How Would You Describe The Anatomy Of Slatkin

i. Grip – Slatkin often uses a light grip with the handle of the baton between his thumb and index finger. However, he has held the handle in the palm of his hand, while his thumb and index finger gripped the baton. Occasionally, his pinky finger pops out during cues and powerful sections of the movement. ii. Wrist motion – Slatkin has a natural wrist motion as he conducts and he uses his wrist the most when cuing big entrances. In addition, Slatkin stresses his wrist motion whenever he accents, and during legato movements, his wrist motion is very noticeable and flows with the piece; during movements that are more staccato, his wrist motion minimizes but is still evident. iii. Angle – Slatkin holds the baton in a natural hand position, …show more content…
vi. Tempo control – Slatkin has great tempo control. He uses his hand to indicate that he is slowing down, and the orchestra was very responsive.
c. Expression
i. Facial expressions– Slatkin is a very expressive conductor and his expressions fit the mood of the piece. During certain parts, he smiles as though he’s enjoying the moment. When there is a low entrance, he frowns his face and pinches his lips. Sometimes he closes his eyes, especially during slower movements. ii. Body expression – Slatkin raises his shoulders and nods his head to cue a loud dynamic, and he shrinks down to indicate a soft dynamic. At the end of a piece he closes his eyes as he conducts the final measure. iii. Posture– Slatkin uses good posture and although he moves his head quite a bit, he never slouches, unintentionally, as he conducts. iv. Breathing– Unlike Salonen, Slatkin does not breath as he begins conducting a piece; however, he is clear about when he wants a piece to start. Before he begins, he pauses to think about the type of sound he wants the orchestra to interpret and sometimes he counts silently as he uses both the baton and his left hand to indicate exactly where the ictus