What is the conductor's role in a concerto with a soloist? Some would say his or her responsibility is to connect the soloist with the orchestra to form one cohesive unit. When this method is successful, the overall result might be one of a solid performance at the possible forfeit of some artistic liberties on behalf of the soloist. Others might say that it is the role of the conductor to simply guide the orchestra down the path the soloist has set in rehearsal and will set in the performance, basically to get out of the way and let the soloist lead. This can lead to a complete and genuine expression of the soloist's interpretation but may result at the cost of ensemble. Obviously these are only a few ideas of what the role of the conductor is in a concerto setting but in both cases the responsibility of the conductor is very important. So what would this all look like if we took the conductor out of the picture?
For me, rehearsing a concerto without a conductor has been an interesting experience. Without the conductor calling the shots, the responsibility falls upon the soloists and the orchestra. This makes the experience feel more like chamber music to me and has been liberating when it comes to phrasing the accompaniment. This also gives a greater connection to the soloist because you are not trying play with him/her through the conductor which can cause delays in entrances practically speaking but also is just one more person you have to be together with. On the other hand, other responsibilities fall on the orchestra which they did not have to proactively consider before hand when the conductor was there such as tempo and balance. Either way the rehearsals have been very detail oriented and I look forward to the performance on Friday.
