By Laurie Niles: Back in the late 20th century, when I was young, there was a weekly show on television called "American Bandstand," on which host Dick Clark would play the top pop tunes that were on the radio that week, while a horde of teenagers danced in the background. Occasionally he would hold a microphone up to one of them and ask, "How did you like that song?" The response was basically always the same, "I liked it. It has a good beat, and you can dance to it."
To me it was so silly, a variation on the same review every time. Is there nothing more interesting or in-depth to say about a given song?
It occurred to me that musicians might review a conductor the same way:
"I like this conductor. He/she has a good beat, and you can play to it."
Oh really, is there nothing more to it than that? Well, yes, there is.
However: a "good beat" IS arguably the most important thing that an orchestral musician needs from a conductor. Clarity in the midst of the storm: to be able to look up and see clear-cut beat pattern, no matter what the music is doing - this is the crucial difference in being able to do your job with confidence and being lost in the aforementioned storm. If you look up and can't understand what you see, it's hard to land right. If you look up and you know exactly which beat is being given and when, then everyone can coordinate with confidence.
It's harder than it sounds - that beat has to come with great certitude. If the conductor is "following" the orchestra, the beat slows and spins into a circle of dismaying uncertainty, as orchestra follows conductor, who follows orchestra, and so forth. A great conductor has an excellent sense of anticipation, sensitive to what is happening in real life but also delivering their own straightforward vision.
Add to that a clear cue when you need it, and you can't help but love this conductor. The conductor can do any kind of ballet, odd movements or emoting they like, as long as that clear, accurate and coherent beat is reliably there.
To call out a particularly good conductor: Gustavo Dudamel is a master of the clear and accurate beat, and I would argue that is a main ingredient in his brilliant conducting.
![Gustavo Dudamel]()
Conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Certainly, he brings other things to the table: a sense of poetry, on-pointe musical choices in terms of tempi and dynamics, a thorough knowledge of the score, etc. But he has one of the most disciplined beats Ive ever seen. Not only does he appear to feel and know the beat, but he constantly and clearly communicates it with great precision from the podium.
Of course, as I mentioned before, there is a lot more to the job than beating time. A conductor - a symphony's "music director" - is obliged fulfill many roles: musical, social and even societal. It's incredibly hard to be a jack of that many trades.
The music director chooses the program for the season - scheduling the repertoire and inviting the soloists. This program has to be both artistically valid and "marketable" - something that pleases the general audience, the board, the musicians and the critics alike. Quite a needle to thread.
In rehearsal, the conductor must keep things genial while still fixing problems of balance, intonation, coordination, rhythmic precision, etc.. And like an athletic coach, the conductor plays a role in maintaining morale, setting the tone, keeping it professional.
The conductor is also the public face of the organization, expected to deliver engaging pre-concert talks to the audience, win over donors and work amicably with board members from the community. And literally, his or her face may be plastered all over the city, on billboards, flags, program covers, the side of a building....
But at the heart of it all? A good beat. You can dance to it; you can play to it.
You might also like:
Conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
- Review: Mahler 6 with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil
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