A Perspective of the Literature on Conducting

Extract

Orchestral conducting, of all branches in the realm of musical interpretation, calls for the most profundity, versatility and musicianship. It is puzzling, therefore, why so little has been done to list and to codify the literature about it. That practically nothing has been done in this regard may come somewhat as a surprise to many, as it did to me a few years ago, when I first began to make a bibliography of works in this and related fields. It is difficult to hazard an explanation why this is so when one considers the tremendous interest and almost overpowering fascination the orchestral conductor exerts upon the minds of most concert-goers.