Do conductors have to be cruel to be good?

The era of podium tyranny, depicted by the film Tár, isn't completely a thing of the past. How moral should our ears be?

From magazine issue: 07 January 2023

The podium tyrant walks again: Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár. Courtesy of Focus Features

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Richard Bratby

Do conductors have to be cruel to be good?
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