Everything You Wanted to
Know about Conductors, but Were Afraid to Ask
Does an orchestra need a conductor? Or would it be better off on auto-pilot? What exactly do they do? "There are undoubtedly quite a few charlatans In conducting," says Lorin Maazel , one of the world's highest-paid maestros.
This revealingfilm explores the many talents of concert and opera conductors, from the legends of the past like
Toscanini and Karajan to the great and not-so-great exponents of today.
What distinguishes the poseur from the genius?
" Conductors get away with not knowing the pieces well enough because there are too few really good people around," says
Franz Welser-Most of the LPO.
And how do they justify the money they make? Rodney Friend , former leader of the London and New York Philharmonics, offers this view:
"Many of our friends who stand on the podium get paid more than an entire orchestra. I think there's got to be something loopy in the whole profession." Producer Kriss Rusmanis
Series editor Nigel Williams