Essentials in Conducting

Essentials in Conducting is a definitive volume on the art of classical music conducting by Karl Wilson Gehrkens. In putting out this little book, the author is well aware of the fact that many musicians feel that great conductors, like poets and teachers, are "born and not made"; but his experience in training supervisors of music has led him to feel that, although only the elementary phases of conducting can be taught, such instruction is nevertheless quite worth while, and is often surprisingly effective in its results. He has also come to believe that even the musical genius may profit by the experience of others and may thus be enabled to do effective work as a conductor more quickly than if he relied wholly upon his native ability.