Page 163 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2025. Glasbena interpretacija: med umetniškim in znanstvenim┊Music Interpretation: Between the Artistic and the Scientific. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 8

the conductor gertrud herliczka
An interesting feature of an art world, according to Schatzki, are con-
ventions. “What holds together an art world, its pattern of joint actions, are
conventions.” 7

People uphold conventions not because they are supposed to or because
doing so in prescribed but because acting in that way is the easiest way
of proceeding, where ‘easiest’ means giving rise to the least difficulty,
misunderstanding, or disagreement. 8
One of the conventions in the classical music world is there being a
conductor for a larger orchestra piece. It is the easiest way of playing togeth-
er in a large group, though not the only one. There are conventional con-
ducting patterns that help make gestures universally understandable and
clear. As Schatzki puts it:

What makes sense to people to do is often what is conventional. Cir-
cumstances, however, might be such (1) that what makes sense to some-
one to do is something unconventional, and (2) that it is just as easy for
her to do this as to follow custom because what she does is intelligible
and acceptable to other participants in the practice as a way of proceed-
ing in the circumstances for her project. 9
This is clearly true for most conducting and musical interpretation in
general. The most cherished and sought after interpretation is the one that
transcends the conventional. The convention must be inherent, yet true
mastery resides in convincing other people that what makes sense in the
moment is something unique to this very musical interpretation, acting
outside convention while at the same time being intelligible and acceptable.
Another convention that raises interest in relation to conducting, is
that, as the visible leader, the conductor is a man. This is not a convention
a woman could fulfil. Is it a necessary convention? Could the world enable
her to conduct an orchestra if she fulfils other conventions, arguably more
important to the success of the project?

Of course: to conduct an orchestra, even if they are the artistically expe-
rienced Philharmonic, a woman needs for that more than grace; knowl-
edge, prudence, vigour, exceptional talent are required. Gertrud Her-
liczka is a born orchestra leader. One noticed that after the first bars
of the beautiful, now seldom played Overture to the “Porter of Water”;
7 Ibid., 21.
8 Ibid., 22.
9 Ibid., 23.

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