Temporal Shaping : A conductor’s exploration of tempo and its modifications in Weber's Der Freischütz Overture

The aim of this master's thesis is to explore and elaborate on the Wagnerian conception of "tempo modification" and its overall relevance in the temporal shaping of music in orchestral conducting. The argument is based on a study that aims to revitalise and establish the tempo identification as a conductor's primary area of interest. This phenomenon is studied through performances and recordings of Weber's Der Freischütz Overture. Terminology for different perspectives on temporal shaping is proposed. The historical impact of tempo modification is explored through a comparative audio analysis of three central recordings. The same analytical procedures are then subsequently applied to the author's two recordings, and a cross-comparison is carried out of all five recordings. The thesis further discusses the use of reduction as a method for a conductor's score analysis. Through this multi-layered analysis, the thesis suggests that tempo modification is a stylistically and historically contingent phenomenon, the application of which is indeed dependent on structural elements in the score, but most of all dependent on compositional style and performance practice