{"product_id":"the-silent-musician-why-conducting-matters-9780226622552","title":"The Silent Musician: Why Conducting Matters","description":"\u003cp\u003e • Author(s): Mark Wigglesworth\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher: University of Chicago Press\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher Imprint: University of Chicago Press\u003cbr\u003e • BISAC: Instruction \u0026amp; Study - Conducting\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe conductor--tuxedoed, imposingly poised above an orchestra, baton waving dramatically--is a familiar figure even for those who never set foot in an orchestral hall. As a veritable icon for classical music, the conductor has also been subjected to some ungenerous caricatures, presented variously as unhinged gesticulator, indulged megalomaniac, or even outright impostor. Consider, for example: Bugs Bunny as Leopold Stokowski, dramatically smashing his baton and then breaking into erratic poses with a forbidding intensity in his eyes, or Mickey Mouse in \u003ci\u003eFantasia\u003c\/i\u003e, unwittingly conjuring dangerous magic with carefree gestures he doesn't understand. As these clichés betray, there is an aura of mystery around what a conductor actually does, often coupled with disbelief that he or she really makes a difference to the performance we hear. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Silent Musician\u003c\/i\u003e deepens our understanding of what conductors do and why they matter. Neither an instruction manual for conductors, nor a history of conducting, the book instead explores the role of the conductor in noiselessly shaping the music that we hear. Writing in a clever, insightful, and often evocative style, world-renowned conductor Mark Wigglesworth deftly explores the philosophical underpinnings of conducting--from the conductor's relationship with musicians and the music, to the public and personal responsibilities conductors face--and examines the subtler components of their silent art, which include precision, charisma, diplomacy, and passion. Ultimately, Wigglesworth shows how conductors--by simultaneously keeping time and allowing time to expand--manage to shape ensemble music into an immersive, transformative experience, without ever making a sound. \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47573715550359,"sku":"9780226622552","price":2822.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0666\/3471\/1191\/files\/9780226622552.webp?v=1774893581","url":"https:\/\/atlanticbooks.com\/products\/the-silent-musician-why-conducting-matters-9780226622552","provider":"Atlantic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}