The left hand or arm has always been used as an indicator of a Conductor's intent or instruction. Perusing the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Driver's Manual, notice how the provided hand signal illustrations use the left hand and arm to assist in indicating a Driver's intent of which direction he or she desires to take while in the midst of traffic. In the United States, even the vehicle's turn signals are located on the left side of the steering wheel.
Then a random thought occurred to me. Why not conveniently devise a left hand gadget to control intended musical direction for a Symphony Conductor? The gadget could be placed in a specially designed pocket allowing for an appropriate button to be pressed to indicate musical instruction at the appropriate time while an orchestral piece is being performed. It seems like some "whiz kid" should have already started work on such a project...
The Symphony Conductor's left hand and arm signals and demonstrates the strong element of intended direction and, dare I say it, "love". Love for the Composer's music, love for the Musicians who perform as a singular, yet multifaceted "vehicle"; and love for the audience as the directed harmonious strains of coordinated notes reach their ears, and stimulate their senses. When a
"tutti" is needed, the grand gesture exudes with and from the left hand and arm of the Conductor. When a
"sotto voce" , or any other interpretive concept is musically instructed, it is once again the work of the left hand and arm. These movements can be described, in my view, as an "
Embrace of Love". This love can
not be manufactured. It can
not be imitated, and only duplicated as the Conductor heeds the intended directional signals written by the original Composer.
Therefore, fear not
ye Symphony Conductors! Your invaluable place in musical society is firmly planted. Because the element of love comes from within the designated "Driver", it can
not be arbitrarily invented, placed in a computer generated scheme, or haphazardly repeated no matter how often a composition is rehearsed or performed.
Remember, it is this "Embrace of Love" the drives each individual Symphony Conductor to faithfully follow a Composer's intended musical direction.
Kudos, then, to the "Embrace of Love"!
Image Attribution:
By Unknown (signed as "Poyet")[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
