-less conductors, in general, are best at communicating phrasing with their hands. Try watching Yuri Temirkanov, Pierre Boulez, etc.


Don't forget Gergiev!


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

hemidemisemiquaver said:


> I second that. By the way, how do conductors behave if a piece is polyrhythmic and they have to denote separate tempos at the same time? Do they give commands to different musicians with different hands at the time - for the ultimate perfection, you know?


Yes, conductors have to conduct the different tempi or metres with their left and right hands. I know of one instance with a conductor indicated a THIRD tempo by the judicious nodding of his head. Remarkable multitasking!


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## hemidemisemiquaver (Apr 22, 2011)

This is awesome. Have you got any three tempo-conducting videos?


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

hemidemisemiquaver said:


> This is awesome. Have you got any three tempo-conducting videos?


Sadly, I am unaware of any videos of such things in existence.


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## daspianist (May 13, 2011)

Thanks for all of your inputs  Gergiev is certainly one of my favorites - and this is a good reminder that I should rewatch Gergiev conduct Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev.

One of the deadly sins often preached to students from conducting pedagogues is that "mirroring" (or having both hands imitating the same actions) is absolutely disastrous and should be avoided at all costs. While I can understand this sentiment, from my viewing experience - whether is that of a well regarded master like Claudio Abbado or an young "star" like Gustavo Dudamel" - there is a significant mirroring motions in their conducting. Often, the mirrored beats are transformed into a cue or a phrasing, and this reduces the awkwardness and suddenness of raising the hand to indicate an expressive item. Heck, even Pierre Boulez mirrors...

What is your thought on mirroring - do you think it detracts from your viewing experience and makes the conductor look amateurish, or do you think that mirroring, when performed tastefully and in conjunction with other expressive gestures, add to the clarity of instructions communicated to the musicians and audience?


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## Stasou (Apr 23, 2011)

Delicious Manager said:


> Don't forget Gergiev!


Of course. Sorry about that.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Glenn, when he's conducting his own right hand while playing.


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## hemidemisemiquaver (Apr 22, 2011)

mcamacho said:


> Glenn, when he's conducting his own right hand while playing.


Haha! He overall was a funny fella...


> Throughout his career Gould displayed several unconventional mannerisms, among them humming audibly while playing and conducting himself whenever he had a free hand. Most agree that these were part of his musical personality and not conscious attempts to attract attention to himself.


With conducting oneself things get more interesting than with simply conducting. Especially for me, because I also did it while playing Mozart with my right hand - it helped me to play a passage with better phrasing. :devil: I doubt that it's "mannerism" though - if non-musicians don't realize that certain techniques assist to improve playing, it's their own problem. In fact, _"Many great pianists, including Andre Watts and Grigory Sokolov, hum while they play"_, and _"Gould's is just quite a bit louder than average."_

And one more funny thing: not only Gould conducted while playing piano. Gulda (almost homonym to him, don't you find?) did it too:


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## daspianist (May 13, 2011)

hemidemisemiquaver said:


> Haha! He overall was a funny fella...
> With conducting oneself things get more interesting than with simply conducting. Especially for me, because I also did it while playing Mozart with my right hand - it helped me to play a passage with better phrasing. :devil: I doubt that it's "mannerism" though - if non-musicians don't realize that certain techniques assist to improve playing, it's their own problem. In fact, _"Many great pianists, including Andre Watts and Grigory Sokolov, hum while they play"_, and _"Gould's is just quite a bit louder than average."_
> 
> And one more funny thing: not only Gould conducted while playing piano. Gulda (almost homonym to him, don't you find?) did it too:


I love how he's all blinged up and wearing sunglasses. Friedrich Gulda is a genius - truly dedicated to his art through, at times, the most original means.


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