One of my (not so) secret pleasures is watching conductors do their thing. And in the case of one of my favourites, the late Carlos Kleiber, they are utterly mesmerizing to watch.
This week, I’ve found a wonderful video of conductor Joseph R. Olefirowicz “dancing” during a four minute respite in the Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, with the Vienna Volksoper. It is the dream overture of any young conductor, and was shot by an infrared camera used for lighting cues by the stage manager, who just had to share it with the world.
I love how Olefirowicz’s has such faith in the orchestra to simply allow them to play, while guiding the phrasing. These are clearly musicians living in the moment of absolute joy.
Michael Vincent