Beginning of Essay
As a composer, knew many conductors. Later, he wrote an essay about them. What could he write about them? What would your typical composer have to say about conductors? Surprisingly, when Stravinsky wrote about conductors he became very critical. Sarcasm and mock ....

Middle of Essay
.... original minds." Stravinsky uses the word "original" in a different way than it is normally used. In English, "original" means first, or new. In Russian, however, to call a person original means to say that he is smart, that he comes with resourceful ideas. Since Stravinsky was Russian, that is what he probably meant. Therefore in his first sentence, Stravinsky says that, more or less, almost all conductors are stupid. The whole passage is more of an insult to all conductors, rather than an informative text. Secondly, Stravinsky uses comparisons to politicians in order condemn the conductors. "Conducting, like politics, rarely attracts original mind ....