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What exactly are composers doing when they wave around that tiny stick (lemmings.world)

submitted 1 week ago by cm0002@lemmings.world to c/asklemmy@sh.itjust.works

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It always feels strange once the orchestra stops playing and it's the composer that bows for applause.

OQB @k3rm@lemmy.world

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[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The conductor arranges the piece. There's a LOT of interpretation to written music. A time signature indicates the structure of a measure. How fast it's actually played (overall) is often indicated, but a conductor may choose to alter the tempo.

Then within the sheets there are indicators for louder/softer, faster/slower, and a number of other elements for each instrument and the music overall, but again the conductor will choose what that means for a given piece, at a given stage, at a given time (maybe there are more people in the audience, so he increases volume with hand gestures, or it's a warmer night at an outdoor venue, which means less dense air so the sound carries less).

The reason the conductor bows is the sum total of the music is a result of his choices, his direction of the musicians. The resultant music as a whole is because of him. No small task.

He also represents the orchestra as a unit. That bow represents every musician there.