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  • The magical moment, the magical moment of conducting.

  • Which is, you go onto a stage. There is an orchestra sitting.

  • They are all, you know, warming up and doing stuff.

  • And I go on the podium.

  • You know, this little office of the conductor.

  • Or rather a cubicle, an open-space cubicle,

  • with a lot of space.

  • And in front of all that noise,

  • you do a very small gesture.

  • Something like this, not very pomp, not very sophisticated, this.

  • And suddenly, out of the chaos, order.

  • Noise becomes music.

  • And this is fantastic. And it's so tempting

  • to think that it's all about me.

  • (Laughter)

  • All those great people here, virtuosos,

  • they make noise, they need me to do that.

  • Not really. If it were that,

  • I would just save you the talk,

  • and teach you the gesture.

  • So you could go out to the world

  • and do this thing in whatever company or whatever you want,

  • and you have perfect harmony. It doesn't work.

  • Let's look at the first video.

  • I hope you'll think it's a good example of harmony.

  • And then speak a little bit about how it comes about.

  • (Music)

  • Was that nice?

  • So that was a sort of a success.

  • Now, who should we thank for the success?

  • I mean, obviously the orchestra musicians

  • playing beautifully,

  • the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

  • They don't often even look at the conductor.

  • Then you have the clapping audience, yeah,

  • actually taking part in doing the music.

  • You know Viennese audiences usually don't interfere with the music.

  • This is the closest to an Oriental bellydancing feast

  • that you will ever get in Vienna.

  • (Laughter)

  • Unlike, for example Israel, where audiences cough all the time.

  • You know, Arthur Rubinstein, the pianist, used to say

  • that, "Anywhere in the world, people that have the flu, they go to the doctor.

  • In Tel Aviv they come to my concerts."

  • (Laughter)

  • So that's a sort of a tradition.

  • But Viennese audiences do not do that.

  • Here they go out of their regular, just to be part of that,

  • to become part of the orchestra, and that's great.

  • You know, audiences like you, yeah,

  • make the event.

  • But what about the conductor? What can you say

  • the conductor was doing, actually?

  • Um, he was happy.

  • And I often show this to senior management.

  • People get annoyed.

  • "You come to work. How come you're so happy?"

  • Something must be wrong there, yeah? But he's spreading happiness.

  • And I think the happiness, the important thing is this happiness

  • does not come from

  • only his own story and his joy of the music.

  • The joy is about enabling other people's stories

  • to be heard at the same time.

  • You have the story of the orchestra as a professional body.

  • You have the story of the audience as a community. Yeah.

  • You have the stories of the individuals

  • in the orchestra and in the audience.

  • And then you have other stories, unseen.

  • People who build this wonderful concert hall.

  • People who made those Stradivarius, Amati, all those beautiful instruments.

  • And all those stories are being heard at the same time.

  • This is the true experience of a live concert.

  • That's a reason to go out of home. Yeah?

  • And not all conductors do just that.

  • Let's see somebody else, a great conductor.

  • Riccardo Muti, please.

  • (Music)

  • Yeah, that was very short, but you could see

  • it's a completely different figure. Right?

  • He's awesome. He's so commanding. Yeah?

  • So clear. Maybe a little bit over-clear.

  • Can we have a little demonstration? Would you be my orchestra for a second?

  • Can you sing, please, the first note of Don Giovanni?

  • You have to sing "Aaaaaah," and I'll stop you.

  • Okay? Ready?

  • Audience: ♫ Aaaaaaah ... ♫

  • Itay Talgam: Come on, with me. If you do it without me

  • I feel even more redundant than I already feel.

  • So please, wait for the conductor.

  • Now look at me. "Aaaaaah," and I stop you. Let's go.

  • Audience: ♫ ... Aaaaaaaah ... ♫

  • (Laughter)

  • Itay Talgam: So we'll have a little chat later.

  • (Laughter)

  • But ... There is a vacancy for a ...

  • But -- (Laughter)

  • -- you could see that you could stop an orchestra with a finger.

  • Now what does Riccardo Muti do? He does something like this ...

  • (Laughter)

  • And then -- sort of -- (Laughter)

  • So not only the instruction is clear,

  • but also the sanction, what will happen if you don't do what I tell you.

  • (Laughter)

  • So, does it work? Yes, it works --

  • to a certain point.

  • When Muti is asked, "Why do you conduct like this?"

  • He says, "I'm responsible."

  • Responsible in front of him.

  • No he doesn't really mean Him. He means Mozart,

  • which is -- (Laughter) -- like a third seat from the center.

  • (Laughter)

  • So he says, "If I'm --

  • (Applause)

  • if I'm responsible for Mozart,

  • this is going to be the only story to be told.

  • It's Mozart as I, Riccardo Muti, understand it."

  • And you know what happened to Muti?

  • Three years ago he got a letter signed by

  • all 700 employees of La Scala,

  • musical employees, I mean the musicians,

  • saying, "You're a great conductor. We don't want to work with you. Please resign."

  • (Laughter)

  • "Why? Because you don't let us develop.

  • You're using us as instruments, not as partners.

  • And our joy of music, etc., etc. ..."

  • So he had to resign. Isn't that nice?

  • (Laughter)

  • He's a nice guy. He's a really nice guy.

  • Well, can you do it with less control,

  • or with a different kind of control?

  • Let's look at the next conductor, Richard Strauss.

  • (Music)

  • I'm afraid you'll get the feeling that I really picked on him because he's old.

  • It's not true. When he was a young man

  • of about 30, he wrote what he called

  • "The Ten Commandments for Conductors."

  • The first one was: If you sweat by the end of the concert

  • it means that you must have done something wrong.

  • That's the first one. The fourth one you'll like better.

  • It says: Never look at the trombones --

  • it only encourages them.

  • (Laughter)

  • So, the whole idea is really to let

  • it happen by itself.

  • Do not interfere.

  • But how does it happen? Did you see

  • him turning pages in the score?

  • Now, either he is senile,

  • and doesn't remember his own music, because he wrote the music.

  • Or he is actually transferring a very strong message to them, saying,

  • "Come on guys. You have to play by the book.

  • So it's not about my story. It's not about your story.

  • It's only the execution of the written music,

  • no interpretation."

  • Interpretation is the real story of the performer.

  • So, no, he doesn't want that. That's a different kind of control.

  • Let's see another super-conductor,

  • a German super-conductor. Herbert von Karajan, please.

  • (Music)

  • What's different? Did you see the eyes? Closed.

  • Did you see the hands?

  • Did you see this kind of movement? Let me conduct you. Twice.

  • Once like a Muti, and you'll -- (Claps) -- clap, just once.

  • And then like Karajan. Let's see what happens. Okay?

  • Like Muti. You ready? Because Muti ...

  • (Laughter) Okay? Ready? Let's do it.

  • Audience: (Claps)

  • Itay Talgam: Hmm ... again.

  • Audience: (Claps)

  • Itay Talgam: Good. Now like a Karajan. Since you're already trained,

  • let me concentrate, close my eyes. Come, come.

  • Audience: (Claps) (Laughter)

  • Itay Talgam: Why not together? (Laughter)

  • Because you didn't know when to play.

  • Now I can tell you, even the Berlin Philharmonic

  • doesn't know when to play.

  • (Laughter)

  • But I'll tell you how they do it. No cynicism.

  • This is a German orchestra, yes?

  • They look at Karajan. And then they look at each other.

  • (Laughter)

  • "Do you understand what this guy wants?"

  • And after doing that,

  • they really look at each other, and the first players of the orchestra

  • lead the whole ensemble in playing together.

  • And when Karajan is asked about it

  • he actually says, "Yes, the worst damage

  • I can do to my orchestra

  • is to give them a clear instruction.

  • Because that would

  • prevent the ensemble, the listening to each other

  • that is needed for an orchestra."

  • Now that's great. What about the eyes?

  • Why are the eyes closed?

  • There is a wonderful story about Karajan conducting in London.

  • And he cues in a flute player like this.

  • The guy has no idea what to do. (Laughter)

  • "Maestro, with all due respect, when should I start?"

  • What do you think Karajan's reply was? When should I start?

  • Oh yeah. He says, "You start when you can't stand it anymore."

  • (Laughter)

  • Meaning that you know you have no authority to change anything.

  • It's my music. The real music is only in Karajan's head.

  • And you have to guess my mind. So you are under tremendous pressure

  • because I don't give you instruction,

  • and yet, you have to guess my mind.

  • So it's a different kind of, a very spiritual but yet

  • very firm control.

  • Can we do it in another way? Of course we can. Let's go back

  • to the first conductor we've seen:

  • Carlos Kleiber, his name. Next video, please.

  • (Music)

  • (Laughter) Yeah.

  • Well, it is different. But isn't that controlling in the same way?

  • No, it's not, because he is not telling them what to do.

  • When he does this, it's not,

  • "Take your Stradivarius and like Jimi Hendrix,

  • smash it on the floor." It's not that.

  • He says, "This is the gesture of the music.

  • I'm opening a space for you

  • to put in another layer

  • of interpretation."

  • That is another story.

  • But how does it really work together

  • if it doesn't give them instructions?

  • It's like being on a rollercoaster. Yeah?

  • You're not really given any instructions,

  • but the forces of the process itself keep you in place.

  • That's what he does.

  • The interesting thing is of course the rollercoaster does not really exist.

  • It's not a physical thing. It's in the players' heads.

  • And that's what makes them into partners.

  • You have the plan in your head.

  • You know what to do, even though Kleiber is not conducting you.

  • But here and there and that. You know what to do.

  • And you become a partner building the rollercoaster,

  • yeah, with sound,

  • as you actually take the ride.

  • This is very exciting for those players.

  • They do need to go to a sanatorium for two weeks, later.

  • (Laughter)

  • It is very tiring. Yeah?

  • But it's the best music making, like this.

  • But of course it's not only about motivation

  • and giving them a lot of physical energy.

  • You also have to be very professional.

  • And look again at this Kleiber.

  • Can we have the next video, quickly?

  • You'll see what happens when there is a mistake.

  • (Music) Again you see the beautiful body language.

  • (Music)

  • And now there is a trumpet player who

  • does something not exactly the way it should be done.

  • Go along with the video. Look.

  • See, second time for the same player.

  • (Laughter) And now the third time for the same player.

  • (Laughter)

  • "Wait for me after the concert.

  • I have a short notice to give you."

  • You know, when it's needed, the authority is there. It's very important.

  • But authority is not enough to make people your partners.

  • Let's see the next video, please. See what happens here.

  • You might be surprised having seen Kleiber

  • as such a hyperactive guy.

  • He's conducting Mozart.

  • (Music)

  • The whole orchestra is playing.

  • (Music)

  • Now something else.

  • (Music)

  • See? He is there 100 percent,

  • but not commanding, not telling what to do.

  • Rather enjoying what the soloist is doing.

  • (Music)

  • Another solo now. See what you can pick up from this.

  • (Music)

  • Look at the eyes.

  • Okay. You see that?

  • First of all, it's a kind of a compliment we all like to get.

  • It's not feedback. It's an "Mmmm ..." Yeah, it comes from here.

  • So that's a good thing.

  • And the second thing is

  • it's about actually being in control,

  • but in a very special way.

  • When Kleiber does -- did you see the eyes,

  • going from here? (Singing)

  • You know what happens? Gravitation is no more.

  • Kleiber not only creates a process,

  • but also creates the conditions in the world

  • in which this process takes place.

  • So again, the oboe player

  • is completely autonomous

  • and therefore happy and proud of his work,

  • and creative and all of that.

  • And the level in which Kleiber is in control is in a different level.

  • So control is no longer a zero-sum game.

  • You have this control. You have this control. And all you put together,

  • in partnership, brings about the best music.

  • So Kleiber is about process.

  • Kleiber is about conditions in the world.

  • But you need to have process and content to create the meaning.

  • Lenny Bernstein, my own personal maestro.

  • Since he was a great teacher,

  • Lenny Bernstein always started from the meaning. Look at this, please.

  • (Music)

  • Do you remember the face of Muti, at the beginning?

  • Well he had a wonderful expression, but only one.

  • (Laughter)

  • Did you see Lenny's face?

  • You know why? Because the meaning of the music is pain.

  • And you're playing a painful sound.

  • And you look at Lenny and he's suffering.

  • But not in a way that you want to stop.

  • It's suffering, like, enjoying himself in a Jewish way, as they say.

  • (Laughter)

  • But you can see the music on his face.

  • You can see the baton left his hand. No more baton.

  • Now it's about you, the player,

  • telling the story.

  • Now it's a reversed thing. You're telling the story. And you're telling the story.

  • And even briefly, you become the storyteller

  • to which the community, the whole community, listens to.

  • And Bernstein enables that. Isn't that wonderful?

  • Now, if you are doing all the things we talked about, together,

  • and maybe some others,

  • you can get to this wonderful point of doing without doing.

  • And for the last video, I think this is simply the best title.

  • My friend Peter says,

  • "If you love something, give it away." So, please.

  • (Music)

  • (Applause)

The magical moment, the magical moment of conducting.

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