I mentioned in my last post that we as conductors face away from the audience, but I always feel like I’m aware of them anyway, even if I can’t see them. Somehow I sense whether they’re attentive, and how they’re responding to the music. Part of it is obviously that there’s more ambient noise (rustling, coughing) if people are bored, and some of it is indirect response via the singers’ expressions (even though they’re undoubtedly [ahem] all watching the conductor at all times) but I feel like there’s some psychic connection also.
Others have this sense as well?
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There’s an annular eclipse of the sun today, right after my performance! I’ll wear some eclipse viewing glasses (thoughtfully provided by my alma mater) at some point in the performance, although they’re so dark I won’t be able to see anything. That’ll be incentive to get my score memorized.
carolyn Eynon says