Are orchestral conductors full of shite?

Professional musicians don’t need to look at a conductor much. They do, however, need to be wary of a conductor’s desires for tempo changes and the like.

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Are orchestral conductors full of shite?

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Some may be. But 90% of what a conductor does happens in rehearsal. Go check out an orchestra rehearsal and watch what goes on.

If the musicians aren't always looking it can be a factor of a few things. First, they are well rehearsed. The conductor has rehearsed them at the desired tempo. Problem spots worked out. Second, sometimes musicians are more following other musicians. There are key people in the orchestra (the concert master, the principals etc.), other players in that section may be following that person. The conductor is the general, the concertmaster is the colonel and the principals are captains. Each will guide their sections. Third, the musicians don't need to watch all the time if they are well rehearsed and know the piece. They will watch for tempo changes, entrances and any part that needs special attention. The conductor guides the orchestra in a less knee jerk reflexive way and more like a guiding a balloon. If the orchestra needs to slow down i=or speed up, it can be difficult to get them all to follow immediately. It often takes a little bit of time. Trust me, it can be like moving a massive object.

You practice so much that all you need is the count-off and then you listen to those around you.
After that point, conductor is there for reference and/or cues.

What you don't see from a conductor at a concert is the hours of full band practice where they meticulously go over tempos/volume/balance/tonality with each section and as a whole band.
At the time of the concert, the band barely realizes the conductor is there because they're so use to it.

Shockingly detailed answers from someone named "johnqpublic"! Seriously, I knew that they weren't "full of shite", but I questioned how much they actually controlled the orchestra. It looks similar to an NBA coach kind of "chilling" when his team is up 20+.

Also, I'm legit pissed that I didn't check out the Chicago orchestra when I visited a few years ago. That was a phenomenal performance.

One question: it seems like there are a lot of people that don't get an opportunity to change the page because they never really stop playing. Do they have the entire performance memorized? Do they have the notes printed smaller so that they don't have to change pages?

Another question for you musician folk: for a typical high quality concert (like the linked Chicago Symphony Orchestra):
if one were to remove all musical "sheets" (or whatever it's called) a minute before they begin playing, how well is their concert likely to go?

ETA: xGeaux kind of answered it. Thanks buddy.

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One question: it seems like there are a lot of people that don't get an opportunity to change the page because they never really stop playing. Do they have the entire performance memorized? Do they have the notes printed smaller so that they don't have to change pages?

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If it is strings, there are two players per desk (although basses may be 1 per stand), the inside player handles page turns. In addition, if the copyist is worth their salt, they do everything they can to put page turns in an area that causes the least interruption. Don't put a page turn in a long crazy run for example. Also, they will have at least 2 pages open at a time (if the parts are accordion style, they may have more). Barring that, yes, if they have played the piece a lot, they may memorize a bar or so.

Here's Barenboim conducting the Ninth with no score. All from memory. You can also see some of the parts on the stand. Yu can see how much they can see at once.

The 9th

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Here's Barenboim conducting the Ninth with no score. All from memory. You can also see some of the parts on the stand. Yu can see how much they can see at once.

The 9th

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I have a million questions to ask right now, but I'll stick with one that I probably can't Google. In that video, everyone but the conductor looks like they're in their 20s. Are they all from some college? Is it the best musical college on the planet?

I’ll add in some thoughts from someone who was a conducting major for a bit.

You develop a certain style of movement as a conductor over time. So your orchestra learns your style as you work with them and they register it automatically. How you flourish certain movements to indicate what you want with volume or how to end on a specific note. All those arm movements and wrist turns and flicks are thought out and developed over time.

A conductor spends hours upon hours with a score. You have to remember, they have to know every single note of every single instrument in the orchestra. And be able to give cues and marks to the end players. You’ll notice with some watching, the conductor usually is giving the cue for something a beat or two before the musicians actually hit it, in many cases. And as said above, most of this is just for reference for the musicians and show for the audience. You the audience subconsciously anticipate what’s coming becuse of the way the conductor is working.

And as stated above, most of the real work is done in rehearsal. At the professional level, most musicians have played the majority of the “master works” at one point and time in their life. And have listened to the majority of more. On top of that, they often aren’t just orchestra musicians. Many are teachers, and play in a smattering of other ensembles. They know thousands of pieces of work, at probably 80% accuracy.

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If it is strings, there are two players per desk (although basses may be 1 per stand), the inside player handles page turns. In addition, if the copyist is worth their salt, they do everything they can to put page turns in an area that causes the least interruption. Don't put a page turn in a long crazy run for example. Also, they will have at least 2 pages open at a time (if the parts are accordion style, they may have more). Barring that, yes, if they have played the piece a lot, they may memorize a bar or so.

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Are tablets a thing for professional orchestras? I know there are some pretty lightweight, silent Bluetooth page turners (pedals) that are marketed towards musicians, but I’ve always wondered whether professionals who actually need page turners are using them.