Many of us know that in modern symphony music and grand opera performances, the conductor is the soul of the entire orchestra and the entire performance. Some people really don’t understand: Who can’t do directing? It’s just playing time. Besides, the band is full of specially trained performers. Don’t they know how to count the beats themselves? In fact, conducting and keeping time are two completely different things.
When the band was small in the beginning, people really didn’t need a conductor. But as the band gradually expanded, it became impossible to perform without a conductor. Starting around the 19th century, orchestras became increasingly large, requiring a conductor to connect the performers. As a result, command and command methods appeared in the 19th century, and it is generally believed that Mendelssohn was the first real conductor.
In addition, when a person learns to play various beats, it is only the beginning of his learning of command, and the distance between the two is huge. Beating time is just counting time, and as a conductor, he must convey the meaning of the music. He must understand the score, read as much information as possible from the score, and then add his own feelings and experiences with the texts left by the composer to tell his musicians how to proceed through the complex art of conducting. Do. According to the score left by the composer, he has to make his own judgments in many aspects such as speed, strength, style, rhythm, etc. Sometimes, in order to achieve his ideal state, he had to make some changes to the string method in the score and the orchestration of the work. In addition, in order to accurately understand the work, he must also have extensive knowledge and know the composer's history, thoughts, background at the time and many other aspects. At the same time, he must also have a pair of sensitive ears that can hear subtle changes in the grand sounds of various musical instruments. Let the whole huge band become a handy instrument in his hands. It can be seen that being a conductor is far from simple.
Since the birth of the art of conducting, there have been many great conductors and various schools. However, among these people, the most famous name should undoubtedly be Toscanini. The musicians who have performed with him on the same stage and the appreciators who have listened to his works all hold him in high esteem. They called Toscanini "the supreme master among all conductors." Their evaluation of Toscanini’s conducting art is “Although there are many great conductors in the past and present, Arturo Toscanini’s influence on the art of conducting and orchestral performance is unsurpassed by anyone. ."
Toscanini was born in Parma, Italy in 1867. The great composer Giuseppe Verdi was born not far away in Busseto, and both of them were born into civilian families. Toscanini's father was a tailor. When he was young, he participated in Garibaldi's volunteer army and participated in the struggle against tyranny and oppression. His mother was a kind housewife who raised her children and took care of the housework at home. Toscanini had an amazing memory when he was a child. He could often hum all the arias of the operas he watched on his way back from the opera house. It was his mother who first discovered his musical talent and sent him to study at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Parma when he was 9 years old. But there, he could not study his favorite conducting major, so he chose the cello department, because at that time only relatively unpopular majors such as cello were exempt from paying room and board fees. When he was studying cello, he never forgot to study his favorite major, so when he graduated, he had achieved deep attainments in piano, music theory, and conducting.
After graduation, he first appeared on the music stage as a cellist. Toscanini's move to the conducting stage was very accidental and legendary.
It was when Toscanini was 19 years old, he went on a tour of South America with the opera troupe, and Toscanini was the cellist of the band at the time. Due to the poor conductor and actors at the time, and the criticism from the audience, the conductor resigned at the critical moment of the performance, and the audience kicked the unsatisfied deputy conductor off the podium. When the theater manager was at a loss for what to do, someone recommended Toscanini to him.
At that time, when he was conducting the "Tannh?user" overture, his mind suddenly went blank, and the master's beat suddenly hesitated. He held his head in pain and lay on the music stand. After a while, he raised his hand to signal the orchestra to enter. The performance of a piece of music.
This is just Toscanini as a great conductor, and in the minds of many people, he is a Toscanini who loves freedom and democracy, opposes fascist tyranny, and fights unyieldingly against it. Canini.
While Toscanini was leading La Scala Opera House to achieve brilliant results, fascism headed by Mussolini began to spread in the country. Moreover, his conflict with fascism became more and more obvious and intense.
When Toscanini was to conduct the premiere of Puccini's opera "Turandot" at La Scala, Mussolini also wanted to attend and wanted to be there before he entered the theater. The band played fascist hymns. And Toscanini would rather refuse to conduct the opera's premiere than do that. In the end, Mussolini had to give up his plans to attend the premiere.
Another time, Mussolini passed by Milan and asked to see Toscanini. Later, he earnestly asked Toscanini to join the Fascist Party, but Toscanini refused.
Another time, two fascist leaders were going to attend a concert conducted by Toscanini. The theater asked him to add two fascist hymns to the repertoire, and stated that Toscanini would not be allowed to conduct it himself. , leaving only the first violin to do the work. Unexpectedly, Toscanini yelled angrily: "No!" and threw his coat and hat to the ground at the same time.
These actions finally angered the fascists, who abused and beat Toscanini, and threatened his family. Their family's passports were revoked, and his phone was monitored day and night. But all this did not make Toscanini surrender. He said, "I would rather abandon everything, but I want to breathe freely. Here you must agree with Mussolini, but I will never think of being with him." Go, never!"
Due to his deep hatred of fascism, he also had extreme contempt for pro-fascist artists. Furtw?ngler was also a famous conductor at the time. But because he succumbed to Hitler's power and played fascist hymns, Toscanini completely broke with him and said: "In front of Furtw?ngler as a musician, I am willing to take off my hat; but, as an ordinary person, I am willing to take off my hat." I have to wear two hats in front of the man Furtw?ngler."
Due to the severe situation in Italy at that time, he had to leave his motherland and seek refuge in the United States.
During the "World War II", Toscanini has always supported the anti-fascist struggle of the people around the world. He led some famous American orchestras to hold benefit performances everywhere, and issued statements with other political asylum seekers to support the United States. government. In addition to being a musician, he also became a heroic fighter against fascism. He even became a symbol of victory against fascism: when Mussolini fell, he left the La Scala Opera House in Milan where he had run for many years. Posters were immediately put up: "Long live Toscanini!" "Toscanini, come back soon!"
In this way, Toscanini's genius of command and noble character made him Ni stands like a great statue in the hearts of all music-loving and freedom-loving people in the world.
On January 16, 1957, Toscanini ended his life as a soldier and musician. But the huge influence he left will never disappear. As he famously said: "Human life is limited, but the life of music is infinite, and music will not die."