The passage of ‘Maestro Degand's appearance on our television screens caused quite a stir in the classical music world. The program supposedly trivialized the notoriously difficult craft of conducting, leading the public to believe that anyone could easily learn to conduct.
The entire setup was allegedly a put-up job, and questions were raised in various quarters about whether the subsidy money from our VRT and our Belgian National Orchestra really had to be used to fulfill some actor's childhood dream. Wouldn't the invested resources be better spent on recording a few genuine symphonic concerts, something that hasn't happened in years? (Not to mention the annual Christmas concert at the Royal Palace, the prelude concert for National Day, and the Queen Elisabeth Competition.) Moreover, the Belgian National Orchestra shouldn't, out of self-respect, fool around with a Holy Grail like Brahms' Fourth, especially not for a mess of pottage and a bit of extra media exposure.
Let's first clarify a few facts.
Stefaan Degand is no complete novice when it comes to music. He did receive basic training, he's able to read notes and an orchestral score, and he was active as an amateur trombonist in one of the many concert and brass bands that our region has had since time immemorial.
An orchestra like the Belgian National Orchestra is indeed capable of playing a work like Brahms' Fourth Symphony from beginning to end without a conductor. In that case, it will be mainly the concertmaster (the first among equals among the violinists) who takes on the role of conductor, and the musicians will try to hold things together through extra eye contact and extra gestures. To a certain extent, that will work. Whether it will actually be listenable and "fit for human consumption" is another question.
And that brings us to the heart of the debate: whether a layman can conduct Brahms' Fourth is really a non-question. Of course he can do it (it would even work with a mannequin as conductor) and of course he can't! Compare it to the question of whether a layman could direct a Hamlet at Het Toneelhuis. Shakespeare's text is outstanding anyway, there's enough expertise in-house to set up a set and provide the necessary technical support, and the actors could—with some goodwill—put something presentable on stage among themselves. Again: whether it would be viewable and "fit for human consumption" is another question.
Whether a layman can conduct a Brahms symphony with a professional orchestra wasn't really the essence of 'Maestro Degand,' but rather a vehicle to give us insight into the soul of this remarkable man on the one hand, and on the other to make the workings of an orchestra and a conductor somewhat tangible for an audience that normally never gets access to that world. And that is also the program's great strength: the functioning of a large symphonic orchestra and especially the almost enigmatic role the conductor plays in it are difficult to describe and understand for someone who has never worked in that world. 'Maestro Degand' succeeds brilliantly in providing that insight and generated in part of the viewing and listening audience an awakening fascination with the world of classical music. Perhaps this renewed interest will prompt the VRT to make room again for the occasional classical concert in its broadcast schedule, and ultimately the entire classical music sector will benefit from 'Maestro Degand'?
Bram Nolf
Oboist Belgian National Orchestra
Lecturer hobo LUCA School of Arts – Lemmens Institute Leuven
- PHOTO: Bram Nolf, © MarcSierens
