CONDUCTOR AND ACCOMPANIST
[Sidenote: NECESSITY OF CORDIAL RELATION]
In chorus directing, it is of the utmost importance that conductor and
accompanist not only understand one another thoroughly, but that the
relationship between them be so sympathetic, so cordial, that there
may never be even a hint of non-unity in the ensemble. The unskilful
or unsympathetic accompanist may utterly ruin the effect of the most
capable conducting; and the worst of it is that if the accompanist is
lacking in cordiality toward the conductor, he can work his mischief
so subtly as to make it appear to all concerned as if the conductor
himself were to blame for the ununified attacks and ragged
rhythms.[35]
[Footnote 35: On the other hand, the conductor sometimes shifts the
responsibility for mishaps to the accompanist when the latter is in no
wise to blame, as, _e.g._, when the organ ciphers or a page does not
turn properly.]
[Sidenote: CHOOSING THE ACCOMPANIST]
In order to obviate the disadvantages that are likely to arise from
having a poor accompanist, the conductor must exercise the greatest
care in choosing his coworker. Unless he knows of some one concerning
whose ability there is no question, the best plan is probably to have
several candidates compete for the position; and in this case, the
points to be especially watched for are as follows:
1. Adequate technique.
2. Good reading ability.
3. Sympathetic response to vocal _nuance_.
4. Willingness to cooperate and to accept suggestions.
Of these four, the last two are by no means the least important; and
sometimes it is better to choose the person who has less skill in
reading or technique but who has sufficient innate musical feeling to
enable him not only to follow a soloist's voice or a conductor's beat
intelligently, but even to anticipate the dynamic and tempo changes
made by singer or conductor.
The minds of conductor and accompanist must work as one. In stopping
his chorus for a correction, it should be possible for the conductor
to assume that the accompanist has followed him so carefully and is in
such close musical rapport with him that, before the conductor speaks,
the accompanist has already found the badly executed passage, and the
instant the conductor cites page and score, is ready to play the
phrase or interval that was wrongly rendered. The same sort of thing
ought of course to take place whenever there is a change of tempo, and
it is to be noted that in all these cases the accompanist must make a
_musical_ response to the conductor's interpretation, and not merely
an _obedient_ one.
[Sidenote: COURTEOUS TREATMENT NECESSARY]
Having chosen the best available person to do the accompanying, the
next thing in order will be to treat the accompanist in such a way
that he will always do his best and be a real help in causing the
chorus to produce effective results. Next to the conductor, the
accompanist is undoubtedly the most important factor in producing fine
choral singing; hence our reference to the accompanist as the
conductor's _coworker_. The first thing to note in connection with
getting the best possible help from the accompanist is that he shall
always be treated in a pleasant, courteous way, and the conductor must
learn at the very outset not to expect impossible things from him; not
to blame him for things that may go wrong when some one else is really
responsible; and in general, to do his utmost to bring about and to
maintain friendly, pleasant relations. This will mean a smile of
approval when the accompanist has done particularly well; it may
involve publicly sharing honors with him after a well rendered
performance; and it certainly implies a receptive attitude on the
conductor's part if the accompanist is sufficiently interested to make
occasional suggestions about the rendition of the music.
If you as conductor find it necessary to make criticisms or
suggestions to the accompanist, do this privately, not in the presence
of the chorus. Much of the sting of a criticism frequently results
from the fact that others have heard it, and very often if the matter
is brought up with the utmost frankness in a private interview, no bad
blood will result, but if a quarter as much be said in the presence of
others, a rankling wound may remain which will make it extremely
difficult for the conductor and accompanist to do good musical work
together thenceforth.
[Sidenote: NECESSITY OF PROVIDING THE MUSIC IN ADVANCE]
One of the best ways to save time at the rehearsal is to provide the
accompanist with the music in advance. Even a skilful reader will do
more intelligent work the first time a composition is taken up if he
has had an opportunity to go through it beforehand. This may involve
considerable trouble on the conductor's part, but his effort will be
well rewarded in the much more effective support that the accompanist
will be able to furnish if he has had an opportunity to look over the
music. When the accompanist is not a good reader, it is, of course,
absolutely imperative that he not only be given an opportunity to
study the score in advance, but that he be _required_ to do so. If in
such a case the conductor does not see to it that a copy of the music
is placed in the accompanist's hands several days before each
rehearsal, he will simply be digging his own grave, figuratively
speaking, and will have no one but himself to blame for the poor
results that are bound to follow.
[Sidenote: ORGAN ACCOMPANYING]
If the accompaniments are played on the organ, the conductor will need
to take into consideration the fact that preparing and manipulating
stops, pistons, and combination pedals takes time, and he will
therefore not expect the organist to be ready to begin to play the
instant he takes his place on the bench; neither will he be
unreasonable enough to assume that the organist ought to be ready to
pass from one number to another (_e.g._, from a solo accompaniment to
a chorus) without being given a reasonable amount of time for
arranging the organ. The fact that in such a case the accompanist has
been working continuously, whereas the director has had an opportunity
of resting during the solo number, ought also to be taken into
consideration; and it may not be unreasonable for the organist to wish
for a moment's pause in order that he may adjust his mental attitude
from that demanded by the preceding number to that which is
appropriate to the number to follow. All this is especially to be
noted in performances of sacred music, in which no time is taken
between the numbers for applause. In any case, the least the conductor
can do is to watch for the organist to look up after he has prepared
the organ, and then to signal him pleasantly with a nod and a smile
that he is ready to go on with the next number. This will not only
insure complete preparedness of the organ, but will help "oil the
machinery" and keep relations pleasant.
The conductor of a church choir should remember that the organist has
probably studied and is familiar with the dynamic resources of his
instrument to a much greater extent than the conductor; and that many
times the organist is not depending upon his _ear_ in deciding the
amount of organ needed, so much as upon his _knowledge_ of what the
total effect will be in the auditorium. It is frequently impossible to
tell from the choir loft how loud or how soft the sound of the organ
is in the body of the house. The conductor, not knowing the dynamic
values of the various stop combinations as well as the organist, must
not presume to criticize the latter for playing too loudly or too
softly unless he has gone down into the auditorium to judge the effect
there. Even this is not an absolute guide, for the balance is very
likely to be different when the auditorium is full of people from what
it was when empty. Moreover, the amount of choral tone frequently
increases greatly under the stimulus of public performance. All in
all, therefore, a good organist should be permitted to use his own
judgment in this matter. In any case, do not resort to conspicuous
gestures to let him know that there is too much or too little organ.
He has probably discovered it as soon as you have, and will add or
subtract as soon as it can be done without making an inartistic break
in the dynamic continuity of the accompaniment. If a signal becomes
absolutely necessary, make it as inconspicuously as possible.
[Sidenote: ACCOMPANIST MUST SEE DIRECTOR]
We have previously stressed the fact that the conductor must stand so
that his beat may be easily seen by all performers; and this matter is
of the utmost importance in connection with the accompanist. He must
be able to see you _easily_ if he is to follow your beat accurately;
further, he should be able to see your face as well as your baton, if
a really sympathetic musical relationship is to exist. This may appear
to be a small point, but its non-observance is responsible for many
poor attacks and for much "dragging" and "running away" on the part of
accompanists.
The sum and substance of the whole matter may be epitomized in the
advice, "Be courteous, considerate, and sensible in dealing with your
accompanist and verily thou shalt receive thy reward!"