Allegro Con Brio - Bernard Haitnik gives his anaklysis and feedback to Karim Said

Music Lesson

Enjoy yourself. Thanks. May I just ask for two things before I start?
I would first start. Start. Okay. Because that's a very dangerous thing when you start. Start.

The Importance of Connection

At most difficult moments of a conductor is when he comes to the orchestra, the first time he comes on the platform and starts to talk. That is very dangerous because orchestra musicians are wonderful, but they can be very cruel.

"Oh God, another talker."

The thing is gone. First, show that you have contact. Then you can do what you want. Well, do what you want. What you think is necessary at that moment.

Feedback for Karim

Good. Letter D, please.

"Well, sorry, one moment."

You are a difficult case for me because you have enormous talent, Karim, but sometimes I don't want to interfere with your interpretation. There is already an interpretation, but it is a dangerous one.

Sometimes I'm not sure if you really want what you are doing because it goes very often slower, faster. And you want to take the orchestra with you, which is good. But I miss a little bit,

"And it's an unpleasant, unartistic word."

It misses a little bit of control. You do sometimes things which I don't understand, and I'm surprised that the orchestra takes it.

Revisiting the Performance

I want to see it once more. Where was it? Here? Where did you start? Sorry.

"Yeah, do that once more. Same place, two bars before the second time. Bar, please."

Well.

"And Carjan and Baron Boyne would be extremely impressed with that."

They would do it themselves. But after 30 years with an orchestra, what you are doing is all of a sudden at a critical moment.

"Well, come on, play on."

I don't know how you do it, but they play. Maybe I'm a bit envious, but I should say try to give it a little bit more clarity for the time being. Later on, you can say,

"Come on, boys and girls, play."

And I'm standing here and I'm enjoying it, and it works. But I would now be a little bit more careful. So do the same once more.

Clarification on Expectations

Okay. Are you talking about this? Because I think I should be clear here.

"Yes."

I think that a conductor's life goes in several phases, and you are in phase one. It has to be clear.

That doesn't mean that you should neglect the music. There were some very great conductors who were very clear, and there were some very great conductors who were not that clear. That's a personal choice. But now at this time.

"Yeah, okay."

Okay, I have to rub it in. Letter E.

"Can we just have more sustained, please?"

Should I go from the same place? Okay. More bows on the crotchets, please. Where?

"At the beginning."

PI. Yum. Bum. Bum bum to give it more sound and especially more bass. Bass in general, it could be a lot more double basses.

"I mean, shadow is great."

Thank you. Yes.

"Karim, that's too dangerous."

That's dangerous. There's too much air there. You don't know where to start with this. After the second beat, I don't want you to beat it out.

"Can you give me three before H that they must have?"

Yeah. Okay. It's no sin to be a bit more clear there.

"There is too much air here."

It doesn't work. So do once more from here. Okay. Same place, please.

"Yes, yes. Poker it."

Okay. What you lack at the moment still is these little, little subdivisions.

And even after three performances, you don't have to do that anymore. But a first performance, a first rehearsal, it is nice when you can keep that under control.

"We do tomorrow."

Yeah. Thank you.