Orchestra conductor. What do they actually do?

Any ideas? You would imagine that before any concert the orchestra have rehearsed to the nth degree, everyone knows their parts, where to start and stop and how to play it, etc. So why do they need a conductor? Anyone played in an orchestra care to shed some light on the mysteries of a job that seems (to me at least) to be pretty much only for show?

leads the entire orchestra, i’m sure if you google it there’ll be a good video explaining it.

They keep everyone in time.

Knowing the music isn’t enough. You need to play it at exactly the same speed as everyone else. They only way to coordinate this is to have everyone watch the conductor for their cues and timing.

Source: my wife and three kids all play or have played trumpet in orchestras and bands and I asked the same dumb question.

In addition to what pp said there is also a ton of work done in rehearsal.

They are also the only ones who can hear everything so the balance of the different parts may need to be adjusted during the performance. When playing in a large group knowing your own part isn’t enough to get a good performance.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/collections/11-appearances-can-deceive/34510-008

Best episode eva

Mrs Pondo’s concert band’s conductor also tells terrible puns between pieces. He’s great. 🙂

Musicians need to be able to see one another to keep in sync. The conductor acts as a single point of reference for this. Also acts as an interpreter of the piece. In a show the conductor links the actors on stage with musicians in the pits. There are also key players (eg first violin) who act as further points of reference.

Proud dad aside – my youngest has just finished a week of singing with the touring version of Joseph at HMT in Aberdeen. She was onstage everyday for the whole show (and still went to school).

One of the most recent Wired videos on YouTube has a conductor explaining exactly what they. I found it surprisingly informative.
I’m incapable of linking the item(or anything at all) on the forum due to being a cretin.

They check the musicians have a valid ticket

Left to themselves orchestral musicians will interpret a piece (or at least their part) in the way they see it. That might result in a hundred different interpretations going on at once which would be a mess. The conductor applies his/her interpretation which the orchestra then follow (well unless it’s a conductor they dislike in which case they’ll do it the way they want). Also more mundane tasks like keeping the beat, setting tempi, giving cues to musicians. There’s much more than waving a stick around and a really good conductor who gets the orchestra on board with them makes a huge difference (even, or maybe especially, with amateurs like me).

There are other approaches though. It is quite common for concertos (where there is a soloist) to be conducted (or “directed”) by the soloist as well as them playing. There is also a particularly exceptional orchestra in the US (The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) who perform without a conductor. Their rehearsals are extensive and they spend a great deal of time discussing interpretation and performance issues.

Lesson one is accurate baton hurling.

By the time you get to the actual performance, not much. In fact sometimes as a gimic they have a guest conductor – celebrity, kid from the audience. As you suggest by that point the musicians could play the piece in their sleep.
In the hours of rehearsal though, the conductor gets the orchestra to play the music in a way that matches the conductors vision for it. Mood, tone etc. Essentially like the director does for a film.

Its basically the analogue version of this

By the time you get to the actual performance, not much.

the highbrow equivalent of Bez – shakes something about in time to the music to keep the crowd entertained 🙂

Essentially like the director does for a film.

That’s a great explanation. You couldn’t stage a play by hiring a bunch of actors, getting them to all learn their lines and then sending them out there. No matter how talented they all are (if you did someone would end up directing it or you’d direct by collective anyway)

Left to themselves orchestral musicians will interpret a piece (or at least their part) in the way they see it. That might result in a hundred different interpretations going on at once which would be a mess.

Otherwise known as a jazz band.

Go and have a look. Some orchestras have slightly lower-brow special evenings with recognisable tunes from the movies and such and are a great way to see a conductors worth. The Hawaii 5.0 theme tune still sends a chill down my spine when I think about it.

If you watch something like the 3 Tenors (recently on Sky Arts when they profiled Pavarotti) or a soloist the conductor will monitor the solo artiste(s) output and ensure the large band plays the right thing at the right time. The conductor ensures the orchestra doesn’t race ahead or fall behind whichever maestro is the star attraction.

Keeps everyone from eyeing up Gloria.

Classic FM did a surprisingly good mini-series (one of their evening or weekend shows away from the usual standard fare of “safe” classical music) on conductors, showcasing the same piece under different conductors and sometimes at different times (ie the same piece, one version played in the 40’s / 50’s and another version played in modern times) to highlight the different fashions or interpretations of how fast / slow it should be played.

Quite a few conductors will develop a reputation for doing more or less exclusively 2 or 3 composers. Herbert von Karajan for example was regarded as an absolute master with Beethoven.

My Dad (a concert violinist) has some entertaining stories from his orchestra days; some conductors do develop a very over-entitled view of themselves.

Musicians also sub for each other at extremely short notice. Often very little or no rehearsal involved. Just give them the music and they go!

Maccruiskeen : one of my fav slam tracks that one 👍

Lesson one is accurate baton hurling.

button hurling is just the warm up. I’ve seen a conductor follow up with a walking stick and his music stand, which was quite impressive.

That Modern Toss is brilliant.

Surely this has to be the greatest conductor of all time?