conductor

In the passage about conducting, Igor Stravinsky expresses his total disrespect for conductors and their personalities. He exposes this irreverent attitude by his comparisons of conducting to such deceiving professions as politics and acting. Continuing his attack on conductors, he also presents the actual flaws in their character and outlook. Relentless in his criticism, Stravinsky uses his images throughout the passage to reveal his own disrespectful and scornful attitude toward the art of conducting. Specifically, …

…identify with all of the duplicity and deception normally associated with politics. Also by comparing conducting to politics, Stravinsky effectively reveals his own loathsome opinion towards conducting, which is similar to the way in which people regard politics. Furthermore, his strong images of egotistical, selfish conductors also help to develop this irreverent opinion. Overall, Stravinsky’s choices of imagery serve as an effective means to reveal his own scornful attitude on the insignificance of conducting.