I may be kicking a hornets nest, but a thought occurred to me this week. I'm teaching a graduate seminar in Baroque Performance Practice, and I'm delighted to report that students are arguing away about the intentional fallacy, the relationship of the composer to the performer, and what responsibilities the performer has to the composer.
Now, one of the strongest defenders of the "transparent performer" position - that is, the idea that the performer serves as a vehicle to carry out the composer's instructions without imposing his/her own will is a band conductor. I'm very grateful that we have someone like this in class to present that viewpoint.
What struck me though is a possible difference in band and orchestra culture, and I'm wondering if it is true. That is - and of course there are exceptions - we have a tradition of military bands in this country dating back to at least Sousa. Those bands are praised for their "precision", but not necessarily their passion. Orchestral conductors might be praised for "precisions", but there is not as much praise without also having some emotional content.
I've known a few band directors that do work on technical stuff without inspiring anyone. For that matter, I know orchestra and choral directors who do the same. However, I'm wondering if people have thoughts on any significant divide in the culture between the two.
Is there a tradition that values precision without emotional content that is more pervasive in band culture than in orchestral culture?