By David Amos
SAN DIEGO–When we are asked to name the greatest conductors of the Twentieth Century, many important names come to mind. No need to repeat them at this time. But, it is unlikely that Erich Leinsdorf would make that list. This is unfortunate, since Leinsdorf, who admittedly did not break any major new paths, was a solid conductor of symphonic music and opera as there were in our times.
Many of us remember Leinsdorf (1912-1993) as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conductor and music consultant of the Metropolitan Opera, and guest conductor of great orchestras of Europe, Israel, and America.
Born Erich Landauer in Vienna, he started studying music at the age of five. He later studied conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and worked as an assistant to Bruno Walter and Arturo Toscanini. He first conducted at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1938, and after immigrating to the United States, became a citizen in 1943. He held the position of Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra for three years, but that was interrupted when he was drafted by the Armed Forces for World War II.
He also was principal conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic from 1945 to 1955 and New York City Opera, but is best remembered for his tenure with the Boston Symphony, from 1962 to 1969. He continued with many guest conducting assignments throughout the world.
Leinsdorf was notorious for being highly opinionated on many subjects, and he had his share of clashes with musicians and administrators. On the positive side, he left us a legacy of many wonderful recordings.
I read a book, Erich Leinsdorf, On Music, a valuable compilation of his various writings, letters, and essays on orchestral music, opera, and our rapidly changing times. I found his opinions and his stands on various issues, both in complete agreement with my thoughts, and at times somewhat less so.
For example, I objected to the labeling of certain music as “inferior” and other works as unquestioned masterpieces, solely because they came from a particular composer or school.
On the other hand, the book contains so much logic and a no-nonsense approach to music making, that I was pleased to find reinforcement of many of my own feelings, such as Leinsdorf’s love for baseball. He drew this comparison, with which I fully agree, much to the chagrin of many a musical purist:
“Conducting and coaching (in opera) in the music world is in many ways very similar to coaching in the world of sports. In music, as in sports, the coach aims to bring together, as a team, a number of individuals, who will, in public performance, demonstrate unanimity of purpose. These individuals must learn the same phrasing, the same pronunciation of the language sung, and the same emphasis on similar themes and tunes. They must produce a balanced sound that requires flexible reading of dynamic markings and a few hundred other items concerning nuance, special effects, and whatever else the score and work may require”.
Other interesting remarks that caught my attention:
*“An accomplished conductor has people playing with him, while a good faker will have an experienced orchestra play in spite of him”.
*“If music, as performance is again to become a healthy and health-giving activity, the dominant striving for more perfection must be replaced by a new priority, that of honesty. The “star” system and the obvious overuse of the great classic masterpieces have opened the box office doors to many kinds of dishonest dealings”.
*“Unless government can be convinced that funding of minority values is more important than the objections of regional disinterested hostility, I see no point in federal subsidies at all”.
*“Edward Bernays once told me that the aim of publicity was to engineer consent. It was this that Herbert Von Karajan did to perfection, and he was rewarded with a pedestal reserved exclusively for the invulnerable”.
*“Composers have a fully conscious relationship with the public, and this is not to be confused with catering to low instincts and vulgar tastes”.
The book is full of quotable gems, and on the whole, is very readable for musicians and non-musicians alike.
It is published by Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon.
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Amos is conductor of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra in San Diego and has guest conducted orchestras around the world.