LEONARD SLATKIN

CONDUCTOR | COMPOSER | AUTHOR

There is no "perfect" in music. If I were ever to come off the
stage feeling that the performance could not have been
better, it would then be time to quit.

LEONARD SLATKIN

CONDUCTOR | COMPOSER | AUTHOR

There is no “perfect” in music. If I were ever to come off the stage feeling that the performance could not have been better, it would then be time to quit.

LATEST NEWS

Slatkin Seeks Participation in Book Project
By leonard slatkin
Leonard Slatkin is involving his readers in the development of his upcoming book about the changing landscape of classical music in our time. Every Monday he will post the title of a chapter, along with a summary of the topic he will address therein, on the Commentary section of this site. He encourages readers to contribute thought-provoking questions and suggestions that may inspire him to expand his analysis of the theme at hand.

Readers may post queries and suggest avenues he might explore within that chapter using the form that follows the text. Collaborators will be credited in the final product (or kept anonymous by request).

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leonard slatkin

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LATEST COMMENTARY

commentary
On Performance Practice
5 Comments
The second half of the 20^th century gave rise to the historically informed performance movement, which took hold in the recording industry before moving into the concert hall. It caused me to put a halt to performing Baroque music. I simply could not abide the new/old way of playing these works. The same could be said of our orchestras. Aside from the yearly Messiah and perhaps a piece or two from the 18^th century, so much of this music has disappeared from our orchestral repertoire.

What would you like to ask regarding the way we play not just the music from the golden era but all music? Do we need to obey the rules, or can we break them? Let me hear from you.

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5
cborelli

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Oct 02

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Latest from the Journal

JULY 2020: Recovery Edition, Part 7

By leonard slatkin

There is a lot of information. At the same time, too little information is available. We don’t know what to do with the information when we get it. Who is this information person anyway?

During the continuing pandemic, I have found myself in very strange lands, navigating the etiquette of virtual meetings, chat rooms, and even phone conferences in which I sense this odd disconnect between those I am speaking with and me. The more of these events I do, familiarity breeds acquiescence to this new set of communication tools.

Leonard Slatkin

Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL). He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting throughout the world and is active as a composer, author, and educator.

Slatkin has received six Grammy awards and 34 nominations. A recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, he also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has received Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton Award, and the 2013 ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for his debut book, Conducting Business. His second book, Leading Tones: Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry, was published by Amadeus Press in 2017.

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