Posted by Mike Solms on February 02, 2000 at 13:15:55:
In Reply to: What does it mean to you? posted by Gary Press on February 02, 2000 at 09:59:32:
My own understanding of this term is based on the connotations of the
word indulgence that lean toward service and obligation. An
orchestral performance requires balancing a number of obligations:
to the composer; to the audience; to the players; and to the vision
of the conductor. When someone refers to a conductor as self-
indulgent, I think that person feels the conductor has upset the
balance by giving too much weight to his or her own vision- at the
expense of the other obligations.