The First Step to Becoming Cool in Classical Music
Yannick’s Revelation…
I attended a Philadelphia Orchestra concert that included Valerie Coleman: “Umoja, Anthem for Unity”; Bartok: “Piano Concerto No. 3” (Helene Grimaud) and Dvorak: “New World Symphony.”
It was a fantastic, enjoyable and uplifting concert from beginning to end, but one moment really stood out.
In the Dvorak, there were several revelations for me in this universally known and loved piece of music. First, conductor Yanick Nezet-Seguin’s tempos in the first movement were slightly slower than what we’re accustomed to, and it worked. And, the symphony’s prominent woodwind solos were never loud or dominant. Instead, they were exquisite and lovely.
Somehow, well into the Dvorak symphony, the maestro’s baton slipped out of his hands, and landed in the hands of a gentleman in the first row, on the left side of the stage.
YN-S continued conducting, but quickly turned his head around to see where his baton had landed. The gentleman held it up for him to see, and YN-S gave him a serious look that communicated he wanted his baton back. He reclaimed his stick and continued conducting the Dvorak. (That sequence of events took less than three seconds.)
60+ seconds later, he turned around and communicated to the baton-catcher what I assume were words of thanks and gratitude.
About 90+ seconds later, Y N-S turned around again and offered what I assume was a second note of thanks and gratitude.
At the end of the performance, he acknowledged the baton rescuer as if he were a soloist (the audience roared their approval), and then he bowed down to present him with the baton of the hour. Again, you could sense the conductor’s gratitude, and the audience ROARED again.
The Philadelphia Orchestra audience loves their conductor for his performances with the orchestra. Obviously.
But I suspect they also love him because on stage he is both Music Director and a wise, down to earth and compassionate human being. Living authentically in the moment, no matter what the circumstances are, is his way of life.
Audiences respond to that subtle personal touch that informs the artistic and human experience, and it appears that authenticity is a value Yannick-Nezet Seguin chooses to embrace.
“As long as I’ve done this for a living, I never tried to be provocative. Accepting yourself gets musicians to trust you. Audiences too.” (Yannick Nezet-Seguin)
Authenticity is cool. All Art is Personal.
P.S. Yannick Nezet Seguin taught Bradley Cooper how to conduct like Leonard Bernstein in the 2023 movie “Maestro.” Here’s what didn’t happen in that movie. https://bit.ly/3vf6e7D
