International Saito Conducting Workshop                         Wayne Toews

The workshop will focus on concepts of conducting motion, expressing musical ideas and musicianship through baton technique, aural preparation, musical imagination, and showing musical elements and styles through gesture.

Click here to download the Course goals PDF

Course outline - elements

the field of beat
the constituent elements of a conducting gesture
     location, before and after point motions, acceleration and deceleration
baton grip
posture at the podium
preparatory position
preparatory motion
into-point motion - Shakui
3 - beat pattern
releases
phrasing and use of intermediate preparatory motion
stylistic considerations
imagining performers
showing dynamics
shifting accents
types A and B subdivision
into-point motion - Heikin Undo - conducting along with the ensemble
conducting fermatas
2 - beat pattern
into-point motion - Tataki
simple and compound subdivisions
from-point motion - Sen-Nyu
4 - beat pattern
tempo/beat size relationship
5 and 7 beat patterns
communicating with the performers
     rehearsal techniques
     communication styles
     cautions
score preparation
     gestural considerations
from-point motions - Hanneage
conducting in 6/8 compound duple and simple sextuple time
conducting in one

shifting metres

connecting into-point and from-point gestures
into-point motion - wrist Tataki
from-point motion - Shunkan Undo
stretching motion
conducting asymmetrical metres
use of the left hand
cues
eye contact
conducting multiple metres
roles as conductor

List of study pieces

Because of time contraints some works will be studied in more depth than others.

Studies from the Saito text (Pieces 1-7 can also be found in the Sonatina Album Vol.1 edited by Köhler, C.F.Peters)
     1. Variation Über "Vien' Qua, Dorina Bella"           von Weber
     2. Thema Aus Dem Impromptu Op. 142 No. 3           Schubert
     3. Andante Grazioso           Haydn
     4. Allegro           Haydn
     5. Andante cantabile con moto from Symphony 1           Beethoven
     6. Adagio          Haydn
     7. Larghetto from Sonatine Op. 20, No. 3           Kuhlau
     8. Blue Danube Waltz           Strauss

Supplementary pieces
The following pieces may be used

Theme Song          Zuckerman
Lullaby           Grechaninov
Prelude           Tetsel
La Cornemuse          Possoli
Le Coucou           Absil
On the Lawn           Grechaninov
Birds           Karamonov
March           Shostakovich
Dance           Goedike
Adagio           Shteibelt
An Old French Song           Tchaikovsky
Choral du XVI Siecle           Mouquet
The Little Commander          Maikapar
Change of Time          Bartok
In the Style of a Folk Song           Bartok
Kopanitsa           Kayomax
The Lovely Stara Planina           Kayomax
Waltz Op. 39 #2           Brahms
Waltz Op. 39 #3          Brahms
Waltz Op. 39 #4          Brahms
Waltz Op. 39 #16           Brahms
Slavonic Dances Op. 72 No. 5          Dvorak
Hungarian Dance No. 20          Brahms