Conducting for a Soloist: Part One by Ray DeVilbiss
The protocols of performing with a soloist help set the stage for musical excellence
Taking a band through its paces in a spirited rendition of an overture or other major work is by no means an easy task. Given ample rehearsal time, most conductors do a creditable job. Working with accompanying soloists, however, is an especially formidable task for many young conductors.
Even when sufficient rehearsal time is available, the end result can be a second-rate performance. For the most part, mediocre accompaniments are rarely the fault of soloists. Rather, they are due to a lack of conductorial experience and the apparent inability of some conductors to establish and sustain a rapport with soloists.
Performers in accompanying ensembles are expected to master rhythms, notes, fingering techniques and so forth, and they should be informed by conductors about balances, tempi, dynamics and phrasing indigenous to the accompaniment. While ensemble precision is necessary to provide a good accompaniment, there must also be empathy between the conductor and soloist that melds their distinctive musical personalities into an aesthetic unity so that both are of one mind about interpretation of the work. When that kind of rapport prevails, conductors can get along much more comfortably with the often difficult task of persuading 50 or more musicians to provide the soloist with a sympathetic accompaniment.
Two sets of suggestions will be presented to assist conductors and soloists in achieving an artistic performance. The first (listed here in Part One) deals with external or nonmusical issues; the second (in Part Two) will focus on musical issues. The first is concerned with protocol, a most important part of solo performances.
Nonmusical suggestions
1. If the soloist needs a music stand, arrange for it to be carried on and off the stage by another person, with as little confusion as possible.
2. If student soloists are also performing members of the larger ensemble, try to program solos at a time most advantageous for securing the best performance. Advise student soloists to rest prior to playing the solo.
3. When it is possible to do so, soloists who are ensemble members should be permitted to exit the stage one number before the solo. In any event, it is best to follow the entrance and exit procedures listed below.
4. The conductor should exit the stage at the conclusion of the number prior to the solo.
5. While the conductor and soloist are off stage, a first chair player should retune the ensemble to give the soloist an opportunity to check pitch levels.
6. When entering the stage, the soloist should precede the conductor.
7. Ensemble members should applaud the soloist's entrance. Doing so will prompt an appropriate response from the audience.
8. When the solo has concluded, conductor and ensemble members should join with the audience in applause.
9. At the conclusion of the solo, guest artists often shake hands with the conductor, and possibly with the principal clarinetist or violinist, before acknowledging applause from the audience.
10. When the soloist exits during prolonged applause, the conductor remains on stage and, as the applause continues, signals the soloist to return for further recognition.
11. As the applause begins to fade, the conductor exits the stage immediately after the soloist, even though the soloist may not have recognized the ensemble by asking its members to stand and share in the recognition.
12. Student soloists should be schooled in this protocol and also advised not to turn away from an audience too soon after the applause begins. The audience might take this as a signal to cease applauding – unnecessarily so.
When conductor, soloist, and all members of the ensemble are "on the same page" with these soloist protocols, the stage is properly set for an aesthetically unified musical performance.
Ray DeVilbiss, professor emeritus at the University of South Dakota and retired director of the Sioux City (Iowa) Municipal Band, died in December, 2002. The prominent music educator was author of several articles and pamphlets first published by Leblanc Educational Publications in the 1960s. This installment is a revised excerpt from one of those publications. Part Two will appear as a future Keynotes online update.
