LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI DIRECTS FANTASIA

Flak, Volume 1, Issue 8, 25 June 1943, Page 8

LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI DIRECTS FANTASIA

Leopold Stokowski’s method of con-, ducting is completely original. He uses no baton, and although his beat is very exact at all times, the motion

of his arms often agrees with the motion of the instrumentalists who are playing ' that particular section. He very definitely depends upon the music to excite him, and if any particular section of the orchestration seems unusually vibrant during the performance he will change tempo and dynamics in order to get the utmost out of the orchestral tone. In actual rehearsal he is extremely efficient and believes in working on only the sections which need work most. He rarely rehearses a composition in its entirety. After a first reading, he will plan carefully a schedule of sections which are not- well executed and will concentrate on these sections until they are accomplished with an ease comparable to the simpler sections. He believes that this system gives him more flexibility in actual performance. Known among the world’s leading conductors since the day he ascended the podium of the Academy of Music to conduct the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Stokowski is recognised among musicians as a great musician and by an international public as a powerful dramatic force.