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 9 months ago

When I had parts in an orchestra, there were parts where i was supposed to just be quiet for a hundred bars or whatever. Far too long to count, and when youre sitting in your section you only hear the people next to you so i never knew what part of the song we were in. The conductor usually gives a signal when its time to start playing again, even If its just a nod or a look.

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