Current Events > What's the point of those guys waving wands around at orchestras?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Those people with the instruments know what to play. And frankly if they didn't you waving a wand at them wouldn't help them figure it out.

Dark magic rituals

https://youtu.be/ex_BuaxZ3v0

Skip to 3:05

Smashingpmkns posted...

Dark magic rituals

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/1/7/AAWYnXAAEATZ.jpg

It certainly didn't do anything in that one Mario Party minigame

They're necromancers. Orchestras are made of dead musicians.

it's just some carry over ritual from the orchestral wars in the 1300's or whatever

It's performance meant for the audience. The conductor's real job is during practice/rehearsals where everything is constantly interrupted/repeated/criticized until it's right.

It protects the musicians in case of lightning.

The conductor ensures all the performers are playing at the proper cadence. Orchestras are so large each individual musician has a good chance of drifting off tempo, which even if slight will affect the overall sound especially if several of them do this. The conductor provides every single person in the orchestra with a constant source of direction, as long as everyone pays attention and follows the tempo he sets, the work will be performed correctly -- assuming he or she is a good conductor, which is why a select few conductors have been revered over the years. You can't just stand up there and wave around a baton. You need to know music intricately.

TULPAMANCER posted...

You can't just stand up there and wave around a baton.

I think you can since they don't really do anything except that.

TULPAMANCER posted...

The conductor ensures all the performers are playing at the proper cadence. Orchestras are so large each individual musician has a good chance of drifting off tempo, which even if slight will affect the overall sound especially if several of them do this. The conductor provides every single person in the orchestra with a constant source of direction, as long as everyone pays attention and follows the tempo he sets, the work will be performed correctly -- assuming he or she is a good conductor, which is why a select few conductors have been revered over the years. You can't just stand up there and wave around a baton. You need to know music intricately.

^^^

TULPAMANCER posted...

The conductor ensures all the performers are playing at the proper cadence. Orchestras are so large each individual musician has a good chance of drifting off tempo, which even if slight will affect the overall sound especially if several of them do this. The conductor provides every single person in the orchestra with a constant source of direction, as long as everyone pays attention and follows the tempo he sets, the work will be performed correctly -- assuming he or she is a good conductor, which is why a select few conductors have been revered over the years. You can't just stand up there and wave around a baton. You need to know music intricately.

I mean, while this is the actual correct answer, the joke answers are pretty funny.

EDIT Incidentally, if you're one of the few that genuinely disputes the value of this position, then you've clearly never been part of a collegiate marching band that grinded to a halt for 15 full seconds mid-performance because the conductor lost the cadence and couldn't get it back.

masterpug53 posted...

EDIT Incidentally, if you're one of the few that genuinely disputes the value of this position, then you've clearly never been part of a collegiate marching band that grinded to a halt for 15 full seconds mid-performance because the conductor lost the cadence and couldn't get it back.

Really just seems to me a marching band isn't really a very good band if one jackleg who isn't even playing a musical instrument can bring it all to halt.

Real bands like AC/DC don't need conductors.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Better bands, by definition, don't need old guys in frou-frou wigs twirling batons around to tell them what to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS0q5Srx30g

one thing i never figured out since i never did it was how musicians turn the page on sheet music, or if it's designed to just take up to pages

MedeaLysistrata posted...

one thing i never figured out since i never did it was how musicians turn the page on sheet music, or if it's designed to just take up to pages

The musicians are playing the song; the conductor is turning the pages. Really the orchestra is guiding him more than the other way around.

y'all are literally taking the bait with your whole mouths

They control the wind

TULPAMANCER posted...

The conductor ensures all the performers are playing at the proper cadence. Orchestras are so large each individual musician has a good chance of drifting off tempo, which even if slight will affect the overall sound especially if several of them do this. The conductor provides every single person in the orchestra with a constant source of direction, as long as everyone pays attention and follows the tempo he sets, the work will be performed correctly -- assuming he or she is a good conductor, which is why a select few conductors have been revered over the years. You can't just stand up there and wave around a baton. You need to know music intricately.

So the conductor is like the emperor of mankind?

Audiomancy is the only true wizardry, but it needs an entire orchestra.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

one thing i never figured out since i never did it was how musicians turn the page on sheet music, or if it's designed to just take up to pages

Musicians are generally reading on measure ahead of what they are playing. I know that sounds odd but it's true.
Also certain companies do a fantasic job of find the page breaks. Urtext is one of them...with the addition that the pages are matted and not pure white...as well as the fact that the books are designed to stay open, so you are not wrestling with keeping the pages in place. Urtext are one of the greats in that regard.

In other cases, you can have a page flipper as it were.

I could post two videos that have fantastic page flippers, for the music of Bach, both great songs but one is an absolute juggernauts. ((Almost a culmination of a life's work of arguably the greatest composer to exist))

The other basically invented classical piano playing...before the piano was even invented, as we know it. You can actually see the emotion in the young woman's faces as they follow the music. The one playing the music sometimes gives a nod to the page flippers, there is a communication there.

SiO4 posted...

The other basically invented classical piano playing...before the piano was even invented

Pianoforte is a crazy-complex mechanism. I think harpsichord predates it by 200 or 300 years.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Pianoforte is a crazy-complex mechanism. I think harpsichord predates it by 200 or 300 years.

Yes, exactly.
The Piano-Forte was coming into shape at the end of his Bach's. But it was still experimental and a thing of Royalty.

But his knowledge of the Harpsichord and Clavichord, and his works informed in what was to become.
He may be one of the first to push the Harpsichord and Clavichord forward as lead instruments.
The Well-Tempered Clavier books I and II are landmark works.

This is what was referred to as a Piano Concerto nowadays.
But it wasn't in its time.

This is the piece I am referring to.
A totally forward-thinking piece, but with a lot of Vivaldi going on as well. ~Which is not a bad thing.
And do take note of the page-turner here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osg_WmeLxQk

SiO4 posted...

Musicians are generally reading on measure ahead of what they are playing. I know that sounds odd but it's true.
Also certain companies do a fantasic job of find the page breaks. Urtext is one of them...with the addition that the pages are matted and not pure white...as well as the fact that the books are designed to stay open, so you are not wrestling with keeping the pages in place. Urtext are one of the greats in that regard.

In other cases, you can have a page flipper as it were.

I could post two videos that have fantastic page flippers, for the music of Bach, both great songs but one is an absolute juggernauts. ((Almost a culmination of a life's work of arguably the greatest composer to exist))

The other basically invented classical piano playing...before the piano was even invented, as we know it. You can actually see the emotion in the young woman's faces as they follow the music. The one playing the music sometimes gives a nod to the page flippers, there is a communication there.

thank you for the detailed response!

masterpug53 posted...

I mean, while this is the actual correct answer, the joke answers are pretty funny.

EDIT Incidentally, if you're one of the few that genuinely disputes the value of this position, then you've clearly never been part of a collegiate marching band that grinded to a halt for 15 full seconds mid-performance because the conductor lost the cadence and couldn't get it back.

while all this is true, "cadence" has a specific meaning in music and it's... not this

They keep the tempo and also give cues when certain parts come in since sometimes you have like a 2 minute rest period

I think sometimes they do volume shit? Like they tell people to play louder or quiter based on how it sounds to them? Idk

You could replace them with a blinking green light

Well you're welcMedeaLysistrata posted...

thank you for the detailed response!

Well, you're welcome. :-)

To make all the females in the crowd w...

Nah that's just dumb forget I said anything

averagejoel posted...

while all this is true, "cadence" has a specific meaning in music and it's... not this

Cadence has a different meaning in music and in marching. I believe they were referring to marching cadence, not musical cadence.