<<  -- 4 --  Howard Smith    A CHANGING LANDSCAPE

A triumphant début with Novaya Rossiya (February 2004) in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory was followed by more than forty performances in Russia and abroad. In addition to that he began an acclaimed children's educational concert series, serving as both conductor and lecturer.

Howard Smith : As a former soloist how d'you go about preparing total orchestral scores?

Evgeny Bushkov: If I'm rehearsing a familiar work with my own orchestra, then I already have a good idea what to expect. When guest conducting, experience is doubly important; one has to plan carefully how much time to allot for specific aspects of the score. Some passages will need to be worked on and others will automatically improve. One must have confidence in the musicians and help them to achieve the final result, while reacting to each mistake.

I find it especially exciting to prepare for a first rehearsal. Today we have phenomenal opportunities to see other conductors at work through visual and audio recordings. Not so long ago this was only possible if one had a mentor, someone who had studied with one of the great conductors and was able to tell you how something should be played with attention to certain details.

On the downside, there is now almost too much information now and it's very difficult for young conductors to find their own style. As Celibidache said, 'we must create -- not reproduce'. It is very important to find one's own personal style.

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