G.P. - Tag - Budapest

Conducting Basics by Yuri Simonov

Sasha Mäkilä — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:39:00 +0200

Amongs many other good things, we received on the Yuri Simonov master class a memo of some very basic things you should/should not do while conducting. He wrote it originally in Russian, so this new translation (thanks Nima!) hopefully is a little bit more accurate on some points than the one we got on the master class.

It would be wonderful to get some comments on the memo - both from the master class participants, who can point any inaccuracies in the text, and from anyone else interested in conducting. This list actually does not concern so much the actual process of conducting (which is a highly complicated matter!), but is more about acting in a professional manner while on the podium. Feel free to comment!

Simonov conducting memo

Final impressions of the Yuri Simonov master class

Sasha Mäkilä — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:20:00 +0200

Friday the 13th, the final day of the master class! Well, despite the ominous date everything went fine! I enjoyed some beautiful performances in the final orchestra rehearsal - especially Oleg Soldatov's interpretation of Don Juan by Richard Strauss! He is already an experienced conductor who gets what he wants from the orchestra. Still he is ambitious and curious enough to come to master classes to learn more! I have high respect for him!

Oleg Soldatov conducting Don Juan

After the rehearsal we gave roses to the orchestra players to thank them for the good work. They were a fantastic master class orchestra with a friendly but professional attitude. I am sure every participant got an honest evaluation of their skills just by listening how the orchestra played under their direction.

Maestro Simonov rehearsing

After that we took a bus ride to Gödöllö, to a beautiful palace where the final concert was to take place. The orchestra played in open air, in less than ideal circumstances. Nevertheless the result was good! Maestro Simonov demonstrated his virtuosity in preparing the Mendelssohn violin concerto for concert with barely more than a run-through of the piece. The rest of the program was from our master class repertoire.

Open air concert in Gödöllö

Maestro Simonov's conducting was really pleasurable to watch even though the orchestra's power was reduced without proper acoustics. When the evening got darker they also had to compete with birdsong! Afterwards we had a nice coctail party and paid a visit to one of the three surviving baroque theaters in Europe, located inside the palace and recently restored.

Jolly master class participants after the concert

The partying continued late that night in a sentimental mood. After all, it is so hard to let go of your new friends and colleagues after working so hard side by side for ten days!

Heikki Seppänen gets his diploma

The official closing of the master class was held on Saturday morning. We were served a fantastic meal with good wine and people gave speeches in emotional state... We also got our master class diplomas, and maestro Simonov would speak briefly about every participant, evaluating their progress and giving advice for the future - all this in highly encouraging and poetic manner. Besides the diploma, everyone got a letter of advice from maestro, as well as a photo of all the participants with their contacts, and a new baton with our name inscribed onto it! We also got a DVD of our orchestra rehearsals and maestro Simonov's first rehearsal before the master class started!

After the lunch it was time for emotional goodbyes... Maestro Simonov encouraged all the participants to keep in touch with each other and help each other in the profession. Needlessly, I would say, since everyone seemed to have made great friends during the master class!

Finally relaxing with friends...

Sasha Mäkilä — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:31:00 +0200

Today was my last "working day" on this master class - I conducted Ravel's "La Valse" and then was just listening to our piano session. No more working! Of course maestro Simonov throws his teachings around so that you cannot avoid learning from him! Today, for example, he gave a lecture on the importance of knowing the score and how to study it fast and efficiently. Then we went over and over again through some problematic passages of Strauss' "Don Juan", and in the end everyone in the class learned those places by heart! On the next master class, he said, everyone should know the pieces by heart before the first day! Quite a challenge!

Me conducting La Valse

After the piano class I could finally go and relax with my colleagues. We went to eat in a Japanese restaurant, and then to a cafe with live piano music. Needless to say we had great time (except maybe not the one person who had still some studying to do for tomorrow - she seemed a bit stressed nevertheless...)!

Later I also compared some photos with my colleague Cyril. So far these new entries are so boring, because you really need to see all that is going on here to appreciate it. As soon as I am back home I will update all the entries and put some nice photos here. So a bit more patience, OK? It will be good!

Working hard

Sasha Mäkilä — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:43:00 +0200

Today it became obvious how hard work conducting is: I woke up early to study Stravinsky Apollon Musagete for the orchestra session - which went very well actually - and after that I had to gather myself to study Ravel La Valse and conduct it with the pianists.

Maja at the piano session

At the break in our piano session maestro Simonov showed me his notes from our first meeting 3 years ago in St Petersburg. It is incredible how organized he is - I remember him writing on his laptop during that master class, but I never would have believed that he has saved all he wrote and was able to dig it out to show it to me today. Apparently he makes a file about every person he is teaching!

Anyway, the comments he made back then were really harsh - his impression of me after the first lesson must have been very bad. On the second day he wrote something positive too: "made progress", "feels the music"... Now, after this master class I will get a couple of pages of notes from these 10 days. That should be interesting!

Another master class day & invitation to Poland

Sasha Mäkilä — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:28:00 +0200

Maestro Simonov and his translator Maria Antal

Today we had another fine day at the master class. It is so great to see how everyone here is making progress, no matter what their skill level is. I cannot but to recommend this master class to everyone who wants a week of technical discipline in his conducting as well as very good insights to the practical side of working with orchestras.

I got also some good news last night - I am invited to Poland, to the 8th Grzegorz Fitelberg competition in Katowice. I had to ask confirmation by email, since the web page still shows me as a reserve competitor. It will be great fun to go to another competition next autumn: First I will go to Croatia to the Matacic competition, where I will meet my new buddy Filip from this master class, and then I will compete with another new friend, Maja in Poland! And don't get me wrong, it will not be a bloody fight - I have noticed that competitions are a great way to meet nice people and have good time with your colleagues... ...if you are well enough prepared, so that you don't need to spend every night in bed with your scores!