The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05

"The Opera in Paris is the only
theater in Europe where they beat
the time without keeping 1t; in all
other places they keep time without
beating It,"
In some instances large works were
performed with a kind of dual con-
Quoting, one leader sitting at the
harpsichord and another beating time.
yfhe harpsichord method was indeed
tenacious. AS late as 1929 Mendels-
sohn conducted his symphony in G
minor at a Philharmonic concert in
London while sitting at piano. And
this. too, in spite of the fact that Lud-
wig Spohr, the famous violinist, who
was also an eminent conductor. had
introduced the use OF the baton in
London in 1890.
Beating Time CorrecfIy.
The interpreting conductor, laden
down with the profundities of his
p.readings." was not at hand. But the
cid fashioned time beaten should not
he despised. Many of the wizards Of
the baton do not know how ito beat
time correctly. Many an orchestral
player wishes in his secret soul that
they did. Berlioz in his treatise on in
augmentation said
THE talent of the beaten OF time.
without demanding very high musical
attachments, is nevertheless sufficiently
difficult to obtain; and very few per-
sons really possess IL. The signs that
a conductor should make, although
generally simple, are nevertheless be-
como complicated under certain cir
cumstances by the division and even
the subdivision OF the time of the bar"
The time beaten had first of all to
possess a clear and unmistakable beat
for the beginning Of phrase and for
each bar. Now, what would the wiz
ard OF the baton Of to-day do il he had
60 remember always TO indicate such
matters and give up his amazing
whiris and sweeps and scoops and cirT
cular graphics? However, there are
still some conductors who are occu-
pied with interpreting composers rath-
er than revealing their own souls, and
these do remember that the move
rnepts of the baton. the left hand, the
head. the body and even the feet need
not necessarily be designed for effect
on the audience.
Such conductors are necessarily few.
Tor the glory and the princely salary
arc given TO him who can NEST COM
pletely bewitch the largest number OF
people. The foundations OF interprc-
tative conducting were laid by STAN
1Dits and Gosseo. who taught the world
OF music that in addition to precision
and unanimity Tin other words, keep
Ing time) an orchestra should be led
TO balance of tone and a nice adjust
rnent of dynamics. without doubt the
achievements Of these two men ush-
cred in a new era IN orchestral per-
torrance, but the work OF that era
was incomplete until HabenccK's d.
fecting made IL clear that unfagging
pursuit Of the principal melody and q
full publication of Il 10 the hearer
was the ultimate business OF an in
terpretativo conductor.
Various Devices EmpISyed.
NO contemporaneous wizards of the
baton are not content with this TO
revert to the beautiful performances
OF the Boston symphony Orchestra UNI
der Wilhelm Gericke. we may ask
what was their secret? Just that OF
Habcneck- Mr.. Gericke trained his
orchestra to play with incompatible
clarity and balance and with deli
cate finish In nuance which left not
single accent unconsidered. Mr.. Ger