On the Principles and Practice of Conducting

By Markand Thakar

A practical manual for building musical understanding and physical skills, intended for conductors at all stages of development.

This book is a practical manual for anyone who stands on a podium helping an ensemble make music. The four main chapters address the major obligations of the conductor: (1) bringing the musical tones to life in the most beautiful, most moving way possible; (2) freeing the mind to fully absorb all the tones; (3) freeing the body of unnecessary tension; and (4) effectively using the freed mind and body to influence the sounds. Each chapter begins with a summary of the underlying principles, presents real-life applications, and offers exercises for developing skills.
Video demonstrations of the exercises as well as downloadable scores and parts are available on a companion website. The parts, in multiple transpositions, allow for hands-on experience where standard instrumental complements are unavailable.

Markand Thakar, music director of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, is an internationally renowned pedagogue of conducting. A prot g of the legendary Sergiu Celibidache and former assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Thakar is author of Looking for the "Harp" Quartet: An Investigation into Musical Beauty (University of Rochester Press, 2011) and Counterpoint: Fundamentals of Music Making (Yale University Press, 1990).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1648250963
• ISBN13: 9781648250965
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: University of Rochester Press
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.9" x 11.5"