Soon after Gennady Rozhdestvensky was appointed principal conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1978, I was involved in one of their broadcasts as an extra with the BBC Singers. I can’t remember what the piece was but we were rehearsing it in the BBC’s studios in Maida Vale, west London.
At one point Rozhdestvensky stopped conducting, walked to the back of the room and let the orchestra get on with it by itself. It was an absolutely electric moment and I’ve never forgotten it. He had complete trust in his players, understanding that performance is about transcending rehearsal rather than just reproducing it.
