Welcome to a new section of my web page.
A Guide to the Elegant Conductor
On the one hand, I write about this topic, not a strictly musical but still a professional one, because it often irritates me how some colleagues (excellent ones of course) dress (I will explain the irritation), and on the other because I am frequently asked.
Conducting a concert or participating in one as a musician is a privilege. As musicians, we give our audience (and ourselves) spiritual joy. This gift, this particular moment, is not usual but unique, magical, and elevating. The message also involves how one dresses.
For this reason, clothing must be consistent with this moment, underlining its uniqueness, seriousness, and importance. This importance is not elitist but marked by the fact that in the moment of a performance, we are creating a work of art that, if only written on paper, would have no reason to exist.
So, let’s begin. I am often asked this question, especially by young aspiring conductors: How do you dress to conduct? For the conductor, there is only one answer: tails. It has a few limitations, which I will list later. Why tails? It is the most elegant clothing, but also because it is the most comfortable for the conductor: let’s look at the details.
Tails is the name given to the jacket, which is black, single-breasted, open, with swallow-tailed skirts (sometimes rounded) and pointed silk lapels (called spear). The trousers worn with tails are without cuffs and with braid (single or double) on the sides, made of satin or grosgrain. Suspenders (or braces) support the trousers, so they do not have belt loops. The classic color is black, but midnight blue (a very dark blue) is preferable because it does not appear grey under intense light (and appears very black on television). Furthermore, blue is an ancient legacy: Lord Brummel invented the blue Frack at the beginning of the 19th century but with different combinations.
My tails are made by Mr. Robert Ruzicka at the Jockey Club Store in Vienna (so are my shirts and bow ties).
Tails are worn with a white piqué vest (waistcoat), single-breasted or (more inconveniently) double-breasted, and with three buttons, usually mother-of-pearl, but which can be of the same workmanship – but bigger – as those for the shirt. There is a dispute over whether the waistcoat should peek under the jacket. One or two centimeters should be allowed and have a certain elegance, making the overall impression a little lighter. Instead of the waistcoat, a black sash is tolerated, but it must be silk or satin.
The shirt has a piqué front, a so-called “diplomatic” collar (a high collar with the points facing downwards), buttonholes on both sides of the front, an opening on the left side to facilitate the insertion of buttons (I am often asked if it is for ventilation!), an additional buttonhole under the front to connect to the central button of the trousers (important to connect trousers and shirt), single cuffs (not double) with buttonholes for cufflinks. The classic shirt for tails supports its comfort, so it will never be a “slim fit”; on the contrary, it must allow for ample movement (originally for dancing – but, of course, also advantageous for an orchestra conductor), therefore somewhat oversized. Only the front must be visible, and being more rigid, it will not have creases whatever movement is made, exuding elegance with every movement.
The bow tie is strictly white (only waiters can wear a black one), piqué, and hand-tied.
The shoes are strictly black patent leather (a modern variation is velvet or suede evening shoes, but always black).
Mr. Markus Scheer makes my shoes at Scheer Shoes in Vienna.
