Product Description

For junior- to graduate-level courses in Introduction to Conducting (advanced techniques included), Band, Orchestra, Chorus. Requires background in Music Theory, Music History, and Music Analysis. Building upon a classic conducting text, this edition updates references and expands sections to provide students with more comprehensive explanations of concepts. It emphasizes that a technical approach should be complimented with musical insight and an understanding of conducting as a gesture. This text details baton timing techniques; shows the relationship of time, speed, and motion; and looks beyond training into preparing for a career as a conductor.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #194564 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 252 pages

From the Publisher
Extensively refined and updated, this new edition on conducting posits that conducting is a time-space art. It builds basic manual techniques--and includes additional band scores excerpts, placed in proximity with the classic repertoire. The text adds new baton timing techniques, and shows the relationships of time, speed, and motion.

From the Back Cover

Written in a clear style that speaks directly to the serious conducting student, The Modern Conductor, Seventh Edition, maintains Dr. Elizabeth A.H. Green's time-honored approach to conducting technique while offering new insights into opera conducting, career-building, and score study.

Building on the concept of conducting as a time-space activity, co-author Mark Gibson clarifies the pedagogical ideas of the legendary Russian maestro, Nicolai Malko, as first put forth by Dr. Green. The Seventh Edition incorporates into Malko's classic approach a heightened emphasis on the role of the conductor and the non-technical skills that the aspiring conductor must acquire to prepare for a podium career in the twenty-first century.

• The Usefulness of the Baton
• Expressive Gestures
• "Zig-Zag"
• Audition/Rehearsal Checklist

The student will attain insights into handling contemporary scores and unconventional notation, as well as instrumental and choral conducting and aspects of advanced musicianship in relation to wind ensemble, orchestra and chorus. Important concepts and terms are highlighted to enable the reader to find them quickly. Exercises and drills are included in the text to reinforce critical concepts and skills.

About the Author

Mark Gibson. Director of Orchestral Activities at the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), University of Cincinnati, Mark Gibson enjoys a distinguished podium career both as a performer on the concert stage and in the opera pit and as a teacher and observer of the craft of conducting. As professor of ensembles and conducting at CCM, he serves as music director of the CCM Philharmonia Orchestra, one of the world's leading conservatory orchestras, and heads CCM's program in orchestral conducting. During the summers, Mr. Gibson serves as co-artistic director and conductor of the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca (Italy), sponsored by the University of Cincinnati.

Sought after both for conducting master classes and orchestral appearances, Mr. Gibson has been invited as guest professor of conducting at the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, the Hochschule fur Musik and Theater, Munich, and the Indiana University School of Music, visiting professor of conducting and ensembles at the Eastman School of Music.

A former Tanglewood conducting fellow, Mr. Gibson pursued conducting studies with Gustav Meier, Seiji Ozawa and Leonard Bernstein. He attended the University of Minnesota, studying piano with Paul Freed before earning his B.M. in piano at the New England Conservatory of Music with Theodore Lettvin. His conducting and opera studies began with Gustav Meier at the University of Michigan, from which he earned a M.M. degree.

His students occupy podiums around the world, including Xian Zhang, first prizewinner of the inaugural Maazel/Vilar Conductors' Competition.

Prior to joining the faculty of CCM, Mr. Gibson was principal conductor of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, a regular guest conductor with the New York City Opera, and resident conductor of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona.

Customer Reviews

Great Book after reading Rudolf's book
This book written by the legendary conducting teacher Elizabeth A.H. Green is very insightful and shows the beginnings of conducting from an old master like Malko.

I would reccommend buying the Max Rudolf text (used by most major conservatories and universities) for a more substantial basis. Then read this book and get a whole new perspective on several different baton techniques, rehearsal techniques, and conducting in general.

My only problem is that I don't think this book is worth the 68 dollars that the publisher is asking. First get the Rudolf (much thicker, more info for a basis, and cheaper) and get this book. It's great despite the price and somewhat limited explanation.

Clear, constructive, and essential
The Modern Conductor is an amazingly straight-forward book. Its directions are constructive and clear, and by following Elizabeth Green's suggested exercises and drills, you will develop great conducting "grammar." Arm motions become second-nature, and the aspiring conductor can focus instead on expressing musical ideas clearly to the orchestra.

I was Elizabeth Green's last student before she died in 1995. This book brought me to this wonderful musical sage. Nothing can replace the lessons I had with her as senior in high school, but the Modern Conductor encapsulates her method and primary teachings. It is an essential book for any conductor who wants to speak clearly with the hands.

It's better to see one time than to be told a hundred
I have the fifth edition of this book, which I bought on Amazon.com for $15. I don't believe the 7th edition is THAT radically different to pay $68.
The book is concise and clear but comparing to "The Technique of Conducting" by Ilya Musin (another pupil of Nikolai Malko) is rather scimpy and informationally insufficient. Max Rudolf definitely covers much more territory than E. Green, 5th or 7th edition notwithstanding. No one, so far, did a better job explaining the intricacies of manual technique than Musin.

Green's book would be of much more value if it came with a DVD, demonstrating all that is said in the book. It's better one time to see than a hundred times to hear about.

There is one book (and a small one) that might serve a better purpose. A student of Ilya Musin came up with his own pedagogical book:
Ennio Nicotra, Introduction to the orchestral conducting technique in accordance to Ilya Musin's school. This one is in three languages (English, Italian, Spanish) and it comes with a DVD, in which all the techniques and manual tricks are shown sequentially. Check it out!