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Just Chat! / Re: What is the purpose of the conductor in an orchestra?
« on: 27/10/2024 23:38:25 »
Hi.
I seem to recall what our conductor did.... To be honest, if our conductor made an impromptu change in something just on the night when a piece was being performed, then a lot of us would have missed it and played the thing as we did in rehersals anyway. We would have eventually noticed but not before some of us had made timing mistakes or terrible noises.
However, the conductor was there during rehersals and that's when they really did their thing - made some changes and generally managed the whole ensemble. They were the master and overlord of this whole thing and so they do deserve their place right up at the very front of the group.
So I think that the main contribution by the conductor is what has happened "behind the scenes" before the audience was there. As @Halc suggested, there are going to be a few places where we did really have to see when we were supposed to start or end but even that would have been brought to our attention by the conductor and practised a few times during rehersals.
Best Wishes.
I seem to recall what our conductor did.... To be honest, if our conductor made an impromptu change in something just on the night when a piece was being performed, then a lot of us would have missed it and played the thing as we did in rehersals anyway. We would have eventually noticed but not before some of us had made timing mistakes or terrible noises.
However, the conductor was there during rehersals and that's when they really did their thing - made some changes and generally managed the whole ensemble. They were the master and overlord of this whole thing and so they do deserve their place right up at the very front of the group.
So I think that the main contribution by the conductor is what has happened "behind the scenes" before the audience was there. As @Halc suggested, there are going to be a few places where we did really have to see when we were supposed to start or end but even that would have been brought to our attention by the conductor and practised a few times during rehersals.
Best Wishes.