Carl’s Classic Coffee Break

Ten golden rules from Richard Strauss (1920)

1. Remember that you should make music not to amuse yourself but to delight the audience.
2. Only the audience should get warm – you should not perspire when conducting.
3. Conduct Salome and Elektra as if they were fairy-tale scherzos by Mendelssohn
4. Never look encouragingly at the brass, except for brief glancs at important cues
5. Never let the horns and woodwind out of your sight – it you can hear them at all they are still too loud.
6. If you think the brass are playing at the right volume turn it down another notch or two.
7. It is not enough that you can hear every word a soloist sings. You should know it be heart anyway.  The audience must be able to follow without difficulty. If they cannot then they will go to sleep.
8. Always accompanysingers in such a way that they can sing without effort.
9. When you think you have reached the limits of prestissimo double the pace.
10. If you follow these rules carefully you will always be the darling of your listeners.