As a kid, I just assumed it was aesthetic. Like, someone for an audience of non-musicians to project themselves on to.

As an adult, I recognize that this is almost certainly not the case. Presumably the conductor plays a role that is necessary and helpful to the rest of the orchestra... but I'll be damned if I can't quite figure out what that is. Surely its not just timing? Can't the players just... listen to one another to work that out?

Rotoscoped silhouette of Leopold Stokowski from Fantasia (1940)
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[–] 15 points 8 months ago

They point at who can fart and not be heard while playing the song

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