Morning everyone. Straight to business! There’s a rant coming. Perhaps the first of many.
I penned my first blog-post in months the other day, and one of the topics I mentioned was batons. I assumed my next post – i.e. this one – wouldn’t quite be so soon after the first, but then I didn’t count on one of my batons displaying appalling qualities whilst in use. Let’s start from the beginning. Make sure you’re sitting comfortably.
I bought a couple of batons from Guivier’s only a matter of weeks ago. I used to use them a lot, over the years. I ordered two model P sticks. The kind Rattle is often seen sporting. I’m sure Andrew Davis also lunges with these babies too. That’s not why I bought them, mind. I’m not swayed by celebrity endorsements! I bought them because I like them, and they feel right. I buy them long, and cut the ends off – can’t stand those spindly little whiffs of sawdust at the tip – I like a log up at that end.
But enough about my proclivities.
I spent a dull (ok, it wasn’t; it was really oddly satisfying, in the same geeky way an oboist loves whittling away at their reeds) afternoon on Monday chopping and sanding the ends. In the middle of teaching Holst’s St Paul’s Suite to a student the following morning, one of them broke. SNAP. At exactly the same point as exactly the same batons always used to break years ago, which is exactly why I stopped using them in the first place. Why on earth did I go back and try again, thinking their quality-control had improved???
Essentially, what you’ve got is two bits of wood, sandwiched together and held in place merely by anti-matter, and the invisible force-fields emanating from minor 6-3 chords. Or it may as well be, because f*** all else holds it together, and the slightest twitch from the wrist renders the bits asunder.
WHAT. RUBBISH.
It really grinds my gears, as that famous conductor on telly says. It is truly, truly dreadful workmanship, and what’s more, a rip-off: At nearly £11 a pop, I’d expect a stick to last at least as far as the slow movement (of the piece, or even my career). I’ve bought a few sticks from Guivier’s since December, and they’ve often been poorly finished, badly balanced, and sometimes bent. Well, ok, I didn’t buy the bent ones, but you get the point.
So I’ve gone back to some little Maestro TR12BW jobbies, which I love, are cheaper, and above all don’t break every six bars. Much better all round.
Guivier’s should know better than to sell such dross, and I’ll be telling them so, once I’ve gotten all this off my chest. I do hope someone from their company reads this, as I’d love to offer them the right to reply. I’m not attempting to be confrontational, but when our batons are our precision tools, and they end up being far from precise, it p*sses me off big time. Plus, Guivier’s have a reputation – in a tricky world, where you can’t just grab a stick from the high street – of supplying some of the best batons to some of the best conductors. People travel there from all over, or do it mail-order. Their quality really ought to be better than that. Other company’s batons are WAAAAY better. And I’m not talking about poncey Mollards, ultra-balanced Pickboys, or Newlands embossed along the side with their own importance – I’m talking about bog-standard meat-and-two-veg sticks you can get hold of in a tiny music shop.
As you can tell, when I get ranting, I really can vent and vent and vent. So, that’s enough. I’ve got a gig tonight. Which I’ll be conducting with a simple cheap baton, the kind I’ve been using for ages. Which almost certainly won’t break. Unless someone attacks me from the viola section (it does happen, I’m told).
Anyone else got any thoughts about Guivier’s batons??? Please add comments. Maybe even photos of fatalities.
Happy snapping, folks!
I think we use a different ‘model’ of baton, though I do have similar issues with the quality at times. You’re absolutely right that the value is poor, and yes, you do have to filter out the bent ones whilst browsing. I have to admit I don’t know where else I’d go for my supply, and you’ve given me some ideas to follow up – but it so happens that Guiver is my local shop!
Robin,
Agreed re. Guiviers – I was an M model man myself, due to having very big hands and needing a big “bulb”. My record was 2 snapping in the first movement of Dvorak 7 in rehearsal. It got to the stage where I was buying them like arrows to put in my quiver, ie. disposable! Not good at all…….
But the main reason to leave a comment was that I paid the money ( admittedly a lot, but stick with me….), designed my own with perfect bulb size and balance point, and got Nate Newland to build one for me out of maple and carbon graphite. It is virtually unbreakable, he says, and I can testify to that. The only problem I have had is paint chipping off through the odd accident or vigorous stand-tapping for Youth Orchestras. But I would pay the money again – they are brilliant.
There – advert over. Seriously though, can’t recommend them highly enough.
Nice blog by the way
Mike Seal
Thanks Mike, and also thanks for the mention about Newlands – I’ll investigate and see what’s possible. Mind you, despite all kinds of searching lately, I’m currently very happy with my cheapo TR12’s. They feel right in the hand, and maybe my hands are a tad smaller than yours 🙂
I do like a shorter stick. I think I’ll write something about that pretty soon, because it’s utterly fascinating to me. Seemingly, more conductors are using a shorter stick than they used to only a few decades ago, and I’m not sure if that’s a good trend, or not. I’m thinking (off the top of my head) of people like Petrenko, Salonen, Gergiev (well, that’s a whole library of stories) and Sian Edwards. In fact, quite a lot of the Musin clan, although I’ve not studied it thoroughly yet. From my point of view – and this is quite a “Musin” thing – it makes me feel closer to the point of the sound, whereas a longer stick divorces me from the sound somewhat. Plus gets broken on the principal viola’s stand.
Robin
Yep! Totally with you. I stopped buying Guiviers batons when they were only £8 a pop! I’m now on to poncy Mollards, but only because they are nicely balanced and have my favourite bulb shapes! though I think a bit pricey at £30 ish.
When baton chunks break off and go flying through the air like musical shrapnel, please remember what happened to Lully.
Better (5 years) late than never, but I agree that Guivier’s sticks are not what they were when Bryan Fairfax sent his conducting students there to buy ‘the longest stick with a cork handle’ about 35 years ago! They are/were handmade and I know they had different makers so that’s probably the reason. Tod Handley used to make his own (not only sticks but furniture!); I can’t do that but did get a craftsman in wood to make some to the Boult ‘Porteous’ baton pattern but cut down to my size, with cork handles and a bit of lead shot in the handles to locate the point of balance just in front of the hand. He did a brilliant job and it works, if the Boult/Handley ‘finger technique’ is your thing, which it probably isn’t. But I could show you one if you’re interested – just say.
It’s good to see this sort of discussion for, after all, a conductor’s stick should be the equivalent of a violinist’s bow. One so often gets the impression nowadays that it’s just something to hold in the hand while you wave your arms about, rather than a precision instrument the use of which can make all the difference to the performance.
(Garry Humphreys)
I guess a rant is good, as is chopping and sanding.
Or you could have me make a custom one to your exact specifications:-
https://www.facebook.com/Batsonsbatons