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RedDeerGuy1's avatar

Are orchestral conductors really needed?

Asked by RedDeerGuy1 (24986points) January 7th, 2023

Or do they exist to look cool?

Humor welcome.

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9 Answers

Love_my_doggie's avatar

Well, conductors certainly do look cool, but they also take disparate musical noises and turn them into beautiful arrangements.

rockfan's avatar

Funny, I just finished watching the movie “Tár”, a psychological drama about a fictional composer, played by Cate Blanchett. It was really well done.

Composers keep the tempo for the orchestra, so they’re extremely important.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

Thanks @all .

Tropical_Willie's avatar

Student conductor in high school, yes they are needed.
When our teacher was sick I was appoint conductor by the high school orchestra and school admins.

gondwanalon's avatar

Professional conductors read the scores like a hawk as they are played. They make sure that all the instruments are playing the music right and they make corrections are needed. Nothing and I mean nothing is played without the conductors notice and approval.

kritiper's avatar

Yes. It’s hard for all of the musicians to keep proper time with the music without a visual time keeper.

seawulf575's avatar

The conductor serves several purposes. The first and probably the most important is to give the orchestra a steady beat. He keeps time with his baton so that all members are counting the time the same. The other thing he does is to be the “ears” of the audience in the group. He hears how the different instruments are playing, urging some to come out louder, toning others back, etc.

Forever_Free's avatar

Absolutely.
The conductor beats time and prepares the musicians in rehearsal, but most importantly the conductor knows every aspect of the musical score that is being played by everyone else.
A conductor brings a unified vision to the music.

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