Anyone can watch what's happening on the stage, including the
conductor. But during an opera, the only people who can (or need to) watch the
conductor are the musicians—the singers and instrumentalists.
Here are about 90 minutes of the orchestra-eye view of the great maestro
Carlos Kleiber in action—not a rehearsal (there are a lot of those clips
around, too), but a live performance; not “just” an orchestra concert, but an
opera. I am a behind-the-scenes kind
of guy. If I can see into the wings from my seat, I watch what’s going on
backstage almost as much as what’s on stage. If I am sitting high enough to see
into the pit, I watch the orchestra a lot, too.
