What do conductors hold

Would the orchestra still play without them? And why do they sweat so much? And almost exclusively male. As long as there are myths around what a conductor actually does, an important part of classical music will seem mysterious to many people. At a basic level conducting is very simple. It keeps an orchestra or a choir in time and together. Most importantly a conductor serves as a messenger for the composer. It is their responsibility to understand the music and convey it through gesture so transparently that the musicians in the orchestra understand it perfectly.

The nature of the conductor has shifted and changed in the past thousand-odd years, but a certain air of mystique still surrounds those mysterious figures on the podium. Why is it that a single person, making no noise at all apart from the odd breathy grunt and armed with just a sliver of wood, or sometimes just their hands, can be held responsible for the sonic output of hundreds of instrument-wielding people? Like the greatest artistic mysteries, a full answer evades us — thank goodness.

In a more mundane way, we might think of conductors as the musical equivalent of sports team managers. While it is possible for large orchestras to perform without conductors, most choose to have one. So what it is, exactly, that they do? Whether visibly or invisibly, consciously or unconsciously, here are some of the myriad things they get up to on that podium….

The orthodoxy is that the conductor uses his or her right hand to hold a baton if used — some prefer just to use their hands and set the tempo, control it thereafter, signify the beginning of a new bar and deal with other matters of timing that help keep an ensemble of sometimes over a hundred individuals together. But while these elements are all vital components for a smooth performance, a great conductor is self-evidently much more than just a metronome wearing tails.

This video is no longer available. Convey an interpretation The conductor is there to bring a musical score to life, communicating their own highly refined sense of the work through an individual language of gestures, which might sculpt the musical line, tease out nuances, emphasise certain musical elements while controlling others, and essentially re-imagine an old piece anew. Mastering the skill is why many spend years studying the nuances of orchestra conducting. The easiest way to learn the meaning behind various movements is to divide them into two groups: right-hand movements and left-hand movements.

Right-hand dominant conductors hold the baton in their prevailing hand and use the rod to manage the tempo of the music. Through minutely detailed changes the conductor adds poignant facets to the score. An upward motion with the baton prepares the musicians for the coming downbeat. The conductor signals the real down beat by moving the rod downward. How subtly or drastically the conductor moves the baton controls the mood the music makes.