Which of the great composers would win in a street fight?

[rachfan]

Interesting facts about Lully.   

[Bob]

I could see two composer-conductors going after each other with the longer staff-batons, trying to stab each others foot.

Or, Lully, in a dramatic moment.  Lully is winning then fight.  His adversary fought down onto his back.  His opponent reaches, gets his hand on the lone baton, and swings for Lully's foot.  Stabs Lully in the foot. 

Who knows what the true story was behind all that?  Aftewards, Lully may have been like "Uh yeah... I uh.. stabbed myself in the foot with my baton"  rather than admit he lost the fight that way.

[gerryjay]

I could see two composer-conductors going after each other with the longer staff-batons, trying to stab each others foot.

Or, Lully, in a dramatic moment.  Lully is winning then fight.  His adversary fought down onto his back.  His opponent reaches, gets his hand on the lone baton, and swings for Lully's foot.  Stabs Lully in the foot. 

Who knows what the true story was behind all that?  Aftewards, Lully may have been like "Uh yeah... I uh.. stabbed myself in the foot with my baton"  rather than admit he lost the fight that way.

it´s only get better and better. 

perhaps it´s time to place a warning on the thread. something like: "any coincidence between the facts on this discussion and the facts the way they really happened is entirely accidental!"

[quantum]

I would have thought that conductors studied the art of fencing.  Trying to outdo their opponent with conducting addative patterns like 5+3 or hemiolas.  On the upbeat one would try to end with one's baton in the others foot or eye...

Envy the one who mastered the art of giving cues on weak beats for he could surely throw off his opponent. 

[Bob]

Conductors get thick, beefy upper arms too.  Don't mess with that.  A quick flick of the wrist and baton turns into a dagger.

[quantum]

One may need to be cautious when a conductor tells you he is going to run you through the first movement. 

[gerry]

One may need to be cautious when a conductor tells you he is going to run you through the first movement. 

 

[retrouvailles]

Anyone familiar with Leif Segerstam? He is one conductor I would be terrified of. With his commanding stature and his weird use of the English language, I would be sent running.

[pianochick93]

Anyone familiar with Leif Segerstam? He is one conductor I would be terrified. With his commanding stature and his weird use of the English language, I would be sent running.

He would be confusing to try and understand. A few of them that I actually understood what he was trying to say, I liked.

[rachfan]

I've only seen a conductor do a "run-through" once.  It was James de Priest, conductor of the National Symphony, conducting the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood.  At a climax his baton flew out of his hand and went straight on to the chest of the principal cellist.  The conductor continued conducting with hands only.  I don't know if the cellist kept the baton as a souvenir, sold it back to de Priest, or used it as a bargaining chip in the insurance settlement.   I did once read of a conductor who stabbed the baton through his own left hand during a conducting frenzy, but cannot recall who it was.