I’m not a musician at all, but have always wondered as to whether the conductor of an orchestra actually does anything really conducive to the music, or if their presence is mostly based on tradition.
Since the highly talented musicians that compose the orchestra have probably practiced the pieces they are performing hundreds of times, I don’t quite understand how the conductor helps them that much with a beat, or pace of the music. I would think that the musicians know this well enough to do it mostly on their own?
And even if the conductor does help a bit with the performance, are they really deserving of the “star” status they receive? The conduction itself does not look nearly as hard as what a violinist, tuba player, et al must do to contribute to the performance.
The conductor has several jobs. First, he interprets the score, just as a theatrical director interprets a play. There are many different ways to play a peice of music. The conductor decides the exact tempo and other details that can vary from performance to performance. The musicians may have played a peice before, but the conductor The other important job is leading the orchestra. He helps the musicians work together in an organized fasion.
Small ensembles can see each other on stage so they know they are together. A large ensemble like an orchestra needs to be more organized.
it depends on what kind of music it is. when I was in Jazz in college our conductor would introduce the music, then normally had the drummer start us off then leave the stage. he’d only come back to end the song.
in an orcestra though they do other small parts too. they tell someone to play louder or softer, tell you if you are out of tune, start the piece, change the tempo, start and end the different movements. but no, realistically you don’t need the conductor for a whole lot, but begining and ending would, IMO, be the most important role. I will say though that in all the years I played I never really looked at the conductor, I have a feel for the pace though.
The conductor’s primary job isn’t really the conducting of the piece during the performance, it’s in the interpretation of the piece and in leading the rehearsals to get the ensemble to perform the piece the way s/he wants.
If you look at timings for individual movements for classical pieces, you’ll see that there is variation. Different conductors choose different tempos. Also, a conductor may choose to emphasize certain melodies or counter-melodies that others leave in the background. Conductors study the score (the book of music with all of the parts) and research about the piece to decide on an interpretation.
During rehearsals, the conductor has to get the musicians (who sometimes have their own ideas) to play the piece the way the conductor wants. Professional players have played the parts dozens of times, and can play most of them in their sleep. They do need to learn how to play it as a group, and they need to learn the particular way the conductor wants to hear it.
This is not to say that the conductor doesn’t do anything during performance. The music has to start and end together, which the conductor does. Conductors give cues, control dynamics and tempo, etc.
The really important job they have is if everything falls apart during the performance. I have been in concerts where the conductor has had to stop the piece, tell us where in the music to look, and restart the group. Rare thing, but it happens.
Anytime you have more than 16 or 20 people trying to play music together, it’s helpful to have somebody standing up in front coordinating things.
Personally I don’t think that modern symphony conductors deserve half the hype and attention they think they do, but that’s just the American “star” system, it’s not their fault.
That’s a bit like saying “I can transcribe this sheet music into computer data and feed it to an electric piano, so do I need a pianist anymore?” The orchestra can play correctly without help from the conductor, but the conductor decides HOW the music should be played.
The conductor may also handle other behind-the-scene business operations, such as:
Auditioning new members
Booking the concert dates
Scheduling rehearsals & “sectionals” (like when just the trumpet section rehearses alone)
Selecting the music to be performed
I know didley about music but I would say several things.
The performance you see is the result of many rehearsals. If you see the rehearsals you will see the conductor continually stop the play and give indications and directions. The way I see it, the less he needs to do during the public performance, the more he did during rehearsals to shape the piece.
Also, in a large orchestra, a player cannot hear all the other instruments and needs guidance. If you see a large marching band playing by ear you can sometimes detect the time delay between the front and the rear. To play all at once they need to follow the visual signals.
Every Tuesday I go to see a six instrument Dixialand group. The leader of the band is continually giving directions to mark tempo, indicate which instrument will play solo, etc. After some jamming he’ll tap the top of his head to indicate they’re going back to the top of the tune etc.
So, the answer I believe is yes, the conductor is necessary and not just window dressing.
I’d say you know more than you’re giving yourself credit for there, sailor. I once translated a book on conducting from the Russian…
[/self-aggrandizement OFF]
…and you’er pretty much encapsulated the author’s whole thesis on the art.
The conductor really is the only one who can hear the piece as a whole in his head before a note is ever sounded. It’s a skill either developed or learned but it’s there nonetheless. Musicians are too busy following their own sheet music (or reeling the part out from their memory) to be able to concentrate on organizing the rest of the group. There’s also the matter of artistic interpretation, which of course ties in to being able to hear the whole piece, or read the entire orchestral score at once. Us muzikyans mostly don’t know squat about that.
As for you, AWB, you should know that conductors are past masters at throwing their batons like knives with deadly accuracy. Your name, address, and photo have now been distributed to every single philharmonic and orchestra worldwide. evil laugh
Jesus. How did you decide who was going to take a solo, and when? Usually the leader waves in the general direction of one of the musicans, who stands up and blows a few choruses, then gives way to someone else.
What happened when a trumpet player and a tenor saxophonist jumped up at the same time? Did one of them sit back down sheepishly?
I second what other posters have contributed. I would also point out that the conductor is the only person who hears the piece more or less as the audience does, in that s/he is standing at the focus of the music, and outside of an individual instrument’s performance.
As a percussionist, I’m always relegated to the rear of the orchestra, and can’t even hear sections that are all the way across the stage. So relying on the conductor for certain timing and artistic cues is essential at times.
The conductor not only controls the tempo of a performance, but the balance of various voices as they blend.
Keep in mind, also, that light travels faster than sound, and a visual beat will keep orchestra members together more readily than hearing a delayed meter.
Good point DAVEW0071. There are pieces where the performers are in multiple locations in the hall. Sometimes it’s done for effect, sometimes it’s done for practical reasons. It happens a lot in churches where the organist is in a choir loft, but the choir is in the front of the church. Then it becomes crucial for the musicians to watch the conductor very closely for the beat. It’s really hard to do, because you end up playing and/or singing ahead of what you hear.
Don’t I know it, Zabes. I used to sing in a barbershop chorus when I lived in Rochester, NY. We were given the opportunity to sing the national anthem at the ballpark one evening. Of course, we were miked, and our director told us, “Don’t listen to anything. Just sing your part and WATCH ME!” The delay from the amplifiers was incredibly confusing. That’s the only time I’ve just performed without listening to anything around me (which, in barbershop singing, can be disastrous!)
We planned that ahead of time. I’ve only ever seen a couple of times when someone stood up when they weren’t supposed to. I’ve been in other Jazz groups that did have a conductor and they didn’t point out who was to solo anyway, usually if someone screws up everyone around them tells them.
I’ve been in Marching bands too, I never watched then either. in MB I took the tempo from my steps, after you march the same time you know where in the music you need to be at what point.
I was never one for watching the conductor, I’d watch at the begining and end and then occasionally I’d look up just to make sure. then again I used to sit next to the drummers so i’d listen to them.
picmr, you forgot to mention that cellists always rush any run that has sixteenth notes. I’ve seen cellists sawing away obliviously, their bows smoking, not realizing they’re two measures ahead of everyone.
::string players. sheesh!::
We know you live back there, drum troll. Just remember, we have strings wound to a high degree of tension and a stick that’s pointy on one end. And you do make an inviting target.
As a conductor myself (albeit of a middle school band), I would say that the conductor is necessary.
One should look at the conductor the way one would look at any instrumentalist. The conductor’s instrument is the entire ensemble (band, orchestra, whatever). It is his interpretations of the music that are heard.
In a professional orchestra, the performers have not practiced the music hundreds of times. Often, there are only one or two rehearsals and then it’s show time. Sure, the standard pieces are well known, but new music is – well – new.
In addition, music has accelerandi and rallantandi that need to be coordinated. The conductor decides these issues. The conductor can even change these on a whim. As a teacher, I often will play with the tempo just to force my students to watch. They learn to look at the music and see the “big picture”, then look at me to see what we’re going to do. Professionals do the same thing, just with more (and more challenging) music.
Now, marching band is different. In performance, the drum major is mostly for show. They begin and end the music, but the actual conducting is not that significant. In a marching band, the musicians must listen to each other to stay together. (Of course, that’s true for other ensembles, as well.) The trick is to have the sound of all the instruments arrive at the audiences ears at the same time. That is challenging when your instruments are spread over an area the size of a football field.
So, did you hear the one about the drum major who was struck by lightening? Turns out he was a poor conductor. [ba-bum-bum]
Then there was the drummer who lost one of her drumsticks. They made her the conductor. [splash]
