Conductor ParagraphSome people are very adept at appearing much more skilled at what they do than how skilled they actually are. From athletes to singers, some people are even able to make a living from their talent, even if they lack talent. The famous composer Igor Stravinsky details this phenomenon by criticizing conductors who, in his eyes, lack true musical prowess. Through his use of detail and diction, Stravinsky illustrates his annoyance with conductors and their outward appearance of false competence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Stravinsky's use of details shows his contempt for conductors. For example, he begins his tirade by saying: “conduct, like politics, rarely attracts original minds.” Stravinsky compares conducting to being involved in politics, which he uses as an example since conducting and politics are two roles where more effort is spent on looking good rather than being innovative or to do something important. Inevitably, Stravinsky argues, no innovation is ever achieved in conducting, just as no major change is ever achieved in politics. Furthermore, Stravinsky states that "'great' conductors, like 'great' actors, are incapable of playing anything other than themselves." Just like an actor plays a musician, composers have no real musical talent, even if they act the way they do. By not being musically competent, conductors can only act as if they are more important to the orchestra than they really are. Stravinsky finally states that “unable to adapt to their work, they adapt the work, to their 'style', to their manners”. Due to their lack of musical talent, composers essentially do what they want and claim it to be their conducting "style". The details of the passage show Stravinsky's contempt for conductors. Stravinsky criticizes conductors in this passage with his use of diction. Stravinsky first states that “The successful conductor may be an incomplete musician, but he must be a complete sinner.” This parallel with the sport of fishing suggests that conductors are much better at “hooking” their audiences than at playing music. This shows that conductors compensate, not by becoming better at music, but by making audiences believe that they are better at music. Stravinsky describes the profession of conducting as a “disease of the ego”. The profession of conductor, a "disease", infects all those who are exposed to it, from the conductor who believes himself to be much more important than he actually is, to the audience who is brought also to be believed. The contagious nature of an “ego disease” leads to the perpetuation of the idea that conductors are important, as this idea infects more and more people. Stravinsky finally describes the position of the conductor as a “purely selfish, false and arbitrary authority”. The strong language affirms Stravinsky's conclusion that conductors are motivated not by musical talent but by their own ego. Describing them as selfish, false and arbitrary, Stravinsky concludes that conductors have no other purpose than to place themselves between the orchestra and the audience and to look like the most important person in the room. Stravinsky's use of diction expresses his complete dislike of conductors. Keep in mind: this is just a sample.”.