What role does a professional orchestra conductor perform?

[November Rain]

Excuse my ignorance but i understand the importance of time keeping when it comes to an unprofessional group playing.

Once you get to National Orchestra levels, one would assume musicians of this level would be able to manage their own times accordingly.

I mean from my days of singing in a choir, I always knew when to come in and at what pace to sing out when it came to performances, it was an inbuilt sense, the same sense that modern day musicians and bands tend to have when performing on stage.

so I ask, what does a conductor really bring to the table except for perhaps giving a physical life or interpretation of the musical piece they are supposed to be conducting, as if they giving a performance like they should be on a stage.

 

[heypapajinx]

nothing other than the role of sleeping with the new recruits so that they might get a higher chair ranking.

OOO!!! ORCHESTRA BURN!!

i haven't done one of those in years.

 

[The Amazing Lee]

It's really just a mental patient with a wavey stick, who is allowed to come out once every so often and pretend he is making music by pointing it at people.

 

[heypapajinx]

It's really just a mental patient with a wavey stick, who is allowed to come out once every so often and pretend he is making music by pointing it at people.

frickn. hilarious observation.

i think a little bit of pee came out when i laughed at that one.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

From they way I understand it the conducter serves to orchestrate the whole interpretation of the piece of music put before the musicians. He practices with the orchestra for weeks until he is satisfied with the sound and arrangement. During the actual performance, he really leads the whole orchestra and is the only one who has an image of the whole.

I say this because I have an uncle who is a composer (his compositions have been played by a few philharnmonics) and conducter.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

Dudez, you can have 50 people, each with an impeccable sense of rhythm, it doesn't matter 'cause it's relative.

There isn't any human where you can tell them to tap out a rhythm at 110 beats per minute, and they'll be able to do exactly 110 b.p.m. with the precision of a computer.

And even if you did have 50 freaks who could do that, and you wanted them all to clap in unison, "clap...clap...clap...clap...clap..."
...even if they all have an idea of how fast the song goes, it's all completely irrelevant if they don't all START clapping at the same moment.

If they don't start together, instead of "CLAP...CLAP...CLAP...CLAP", you will inevitably get something closer to " CLAPclapCLaP...CLAPclapCLaP...CLAPclapCLaP"

Plus, well, couldn't they hear that it sounds off and just adjust to their neighbors?

NO, 'cause, who's the leader? Benjy will adjust to the 3 guys closest to him, but D.J. Tanner will adjust to the b**** sitting next to her, 8 rows away!



So, they would want a signal, so that all 50 people would START at nearly the exact same moment. That is sort of the function the wacky conducter provides, only all the way through the song, not just to synchronize the start.

And frankly, this is so freaking obvious that I'm very disappointed in the cold November Rain.

 

[Mee]

Are the pink claps teh womenz?

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

they're the pretty, dainty claps.

 

[Mee]

So the gays then.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

Pretty much all orchestras are gay though, aren't they?

 

[Mee]

Touche`.

 

[jaguarr]

Dudez, you can have 50 people, each with an impeccable sense of rhythm, it doesn't matter 'cause it's relative.

There isn't any human where you can tell them to tap out a rhythm at 110 beats per minute, and they'll be able to do exactly 110 b.p.m. with the precision of a computer.

And even if you did have 50 freaks who could do that, and you wanted them all to clap in unison, "clap...clap...clap...clap...clap..."
...even if they all have an idea of how fast the song goes, it's all completely irrelevant if they don't all START clapping at the same moment.

If they don't start together, instead of "CLAP...CLAP...CLAP...CLAP", you will inevitably get something closer to " CLAPclapCLaP...CLAPclapCLaP...CLAPclapCLaP"

Plus, well, couldn't they hear that it sounds off and just adjust to their neighbors?

NO, 'cause, who's the leader? Benjy will adjust to the 3 guys closest to him, but D.J. Tanner will adjust to the b**** sitting next to her, 8 rows away!



So, they would want a signal, so that all 50 people would START at nearly the exact same moment. That is sort of the function the wacky conducter provides, only all the way through the song, not just to synchronize the start.

And frankly, this is so freaking obvious that I'm very disappointed in the cold November Rain.

Not only that, but the conductor also usually has a particular interpretation of the music being played that he'd like to realize. Some push to play it exactly as it was written, and others want to bring out parts they feel deserve more of a spotlight. Or perhaps they want to play it much faster or slower than originally intended by the composer. Sometimes they ARE the compser and have even more invested in seeing their creation come to aural life.

jag

 

[November Rain]

Dudez, you can have 50 people, each with an impeccable sense of rhythm, it doesn't matter 'cause it's relative.

There isn't any human where you can tell them to tap out a rhythm at 110 beats per minute, and they'll be able to do exactly 110 b.p.m. with the precision of a computer.

And even if you did have 50 freaks who could do that, and you wanted them all to clap in unison, "clap...clap...clap...clap...clap..."
...even if they all have an idea of how fast the song goes, it's all completely irrelevant if they don't all START clapping at the same moment.

If they don't start together, instead of "CLAP...CLAP...CLAP...CLAP", you will inevitably get something closer to " CLAPclapCLaP...CLAPclapCLaP...CLAPclapCLaP"

Plus, well, couldn't they hear that it sounds off and just adjust to their neighbors?

NO, 'cause, who's the leader? Benjy will adjust to the 3 guys closest to him, but D.J. Tanner will adjust to the b**** sitting next to her, 8 rows away!



So, they would want a signal, so that all 50 people would START at nearly the exact same moment. That is sort of the function the wacky conducter provides, only all the way through the song, not just to synchronize the start.

And frankly, this is so freaking obvious that I'm very disappointed in the cold November Rain.

I would still like to hear the difference, I think a well organised choir with leaders within each section could get around the idea of having a conductor present.

I just feel if large choirs can pull it off, then it's also possible for an orchestra to do so so they get across want they want to instead of being the clay that the conductor moulds to his desire.


I suppose it really depends on whether a choir is put together from a bunch of specialist randoms or if they are a tight team that have played with one another from numerous years. i'm still a bit dubious even if it is the former.

perhaps i give creative human beings too much credit.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

I have never seen a large choir that didn't have some kind of director in front.
Even when I had to sing in school there was always some fat lesbian in front looking at us mouthing the words and making silly gestures to suggest when a sustained note tapering off should come to a crisp stop, with a crab claw motion.

I have no idea what you're talking about.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is one of the most acclaimed, huge choirs around and whenever I've seen 'em there's a guy or a chick at the front, waving there arms and stuff.


Does this...upset you?
Doesn't it make, oh....perfect sense, when dealing with large numbers of performers to have them all unified by one leader instead galloping all over the place?

 

[November Rain]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDqmOcL_POo

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

you just can't see the leader behind the camera.
Also, I'm talking about the big time, like John Williams scoring a Star Wars film.

Like, I don't like watching choirs, but I've seen the MTC, and you see

There's a ton of 'em, and then that little man on the platform there?
That's all I'ver ever seen.

Bands are different because you have a drummer, metering out the time like a metronome, so all you need is to know when to start, which is where you get your cheesy Bruce Springsteen "1,2,3, FOUR! POW!"

But most orchestral stuff, there are wild time tempo changes, and super loud parts and then just one instrument playing quietly which swells into a loud part later and all that has to be synchronized without drums.

 

[November Rain]

in all fairness, i wasn't using that video seriously, it tickles me up inside...

Does this...upset you?
Doesn't it make, oh....perfect sense, when dealing with large numbers of performers to have them all unified by one leader instead galloping all over the place?

Actually it does kinda upset me.

not much but a lil...

I would go into it but it would only have you reiterating your points which i'm thankful for anywho.

 

[Dangerous]

A- He conducts the orchestra.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

in all fairness, i wasn't using that video seriously, it tickles me up inside....

Well I don't have any sound so I just saw some people waving their arms and stepping around a stage in a mildly synchronized way.

and

Actually it does kinda upset me.

I hope you can work through this.

 

[November Rain]

oh, you're missing out with the lack of sound.


Plenty of things upset me scream, one being the alphabet, i've spent the last two weeks thinking about it and i can't get my head around it. it just doesn't make sense.

but i trudge on through life.

 

[November Rain]

A- He conducts the orchestra.

professionally, he conducts the orchestra professionally...

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

well the alphabet is inadequate, because, we all know the word "casual".
But when people shorten it, 'cause the party won't be a formal thing, just..."ca...".

How do you write that "J"-"Z-like" sound when you just say half of "casual", "casual" without the "ual"?

 

[November Rain]

i've never heard anyone ever shorten the word casual.

 

[jaguarr]

oh, you're missing out with the lack of sound.


Plenty of things upset me scream, one being the alphabet, i've spent the last two weeks thinking about it and i can't get my head around it. it just doesn't make sense.

but i trudge on through life.

Life a bit troublin' for ya, son?

jag

 

[November Rain]

Life a bit troublin' for ya, son?

jag

Not really, i just think too much. It's not 'worry' thinking because i know worrying leads to nothing, it's just thought.