or four pieces which are each beautifully prepared if they do not also have balanced qualities that
heighten our awareness of what makes each piece distinctive. Unfortunately, relying on a stock
formula like “Shakespeare and Music” is no guarantee for success; a “theme” is not the same as
a balanced program. Coming up with aesthetically balanced programs is an imperfect science,
and a program that one musician might find compelling may leave another, equally sensitive
musician dissatisfied.
Nonetheless, crafting programs is a challenge that I find particularly interesting. Depending on
the circumstances, additional constraints may make the task even trickier – for instance, budget
constraints may limit the orchestra to only two bassoonists, or the soloist may have chosen a
concerto which present unique problems.
When putting programs together, I ask myself, What are the elements of each piece that I most
want to bring out? Will I be interested in the similarities between pieces that come from different
times or countries? Or will the program focus more on the differences between pieces that,
superficially, might appear to belong in the same rough category? Does any piece on the
program make particular demands on the listener, and if so, how will the listener’s experience be
enhanced by the music that immediately precedes or follows the demanding one? If one of the
composers looks both forward and backward – Prokofiev, let’s say – which perspective do I want
the program to emphasize? How about the tonalities of the pieces involved – is there something
to be gained by giving the entire program a large-scale tonal plan?
There is a lot of good music out there. Playing Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony instead of his Sixth
might offer a certain convenience, since the Eighth will be very familiar to most orchestras and
many audience members. But if the Sixth, which is a bit more motivic and animated, as well as
more consistently in the major mode, fits the program better, why not play it instead?
Click here to see some of the programs I’ve conducted that I think were particularly successful
from this perspective.
