A Gulf of Difference Conducting Pedagogues Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula

A gulf of difference: conducting pedagogues Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula
Author(s): LUKE DOLLMAN

Source: The Musical Times , AUTUMN 2016, Vol. 157, No. 1936 (AUTUMN 2016), pp. 63-74
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
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LUKE DOLLMAN
A gulf of difference: conducting ped
Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula
conductors of the 21st century. Between them, these two modern

Valéry conductors maestros GERGiEV
maestros have directedhavevirtually
of theeverydirected and orchestra
first-class 21st ESA-Pekka
in the century. virtually Between every SALONEN first-class them, are two these orchestra of two the modern leading in the
world, and in recent years have made a profound impact on London's musical
scene. Both have a very individual and particular style of music-making:
Salonen being the epitome of nordic cool, while Gergiev often seeming to
be the musical equivalent of a volcano. Naturally, they both receive ample
coverage in the classical music media, but only occasionally do we get a
glimpse of the teachers standing behind these two maestros who gave them
their initial training and set them on their journeys to the world stage.
Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula spent most of their working lives teaching
conducting in St Petersburg and Helsinki respectively, and in so doing
educated several generations of leading professional conductors. The
physical proximity of the two schools is remarkable, with only the Gulf of
Finland separating the two. One could therefore be forgiven for thinking
that similar pedagogical approaches might be used, or that there might
be some overlap in ideology. However, this could hardly be further from
the truth. Indeed, the difference in approach taken by the two pedagogues
could not be more striking, with their methodologies being polar opposites
in many ways. On one side of the gulf is Panula, with his remarkably free
and open approach to teaching; and, on the other, Musin, who developed a
highly sophisticated and detailed approach to the technique of conducting.
Despite the contrasting methodologies, both schools have produced nume-
rous conducting stars. For the Finns, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka
Saraste, Sakari Oramo, Susanna Mälkki and Osmo Vänskä; for the Russians,
Valéry Gergiev, Yuri Termikanov, Semyon Bychkov, Vassily Sinnaisky and
Tugan Sokhiev. With two such differing schools each producing conductors
that work at the highest level, it seems there must be more than one way
to approach the training of conductors. The following examination of the
contrasting approaches of these two neighbours aims to shed some light on
the processes of teaching and studying conducting, as well as provide some
insight into the art of conducting itself.
THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 20l6 63

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64 A gulf of difference: conducting pedagogues Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula
Ilya Musin and the Rimsky-Korsakov St Petersburg State

Conservatory of Music
The name of Ilya Musin is irrevocably linked with the Russian school
of conducting and appears in the biographies of many leading Russian
conductors. Born in Kostroma, Russia, in 1904, Musin studied piano at the St
Petersburg Conservatory before entering the newly formed conducting class
of Nikolai Malko in 1925, completing his studies with Alexander Gauk after
Malko's abrupt defection to the West in 1929.1 As early as 1932, Musin joined
the conducting faculty in St Petersburg and began a teaching career that
would span most of the century, continuing to teach at the Conservatory up
until his passing in 1999. Seemingly possessed of an inextinguishable source
of energy, he maintained an intensive and energetic teaching style until just
a few days before his death. Former pupil Semyon Bychkov observed, ťAt
95 years of age he still had something to learn, progress to make.'2 Whilst
renowned as being a demanding teacher, former students also speak fondly
of his generosity, with many referring to him as a kind of father figure.3
Due to the political circumstances in the Soviet Union, Musin (who was
Jewish) never embarked on a fully fledged conducting career of his own,
but instead devoted his life to his pupils, and to a detailed analysis of the
art of conducting and how it should be taught. Valéry Gergiev said of his
teacher: 'Musin has been the only one in our time to have fit a key to a
i. Brenda L. Leach: 'Ilya secret door that leads into the mysterious land of questions: how should
Musin: a life in music', in we conduct? How to achieve our goals? All this is extremely difficult to
Journal of the Conductors
Guild vol.25 nai (Spring teach; however, Ilya Alexandrovich Musin knew how to inspire a young
2004), p.22. conductor and direct him to the right side.'4
2. Russian roots , http:// We are fortunate that Musin chose to document his quest for this 'key'
www. semyonbychko v. com / that Gergiev speaks of in the form of several books published during his
closeup.php (accessed
2 November 2014). lifetime, and a six-hour video documentary made a few years before his
death.5 The most important of these books, The technique of conducting , was
3. Cecilia Rivers: 'Intervista
con Semyon Bychkov', in initially published in 1967, but underwent several transformations before
Suonare News , April 2008, appearing in its final form in 199 5. 6 This book goes into a remarkable level of
p.26.
detail in all aspects of conducting, particularly those of physical technique.
4. Fialkovsky: Conducting
At the core of Musin's approach is his belief that the greatest challenge for
lessons of Professor Musin ,
DVD (Saint-Petersburg, a conductor is to 'overcome the conflict between giving a beat and giving
2006), accompanying
clear indications of musical expression.'7 In his view, the addition of musical
material, p. 3.
expression to a beat can all too easily distort its rhythmic precision, whilst
5. ibid.
a clear beat in itself is in danger of destroying this same expression. His
6. Ilya Musin: Tehnika
approach attempts to solve this dichotomy.
Dirijirovaniya (The
technique of conducting) Musin's system of conducting revolves around a detailed examination
(St Petersburg, 1995). of the role of the upbeat, with a range of different kinds of upbeats being
7. Conducting lessons. precisely defined and given specific musical functions. Under Musin's

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system, an upbeat is not simply a preparatory gesture for a particular musical
event but, rather, every beat of the bar is considered to have its own upbeat:
'The within the bar upbeat is a gesture that connects the beats of a bar. It's
the main means of communicating the conductor's ideas about the music to
the orchestra.'8
This concept lies at the core of Musin's conducting orthodoxy. Through

the 'within the bar upbeat ' the conductor is continually reflecting the contents
of the music in terms of both rhythm and expression. A conductor who has
the music in all its facets in their hands will form a strong connection with
their orchestra. Many teachers speak of the importance of what happens
between the beats, connecting with the sound, and having the rhythm in
the hands. What makes Musin's approach unique is the extent to which
things are detailed and codified, providing the student with a pathway to the
ultimate goal through clearly defined concepts and exercises with which to
develop them.
Another distinctive feature of Musin's system is that it takes into account
the delay in sound production that is often observed in the playing of
professional orchestras, and incorporates this into the conductor's technique.
This involves what he calls a 'reverse upbeat'. He explains: 'If someone is
always fifteen minutes late for appointments, just arrange their appointment
to be fifteen minutes earlier, and it will not count. In this case the conductor
should wait for the orchestra to come in not at the bottom of the beat but
higher. It's all because the orchestra want to see the whole beat, not just the
upbeat.'9
Effectively, he encourages the student to factor into his or her technique
that the orchestra will play not on the bottom of the beat, but somewhere
on its upward progression away from the ictus. Leonid Korchmar, Musin's
former pupil and assistant, says, 'It's like you are a commander, a leader
who is going a little in advance of the troops. If you are with them, among
them, so you are not leading.'10 In this technique, the bottom of the beat is
curved rather than pointed, which in most instances leads to the conductor
making a circular motion to indicate pulse. This 'making circles' has
sometimes been held up as a stereotype of Musin's technical approach by
critics. However, this clichéd view of one particular aspect of his approach
does not do justice to the breadth of his work or the depth of the Musin
technique. Throughout his writings and teaching, Musin often emphasises
the importance of phrasing and underlines the importance of music always
having direction. This rounded approach to beating lends itself very well to
8. ibid. this, giving the conductor's beat a sense of forward momentum.
9. ibid. During his lifetime Musin was often accused of being simply a teacher of
10. Personal interview with technique and, indeed, it is almost inevitable that a reader of his book is left
author, 25 October 201 1. with the impression that it is merely a technical manifesto, and an intimidating

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one at that. However, this may not be an entirely fair assessment. Musin
himself states in the closing pages of the work: 'Throughout the book,
I tried to describe as completely as possible the technical and expressive
approaches of the art of conducting [...] At the same time, it was repeatedly
emphasised that the preoccupation with the technical aspects of conducting,
which is disconnected from the conceptual and creative content of music,
is dead.'11
Students who studied with Musin themselves are consistent in their
affirmation that Musin was not just a teacher of technique, but primarily
a teacher of the music itself, with technique playing a supporting role.
Semyon Bychkov said of his experiences in Musin's class: 'He paid attention
to everything, from your posture to the way your arms moved and how
your eyes looked. But the primary concern was the expression itself.'12
Unlike some pedagogues (including Panula), Musin did not hesitate
to stand on the podium himself and demonstrate to his students potential
solutions to their problems, both technical and musical. Tuomas Hanni-
kainen, one of the few Finns to study in St Petersburg, says of watching him
on the podium: 'He was a small man, but he was fifty kilos of music when he
was conducting and he demanded that from everybody. There was no time
beating, he couldn't stand that. It was always very intense involvement in
the music making.'13
One of the paradoxes of the Musin school is that despite his detailed,
descriptive approach to the way a conductor should move, very few of his
successful students look alike when conducting, or indeed look like their
former teacher. Perhaps the most well-known of his pupils working today
who retains many of the hallmarks of the 'Musin technique' is Semyon
Bychkov. However, if one then examines the conducting of Valéry Gergiev
and Yuri Termikanov, one could be forgiven for being surprised that these
three men all came from the same system. Where a connection between the
three can be identified is in the intensity of their music-making and their
ability to animate the music they are conducting. It seems that this is the
hallmark of a mature Musin student rather than any particular physical
mannerisms. Equally, the precise application of his system seems to have
varied to a certain degree from student to student, and in any case, was less
dogmatic than one might suspect after reading The technique of conducting .
ii. Ilya Musin: The technique
Bychkov says 'he still took into account that every person has their own
of conducting , trans. Oleg
Proskurnya (Lewiston, physique and personality [...] He was able to appreciate the capabilities and
2014), p.665. the mental constitution of a particular student. And then he could help this
12. Leach: 'Ilya Musin', p.24. person to achieve what he or she wanted, as opposed to producing another
13. Personal interview with model off the assembly line.'14
author, 29 October 2012. Musin himself noted when referring to what he called a conductor's
14. Russian roots. 'distinctive gestural handwriting': 'Such differences are not only possible

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but desired. It is precisely this originality of the manual resources applied
by each conductor which makes an impressive and potent impact on the
performers.'15
Nevertheless, beginning students in Musin's class were thoroughly drilled
in the basic technical principles of his method, and there can be no doubt
that he was a very demanding and exact teacher. For beginning students, he
recommended the use of the Beethoven piano sonatas for the study of basic
conducting techniques. In The technique of conducting he states:
The advantage of these excerpts before other works is primarily in the brevity of the
material [..ã] and yet contains a large number of various strokes, indications of the
dynamic, etc. It is much easier to find examples in sonatas where only one technical element
of conducting technique could be applied. Finally, in the early stages of mastering the
techniques it is advisable not to deal with the score but with the piano part. The student is
not distracted by overseeing the score and can focus on the required motions instead.16
Interestingly, this is a similar approach to that taken by the Japanese

pedagogue Hideo Saito in his book, The Saito conducting method , where
short excerpts from the piano repertoire are recommended for practising
specific conducting techniques.17 Though Saito's book is probably the only
comparable work in the conducting literature, in that it presents a highly
detailed and specific approach to conducting technique, the technical ap-
proaches themselves could not be more different. Given the complexities
and specificity involved in both methods, beginning with simplified musical
material seems to be of some advantage.
However, for the more advanced student, there is no substitute for
practising with an orchestra, and conducting students of the St Petersburg
Conservatory have had the luxury of working with a professional orchestra
under their teachers' guidance since the 1960s.18 To this day, this orchestra
meets six mornings a week during term time, and exists primarily for the
use of the conducting class. Whilst Musin did the bulk of his studio teaching
15- Musin: Technique , p.9.
with two pianos playing reductions, access to this orchestra was a key
16. ibid., p.630.
element for the students' development, and the St Petersburg school was the
17. Hideo Saito: The Saito first in the world to provide this on such a regular basis. This is something
conducting method, ed.
Troews (Tokyo, 1988), p. vii.
that has received little recognition outside of Russia. Underpinning the
strength of the conducting department itself, students also benefited from
18. Leonid Korchmar,
personal interview with the Conservatory's rigorous curriculum, studying subjects such as keyboard
author, 25 October 201 1. skills, score reading, aural training, music history, orchestration and various
19. George Erzhemsky: subjects relating to music theory and analysis.
Dirijeru 21 Veka.
Ilya Musin developed a method of conducting that provided a physical
Psiholingvistika Professii
(To the conductor of framework for conductors to express their inner musical thoughts and
the 21 st century: the impulses. Russian conductor George Erzhemsky, in his book To the conductor
psycholinguistics of the
profession ) (St Petersburg, of the 21st century ,19 compares the development of a conductor's technique
2007). to a child learning to speak, and this seems an appropriate analogy for the

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Musin method. A child may know exactly what they wish to express at a
given moment, but must first equip themselves with the complex physical
apparatus that is human speech before they can precisely communicate their
thoughts. So it is for aspiring conductors, who may be passionate about
the music and have a well formed musical vision, but must find a physical
language with which they can communicate this vison to the orchestra.
Ideally, this language will be as broad and well nuanced as any spoken
language. Given the achievements of so many of his students, it is clear that
Musin was successful in giving his students a soundless voice with which to
communicate their innermost thoughts. He laid out and defined a detailed
and nuanced approach to conducting, an art that, as Valéry Gergiev has
already pointed out, is 'extremely difficult to teach'.20
Jorma Panula and the Sibelius Academy

Jorma Panula is one of the most respected names in conducting pedagogy,
and yet the man and his methods remain something of an enigma. Whilst
Ilya Musin spent a lifetime developing a method and published a book laying
out his approach in extensive detail, Panula seems happy to proclaim that
he has 'no method'.21 Born in Kauhajoki, Finland in 1930, he built a world-
leading conducting programme at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki during
his tenure from 1973 to 1993. Since retiring from the Sibelius Academy, he
has been a guest teacher at the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals in
the United States, and has given regular masterclasses throughout Europe,
the USA, Australia and Asia. Given the long list of successful conductors
he can claim as his former students, one might be forgiven for making the
assumption that he long ago arrived at the point where he is universally
respected. However, this is not entirely the case. As Sakari Oramo, one of
20. Fialkovsky: Conducting his star pupils points out, he has long been 'splitting opinions'.22 Atso Almila,
lessons, p. 3.
former Panula assistant and current Professor of Conducting at the Sibelius
21. Personal interview with
Academy, also acknowledges that some have questioned his pedagogical
author, 19 October 201 1.
approach: 'There are big names who might say, "Is there anything? Is it just
22. Susan Nickels:
'Interview: conductor Sakari
a bubble?" I remember a discussion we had with an exchange student from
Oramo', 13 August 2010, Germany, and he said that, "I was in a class with Jorma and he didn't say
http:// www.edinburgh- anything". And then all of us said, "That's it!" '23
festivals.com/ viewpreview.
aspx?id=i586 (accessed The comments attributed to the German exchange student here are
13 August 2012). certainly not atypical of students who have encountered Panula for the
23. Personal interview with first time. He is a man of few words, and an outsider eavesdropping on a
author, 21 October 201 1.
class could be forgiven for wondering if any teaching is going on at all.24
24. Allan Kozinn: 'Gestures, Mark Stringer, Professor of Conducting at the University of Music and
nods and eyebrows to inspire
conductors', in New York
Performing Arts in Vienna has had several students who have participated
Times , 27 February, 1 998. in Panula masterclasses: 'According to all my students who've studied with

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him he doesn't say very much, makes very few comments and gives you the
feeling that you can pretty much do anything and then you realise that: No,
you did learn something. So that's a master. A very Zen approach.'25
In sharp contrast to Musin, at no time has Panula set out to establish
any form of orthodoxy for conductors or conductor training. And yet, he
can claim amongst his former students some of the best conductors in the
world. This is regarded as something of a mystery in many circles. How can
someone who says so little apparently be so effective?
According to Finnish broadcaster and academic Anu Konttinen, who
has interviewed Panula on a number of occasions, he sees teaching 'as an
ongoing collégial dialogue between the teacher and his students'.26 This
collégial approach is a theme that comes up regularly when talking to
former Panula students, particularly those who studied with him during his
years as Professor at the Sibelius Academy. This did not simply apply to his
relationship with the students, but was something he actively encouraged
amongst the students themselves so that the class was also a kind of family,
and constructive discussions could be had outside formal school hours.
Panula's aim was to create a positive environment where students can help
each other, and the teacher takes on a role perhaps more akin to that of a
senior colleague. In Atso Almila's time as a student, the formal lessons at the
Sibelius Academy were merely a focal point for the whole experience:
He was totally ours when he was in Helsinki and we spent lots of our free time with him.
So it was living a life, not just the lessons. We went to restaurants together or to his home.
We cooked, we spoke about many important things. We had time for that, because we
were together so often. Sometimes we went to see rehearsals and he came with us, so we
could immediately discuss the whole thing with him afterwards.27
For Almila and his fellow students, the learning experience was a con-
tinuous process, rather than being confined to the schedule of the classroom.
25. Personal interview with It would be highly unusual for a busy, practising conductor to have the time
author, i8 October 201 1.
to devote to his students in the way that Almila speaks of. From 1963 to
26. Anu Konttinen:
1976 Panula was chief conductor of three successive orchestras.28 However,
'Conductor education in
Finland', in Finnish Musical from this time onwards, he never took on another principal conductor role
Quarterly no. 3 (2006), with an orchestra and seems to have shifted his attention to teaching. Almila
http:// www.fmq.fi/ articles/
ar_2006_3_ak.html (accessed
says, 'Something happened that is not so often seen - a professor who is
13 August 2014). always there, and who considers the class to be his main work.'29 The absent
27. Personal interview with conducting professor is surely a common occurrence in many institutions
author, 21 October 201 1. around the world, but it is interesting to observe that for both Musin and
28. Turku Philharmonic Panula, teaching has been their primary activity, rather than conducting.
1963-65, Helsinki
As is implied by Almila's description of life in Panula's class, topics for
Philharmonic 1965-72,
Aarhus Symphony 1973-76. discussion sometimes went beyond the subject of the art of conducting
29. Personal interview with itself, or even music-making in general. Indeed, Panula has been quoted
author, 19 October 201 1. as saying that he 'taught Salonen not only music, but also to read novels,

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appreciate art, and drink wine'. 30 This suggests that he was encouraging
a rich and well-rounded approach to life itself as well as music-making,
wishing his students to be balanced human beings.
Versatility and open-mindedness were also traits that were appreciated
in the class itself. Esa-Pekka Salonen is an ideal example of this kind of
versatile musician - a conductor, a composer and a former horn player.
Salonen says this multi-faceted approach was encouraged by Panula and
described it as, 'Everyone is doing everything.'31 In Panula's class all students
are encouraged to fulfil such tasks in class as playing missing parts at the
piano during a rehearsal, playing their own instrument in the orchestra (and
preferably a second one as well) and, where necessary, making arrangements
for ensembles where the full instrumentation is not available. In this way,
the student is engaged not simply with their own conducting, but with the
entire music-making process, thus receiving a broader education than might
otherwise be the case.
In another example of Panula's open-minded approach, various guests

from other professions were invited to the class from time to time, some of
30. Richard S. Ginnell:
'International Youth these being featured in YLE's eight-part television series on Panula's class
Orchestra Festival: jaw- at the Sibelius Academy.32 Featured guests in the series included an actor, a
droppers from Finland,
choreographer, a psychologist and a sketch artist, all giving their thoughts
Venezuela and Switzerland',
in American Record. Guide , on the role of the conductor, and the conductors themselves, from their
no.71 (January/ February own specialist viewpoint. The actor talks about role-playing and what it
2008), p. 19.
is to 'become ' someone else, the choreographer about movement, and the
31. Anu Kontinnen:
psychologist discusses general leadership issues. Perhaps the most surprising
'Conducting gestures:
institutional and choice of guest, the sketch artist, produces drawings that highlighted each
educational construction of
conductor's personal characteristics, presenting the students with a snapshot
conductorship in Finland,
1973 - ï993% diss., University of their physical podium presence. This drew attention to the sometimes large
of Helsinki (2008), p. no. differences in body language between the students, which in turn reflected
32. Kapellimestarikurssi their contrasting personalities. For Panula, these differences should in no
I- VIII (The conducting way be considered a negative, as he sees the individuality of the student as
course I- VIII),
ed. Anna-Kaarina the most important thing: 'Everybody is different. Different brains. So no
Kiviniemi (Yleisradio, demonstrating, no imitating. I never say what's right or wrong. They have
TViTaideohjelmanlinja,
1992).
to find the international language - speaking with hands.'33
Each student must find their own way using their own tools: this is a
33. Cori Ellison: 'Making
maestros for the world', in cornerstone of Panula's approach. No two Panula students look alike, and
New York Times , 22 February despite having a rather distinctive conducting style of his own, none of his
1998, http:// www.nytimes. successful students resemble him either. Sakari Oramo comments on this
com/ 1998/ 02/ 22/ arts/
classical-music-making- point: 'Panula never wanted to push his own ways on the students and those
maestros-for- the- world.
students who tried to imitate him never got anywhere. What he gave was
html?pagewanted=3&src=
pm (accessed 12 August a way for the personality to speak for itself: certain technical backgrounds
2012). and psychological backgrounds, how to prepare and how to treat soloists
34. Nickels: 'Interview'. and musicians; that I found was the most valuable thing.'34

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These 'technical backgrounds' that Oramo refers to are the basic tech-
nical rules that Panula does insist upon, and these can be summarised
relatively briefly: the student should not move around too much and must
be well grounded; the orchestra must always be able to see which is the first
beat in the bar; the beat should always go down rather than up (essentially
the opposite of Musin's 'reversed upbeat'); the left and right hands should
be independent; the wrists should be flexible; and the gestures of the
conductor should be focused and never larger than necessary. Otherwise
the student is free to follow their own gestural instincts, with one caveat
- it has to work. It is worth noting that while Panula will point out certain
issues from time to time, he does not insist on anything in the way that
some other teachers might. As Osmo Vänskä points out, 'He's no school-
master'.35 In Panula's eyes it is up to the students to take on any advice
given, and not his responsibility to insist on anything. The onus and
responsibility to develop lies with the student at all times, and Panula is
merely there to give assistance. According to Salonen, Panula is interested
in 'raising curiosity, and encouraging the students to ask questions, instead
of explaining dogma'.36 Panula will never say, 'It must be like this...', but
instead works towards creating an atmosphere and environment where
the students can learn for themselves and each other, and perhaps last of all,
from himself.
Much like St Petersburg, another key element in Panula's training pro-

gramme for conductors is the existence of an orchestra that exists purely
for the students to practise on. Panula has always avoided teaching with
two pianos where possible, and prefers the members of his class to simply
bring their own instruments and play for each other, with one or two
filling in missing parts on the piano. Soon after he began his professorship
he worked to bring in more external players to enhance this rather ad
hoc ensemble, and in the 1980s the so called 'Kapubandi' or conductor's
orchestra was born. This chamber orchestra of around 25 players plays for
six hours a week for the class, and is formed from students and graduates
of the Sibelius Academy who are paid a retainer for their services. Where
possible, a professional concertmaster is also engaged, and these Kapubandi
rehearsals are then videotaped for later dissection. Thus, almost all teaching
is done with orchestra.
analysis as a pedagogical tool. Indeed, Panula began using video

An analysis as important
as soon soon
as theastechnology
as the a pedagogical featurein thetechnology
became available of tool. became Panula's Indeed, available teaching Panula in is began the his 1970s, use using of despite video video
1970s, despite
35- ibid. the challenges that the early forms of the technology presented, and
36. Kontinnen: 'Conducting this has remained fundamental to the teaching process in Helsinki ever
gestures', p. 165. since. In fact, the newly completed premises for the Sibelius Academy in
THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 20l6 JI

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72 A gulf of difference : conducting pedagogues Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula
Helsinki's Musiikkitalo include a dedicated room designed specifically for

the conducting class to watch their videos. Panula comments on the use of
video in his teaching:
It's important to watch yourself on the tape, therefore video is more important than the
teacher. It means you can watch yourself and see faults. Critically watching your own
conducting. Sometimes we only have 15 or 20 minutes with orchestra, so I don't make
some lecture and use people's time: conduct, conduct! Only some quick corrections: hey
watch there, letter C is wrong - listen. And later on the tape we see.37
To say that Video is more important than the teacher' is clearly a very
strong statement indeed and gives us a fascinating insight into the way
Panula views his role as a teacher of conducting. Panula also refers to the
preciousness of this time working with an orchestra and his preference not
to give a lecture', taking up these valuable minutes. For him, most of the
teaching occurs after the rehearsal whilst watching the video, and the student
is then free to interact with the orchestra for the maximum time possible.
This approach allows the student to develop a relationship with the orchestra
in an environment similar to a professional situation. Panula encourages
students not simply to conduct through pieces, but to rehearse. In so doing,
the listening skills, rehearsal skills, and personal skills of the students can be
analysed and discussed later. These are skills that are absolutely crucial for a
successful professional career, yet in many conducting programmes they are
not properly addressed, with the majority of class time being spent on the
physical act of conducting itself. With the assistance of the video camera,
Panula aims to create a situation as close to the reality of the profession as
possible.
Panula created an almost Utopian learning environment during his time as
Professor at the Sibelius Academy. Obviously, it is far more difficult to create
this kind of environment in the context of a one or two week masterclass,
which is the format in which he spends much of his time teaching today.
In every masterclass, Panula insists on having at the very least a small
orchestra and maintains the practice of spending an equal amount of time
watching videos as rehearsing. Thus, the fundamental tools for learning
are there at the student's disposal, but a new student who has never studied
with Panula before can perhaps be forgiven for being slightly bewildered
by his ways on first encountering them. Salonen himself has acknowledged
this, saying, 'It was hard for some of the foreign students to digest the fact
that Panula had no method'.38 For those who are accustomed to a more
dogmatic approach to tuition, it can take time to adjust to the Panula 'non-
method'. It must also be acknowledged that this atmosphere of collegiality
37. Personal interview with
author, 19 October 201 1. is not something that can be generated instantaneously. Nevertheless, this
38. Ellison: 'Making

issue is at least partly overcome by the fact that many students may attend
maestros'. several Panula masterclasses over the course of a year or more, so there

134.157.254.96 on Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:09:30 UTC
could be said to be some sense of an ongoing class, although its make-up is
continuously evolving and necessarily fragmented in comparison with any
form of permanent course.
Jorma Panula created something unique during his time as Professor of
the Sibelius Academy and his legacy will be remembered for many years
to come. However, for the aspiring conductor of today, it has to be said his
approach may not be for everybody, and it is clear that the most productive
way to study with Jorma Panula is over an extended time frame, and not
by simply attending a one-off masterclass. For those who take the time to
do so, the rewards are clearly there to be had. To quote Sakari Oramo, 'I
wanted to be close to him and learn from him... He has such a great attitude
for music and I wanted to get that as part of my life.'39
those who have only come to have a brief acquaintance with their
Both those approaches. MusinInwho
approaches. haveofInMusin,
the case and thethatonlyhe only
Panulataught
case technique,
come of have to Musin, have been that a brief misunderstood he acquaintance only taught by technique, with many their of
and in the case of Panula, that he does not teach anything at all. In some
ways this is understandable, given the depth of technical discussion in
Musin's book and the freedom allowed by Panula in his classes. However,
it is clear that in both cases, this is not the whole truth, and both men have
specific reasons for their approaches that are defined by decades of teaching.
Equally, both have taught some of the world's leading conductors and,
indeed, it is striking that two such vastly different approaches to a task as
complex as conductor training can be successful at such a high level. The
differences between the two approaches are what catches the eye, the most
obvious being Musin's highly developed method against Panula's non-
dogmatic approach. Panula has a unique reliance on video as a pedagogical
tool whilst Musin never used it himself but, instead, demonstrated examples
himself when teaching, something Panula is loath to do. The differences
are undeniable and profound. However, a surprising number of similarities
between the two can also be observed, and if there is such a thing as an
essential ingredient for a conducting programme, perhaps it is here that we
will have some chance of finding it.
Several parallels stand out that have been key features in the success of
both schools. Both Musin and Panula had lengthy tenures as professors,
giving continuity to their programs and also allowing themselves time to
refine their methods. This issue of continuity should not be underestimated,
as it also allows a teacher and school to grow a reputation together, and
an excellent reputation inevitably attracts the most talented students, thus
leading to an environment in the class where discussions can be had at the
highest level. Also notable is the fact that both professors were teachers
39- Nickels: 'Interview'. first and conductors second. Though both worked as conductors at a high

134.157.254.96 on Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:09:30 UTC
level during the earlier stages of their careers, circumstances led them to
put down the baton in favour of teaching - a decision about which neither
seems to have had any regrets. As a result of this focus on teaching, students
in Helsinki and St Petersburg had intensive, almost continual, contact with
their mentors from the beginning of their studies through to the very end.
In both cases this seems to have led to a kind of family' atmosphere in
the conducting class, an environment where students support each other
and learn from each other. This also gives time for teacher and student
to discuss things beyond the minutiae of what occurs in the classroom.
Another commonality of fundamental importance is the availability of an
orchestra for students to work with on a regular basis, an area in which
both schools can be considered pioneers. Thus, students can develop skills
that would otherwise be impossible in a classroom situation. Issues such as
how to rehearse and how to interact with and lead a group of people can be
practised and developed, maximising the students' chances of success when
they make their first steps into the profession.
It seems that if students have regular access to an orchestra, and a teacher
who is continually present and has clear, well-developed ideas on the art of
conducting, then the chances of success are high. Though neither Musin nor
Panula had major conducting careers themselves, there can be no doubt that
both have made a major contribution to the art of conducting, and to music
itself, through their teaching. As Musin wrote in his memoirs towards the
40. Leach: 'Ilya Musin', p.26. end of his life, 'I conduct at the Kirov through the hands of my pupils'.40

134.157.254.96 on Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:09:30 UTC

A Gulf of Difference Conducting Pedagogues Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula

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A Gulf of Difference Conducting Pedagogues Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula

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A gulf of difference: conducting pedagogues Ilya Musin and Jorma Panula

Author(s): LUKE DOLLMAN

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