Conducting the Wind Orchestra: Meaning, Gesture, and Expressive P ...

Göran Hermerén reminds us that “music is an intentional text, and these intentions, including those of the composer can be interpreted”.¹¹ However, the ambiguities of interpretation suggest the need—if not the desire—for a decision-making process on the part of the interpreter, leading toward a possible outcome in performance. The nature of these decisions does not necessarily imply disloyalty towards the composer, but rather are derived from the imagination and creativity of the performer.

Objectivity, Subjectivity, and the Middle Ground in the Art and Craft of Conducting

The notions of objectivity and subjectivity as they pertain to the conductor’s interpretation of the score have been debated for almost two hundred years. These terms have a fairly clear usage in discourses about conducting. In his book on conducting, Max Rudolf states, “attitudes toward musical interpretation oscillate between two extremes. One extreme would be marked by taking unrestricted liberties with the score, the other by literal adherence to it”.¹² The interpretation of a conductor based on a literal score reading is often called objective, whereas a more self-conscious interpretation tends to be called subjective. In the mind of many interpreters, the objective performance is not influenced by the conductor’s personality or personal convictions. However, the interpretation of a conductor who takes liberties with the text—who does not follow the letter of the score and allows elements outside of the score to colour his/her interpretation—is often called subjective. In reality, an objective interpretation is as subjective as any other in that the interpreter still must answer the questions of interpretation discussed earlier.