# Great Conductors



## ClassicalMusicLover1 (May 2, 2017)

I am a civilian when it comes to classical music - I don't play an instrument, I don't read music; I am just an amateur who loves to listen to and learn about great music. Like most civilians, I have always been somewhat mystified by the role the conductor plays in the orchestra. Was a performance good or bad because of the orchestra, or because of the conductor?

http://myfavoriteclassical.com/great-conductors/


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

This not an infrequently asked question, and there are two answers:

1) A recorded performance is "good" either because of: the orchestra, the conductor, the producer, the recording engineer, or because it matches your taste, which could be anywhere on the map. 

2) The ideal function of a conductor (which some perform, some don't) is to know more than anyone else in the building about the work, the score (for accuracy), the composer, the rest of the composer's ouvre, the milieu, the performing practices of the time, the capabilities of the instruments involved (both today's and those of the time), the abilities of the players, and the sound of the hall -- and marshall all that knowledge through careful rehearsal into a performance that as much as possible matches what as best as can be guessed the composer had in mind when he wrote the work -- bearing in mind always the intangibles of taste and musicianship, which some possess and some don't.

The more you listen, and the more you read about music, the better your understanding of what to listen for -- bearing in mind there is no Holy Writ and no two CM fans share the same taste or agree on much of anything.. 

Happy listening!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Agree with MarkW,
For more conductors talk:

http://www.talkclassical.com/19133-who-your-all-time.html


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## JAS (Mar 6, 2013)

Here is perhaps the best of the episodes of Leonard Bernstein's contributions to Omnibus, where he addresses the question of what does the conductor do: http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/leonard_bernstein_omnibus_episode_3


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

ClassicalMusicLover1 said:


> I am a civilian when it comes to classical music - I don't play an instrument, I don't read music; I am just an amateur who loves to listen to and learn about great music. Like most civilians, I have always been somewhat mystified by the role the conductor plays in the orchestra. Was a performance good or bad because of the orchestra, or because of the conductor?
> 
> http://myfavoriteclassical.com/great-conductors/


You can also have "musical directors" where they play an instrument and direct at same time!

Eg Joshua Bell. Plays violin and directs ASMF with the bow!

Usually chamber orchestras!


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