One of the questions we conductors are
always asked is 'what is the point of you and whatever it
is you're doing, couldn't the orchestra just do that on
their own?' Does an orchestra need a conductor? The
answer is, wait for it: No, absolutely not. Of course they could
do the whole thing on their own. You think I'm just saying that? Watch
this. Folks I'm the conductor. Right, I want to show you those people
have been before right what it's like to be conducted. Okay, I'm gonna conduct this orchestra in that piece we just did: 'The Typewriter'. We're gonna do it again this is 'The
Typewriter' again here we go ready this is me conducting the orchestra in "The Typewriter" here we go. [MUSIC] Yeah? That's me conducting. Now listen to the Philharmonia Orchestra do that entirely
on their own [MUSIC] [AUDIENCE LAUGHTER] Spot the difference? [AUDIENCE LAUGHTER] See? But although they could probably get through a fair amount of music without
using a conductor in this video I'm going to tell you
about five things which make life much easier for an orchestra if they do.
Let's start simple. Thing the first:
If an orchestra wants to play together everyone has to play at the same
speed. You can't have the cellos for example playing twice as fast as the
violins so they can finish this piece and get back to checking in their
Facebook page - that doesn't work. The orchestra needs
someone to give them the speed, the tempo of the music. Thing the second: Having given the tempo, the orchestra needs someone to show clearly when everybody should actually
start playing. A famous conductor, Sir Thomas
Beecham, once said "There are two golden rules for an
orchestra - start together and finish together, the public doesn't give a damn what goes on in between". Well, they kind of do, but he was being funny it was a joke. If they start together at
the right speed you get this: [MUSIC] If they don't start together at the
right speed you get this: [MUSIC WITH MISTAKES] So that's two things but hang on didn't
we just see the Philharmonia Orchestra do those two things in the first clip. Yes, but look at that clip again. This time, watch the leader of the orchestra - the woman sitting at the front of the first violins. Since I'm not conducting it's SHE who gives the tempo and when everyone should start. So, actually there is still a conductor
kind of. Problem is, she's sitting down and also
has to play the violin. SO, the orchestra really needs the person
who gives them the info to stand out where everyone can see them: up front and central not like THIS. A conductor who stands
BEHIND the orchestra? Now, that really is just pretty useless.
Okay I will grant you things one to three are really not that
hard. If the piece is some yumty tumty number with no changes in tempo at any,
point a trained monkey could do it. And, in fact, there are quite a few
conductors who, if ever pitted against a trained monkey, would lose. [MONKEY WHOOPS] [MUSIC] But what if there's something else going
on with the music like the 'Blue Danube'? The 'Blue Danube' doesn't just start at a
gallop, it rolls to a start. Starting slowly; bit faster;
little stop; on it goes... [MUSIC] Yes! Maybe the musicians might be able to work that out on their own eventually but there can be up to 80 or 90 musicians
in an orchestra. They've all got different opinions.
Have you ever tried to get 80 or 90 people to agree on anything?
With everyone arguing they'd probably run out of rehearsal time before they
even got to the tune. So, to speed up the process they need
someone they like and respect to do the job for them.
But since they can't find anyone they like and respect, they have to use a
conductor! Thing the fourth: In an orchestra not
everybody is playing all the time. Quite a lot of it they're waiting around
counting beats until the piece requires them to add their bit. Like the
brass for example. Never get into a conversation with a trumpet player. This
is the kind of thing you get: "Hi" two three four, two two three
four "How are you?" two three four, two two three four. After which they empty out
a load of spit onto your carpet. The worst of the percussionists who
generally sit at the back waiting for their big moment to come in.
Secretly reading books and taking selfies. And this can get really bad. In the
seventh symphony by Anton Bruckner for example there is only one
cymbal smash in the whole piece. Just one and it lasts for 70 minutes. Of course,
they could try to count it. But you know how it is? You're counting
beats for 35 minutes, your mind drifts off for a second to 'how
the technicians in the hall change the light-bulbs' and you've lost it. Have you ever seen an orchestral part? there's not much to go on. The one person who's going to reassure the cymbal player player that 'yes, this is the right place to come in' and 'no they won't look like a git'
it's the one person with all the music in front of them: the conductor. Thing the fifth: When you're sitting in
the audience listening to an orchestra play something like Ravel's Bolero, for
instance, you hear this: [MUSIC] When you're actually IN the orchestra, it
sounds more like this: [MUSIC] If you're sitting in the middle of it
you've got absolutely no idea of the overall effect.
Is your bit too loud? Too soft? Are the clarinets smashing it and drowning
everybody else out? The orchestra needs someone who's
standing away from the din to get an overall impression and to make
adjustments. Think of it like sitting in front of a
mixing desk. How do they do that? With gestures. Why? Because the audience is listening. If the connector started shouting "More
flutes! Be quiet trumpets don't make me come
over there!" they'd wreck the gig. Here are some of the gestures. This means 'louder please'. This means 'softer please'. And this 'means shut it violas, you're playing all the wrong notes'. So, there it is: five things hope that makes sense. Comments please, subscribe, hit the bell - all that stuff. See you next time.
