So What's A Conductor For?

Conducting music is fascinating to do and fascinating to watch. When you feel the baton come down and an orchestra beautifully wakes up the air according to the point in time that you chose, there is a thrill about that! Watching it almost seems like there is something magic about the little stick that makes it all come together.

There are many beautiful examples of fine conducting.

Kimbo Ishiieto (but you know there is another person here I love to watch and hear!)

I enjoy how this conductor brought to life to the orchestral music in this concerto. Normally Chopin concerto orchestra music tends to just get swept along by the piano without that much to say, but here they support the soloist musically like they really mean it.

The other two movies that go with this are here and here

This is Barenboim conducting- and is so powerful and unique.

There are many examples of conducting that are funny.

Sebastian the Cyber Conductor

Jonathan the three year old conductor (I LOVE him right about minute 2:03!)

The remarkable thing about this child is more than his timing, knowledge of the music and appreciation and understanding: He actually treats the baton beautifully- he has absorbed through observation some manner of handling the thing like a real conductor- I hope when he goes for conducting lessons as he inevitably will someday, that the though of right ways and wrong ways to do things won't knock the spontaneity out of him. A little research proves he'll be fine!

Goodness, yes. More

Now we're just getting silly:

Beethoven's 5th-Atkinson style

More along that same vein

And even a lighter example of conducting- Tom and Jerry!

But what is a conductor for?

The conductor makes a lot of business and musical decisions before that concert ever begins, months before, in preparation for each concert. The conductor's responsibility is to make one musician out of an orchestra by knowing all parts to the music, not just the part of one instrument. The conductor can also act as a type of musical ambassador to the public and a kind of guide of the group as a whole, to make decisions on performances and choosing repertory. Conductors really have to be complete and thorough musicians, having strong leadership qualities to be able to conduct rehearsals effectively and to be able to convincingly direct the speed, the volume and the emotional message that the musicians need to cohesively deliver.

In a concert and in rehearsal, musicians depend on cues from the conductor for dynamics and tempo. The baton patterns show meter and also show just the right moment for the orchestra to begin chords all together and when to close off long notes so the orchestra does not sound like a bunch of confused people with no plan or direction. Most professional orchestras can do just fine without the conductor in most works actually, but with strong leadership, they themselves can really feel a difference in the energy, accuracy and emotional output of the performance. The movements of the baton are just a little piece of the whole picture, just like the moment on the stage is just a part of being a musician. Sometimes it's easy to miss the importance of a conductors since they don't play an instrument in the orchestra- well- actually sometimes the soloist does conduct a concerto. But maybe this post helps explain parts of the huge leadership role the conductor has.