now conductors get to be visual artists by proxy:
There’s this great quote from a letter by Verdi sent to Ricordi:
… these blessed conductors always have something to do; and their vanity isn’t satisfied unless they undo even what is going well! It’s not enough for them to accept the applause on stage like other prima donnas, and to thank the audience from the podium if it applauds four bars of the prelude, as if they had written them! All of this is ridiculous!
And of course, there is that. It’s naturally a symbiotic relationship, that one between composers and conductors (and performers in general). I mean, how few of history’s (well, let’s at least say the 20th century’s) great composers have been as capable as their counterparts in the world of professional conducting? This works out fine until you come across those conductors who really do hold the belief that they were the true CREATOR of the work playing in front of them. Without even playing a single note of course, but that’s almost besides the point.
Conductors are sort of like mid-wives. A composer could give birth to his/her creation without their assistance, but it just tends to be a whole lot messier.
Please note, I do not hold the above against Maestro Dudamel. Clearly he is quite modest about this project, which he should be. But to the people who came up with this schwindl: Really? At least the money will go to a good cause.
Meanwhile, how often do you see a video that cuts between a serious Swedish language interview and a crazy Scandinavian woman full-out belting “This is My life”?