What are composers doing when they’re waving the stick?

Question

If everyone has sheet music and all the timing information down, then what’s the composer’s role?

In: 952

Answer 1

Tbh conductors are often obsolete, but they offer their personal preferences/ideas to the ensemble and try to get everyone on the same page musically (interpreting styles, tempos, etc). Music is very nuanced and it’s helpful to have a “leader.”

One of my former colleagues from the Chicago Symphony told me a story about how the orchestra collectively ignored their guest conductor once, instead just cuing each other because the conductor’s vision was not clear.