yest, the wonderfully-termed "scare-the-bejesus-out-of-them system" produced wonderful results with Reiner, and also Szell, Toscanini, Böhm - the times allowed for it. But now? Wouldn't the orchestras soon go on strike?

Monteux was reputedly a very amiable conductor, and he got wonderful results too, and Munch wasn't so bad, and I don't know that he got in fits. I think it is more (as you say) a matter for the conductor of knowing what he wants rather than screaming or breaking his stick to get it. Knowing what you want in music takes lots of maturity and studying, and maybe Robertson has spent too much time on Adams and the Intercontemporain fodder to really build up a repertoire in the more traditional fare.