Conductor Passage

Conductors are “fake musicians” according to Igor Stravinsky’s essay. In Stravinsky’s essay he us explains how conductors are fakes by using rhetorical devices such as diction, imagery, and juxtaposition.

Stravinsky first conveys the thought that conductors are fake. He first uses juxtaposition to discuss what why he thinks to be fake. He compares conductors with the world of politics. “Conductors, like politics, rarely attracts original mind, and the fields is more for the making of careers…” (Stravinsky 1). His point is that conducting like politics is dependent almost solely on the utilization of a personality and not on whether the job can be done.

Stravinsky also uses diction as a means of dictating is point. “His first skill has to be power politics.” (Stravinsky 12). Power politics doesn’t have a specific definition for everyone. He is stating that conductors need to be superior in captivating the audience into believing their charade. In this state of power the conductor can hold the audience in the palm of his hands.

Imagery is a final rhetorical device Stravinsky uses as a means of exclaiming why he thinks conductors are fakes. “…conductor’s appearance rather than the way he way he makes the music sound, and mistaking the conductor’s gestures for the music’s meaning.” (Stravinsky 31). He is insinuating that conductors aren’t leading the musicians at all, but faking movements to make the audience think he is doing the job.

Stravinsky also believes that conductors seduce their audience during their performances. Again he uses the rhetorical devices juxtaposition, diction, and imagery to express his point.

“…The disease grows like a tropical weed…” (Stravinsky 14). Stravinsky uses diction in the word disease. He doesn’t want the reader to actually think about a disease, as in someone getting sick. Disease spreads through the body and takes over. In the this way it is comparable to the way the conductor seducing the audience. He seducing them so that they are completely willing to accept him and anything he does.

Stravinsky furthermore juxtaposes the composer seducing the audience in the music business, not the musical community. “..that he is accorded a position out of all proportion to his real value in the musical, as opposed to the music-business, community.” (Stravinsky 17). He is revealing that the conductor seducing those who are just in the business of watching and not those who truly value the music. He goes on to say that it is mostly the society women being brought into a conductors magic.

He also uses imagery to tell how conductors seduce their audience. “If you are incapable of listening, the conductor will show you what to feel.” (Stravinsky 36). The conductors have the ability to make the audience feel whatever they want them to feel. If they music were to be slow and mournful, the conductor could make the audience feel happy or whatever emotion he wanted to extract.

Stravinsky also considers conductors to be actors. This belief can be tied in with believing that conductors are great seducers. To be the seducer, the conductor must be some type of actress.

Stravinsky uses imagery to suggest that conductors must be great actors. “Thus, the film-actor type of conductor will act out a life of Napoleon in “his” Eroica, wear an expression of noble suffering on the retreat from Moscow…” (Stravinsky 37). This meaning the conductor is able to act out his music to get the audience to feel it the way he feels it. A conductor can is able to relate a whole story to his audience if he so feels it.

“…Conductor also tends to substitute looking for listening…” (Stravinsky 29). Stravinsky juxtaposes looking for listening here in his quest to prove that conductors are great actors. The conductor is able to shift the audiences attention away from the musicians and their music, to himself. The importance of the performance thus becomes, not the musician’s, but that of the conductor.

In addition Stravinsky uses diction to exemplify his point.