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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[–] 12 points 9 months ago (1 child)

they conduct heat and electricity, mostly

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  • [–] 7 points 9 months ago

    Bo Burnham's early work sucks but that does remind me of one of the few non-problematic jokes he had:

    And if there's a metal train that's a mile long,
    and at the very back end a lightning bolt struck her,
    how long 'til it reaches and kills the driver,
    provided that he's a good conductor?

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