How to be a Maestro
Tomorrow night sees the final of BBC Two's crash course in conducting, Maestro. It's been good fun, and has concentrated on the music rather than the celebrities - a definite plus in my book - but I wanted more of an insight into why a performance was good or bad. An action replay of a couple of moments where the student conductor was performing well or badly, plus commentary, would have been extremely instructive. The idea is not an obvious crowd-pleaser, but it might have been a good option for the red button or website for those who are as interested in what makes for a good conductor as who gets through to the next round. My vote's with Goldie. The winner will conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra at the London version of BBC Proms in the Park.
Image of Goldie © BBC/Mark Allan
If the series has awakened an interest in conducting then visit The Barbican in London on Thursday 2 October for the final of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition. Taking place every two years, the competition not only awards the winner £15,000 but even more impressively grants them the role of assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for a year. Only members of the EU can enter, and you need to be under 35 - just in case you are considering putting in an application.
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