Today I'll try to answer the age old question: can an orchestra play without a conductor? For this I will break down what a conductor does into 5 sections and see whether they could be done by the orchestra alone.

00:00 Intro
00:27 1.Setting the tempo for a piece and starting the piece
02:42 2.Dynamics and balance
05:00 3.Cues and bar count
07:18 4.Interpretation
09:50 5.Inspiration
12:14 Final thoughts / Claudio Abbado's Memorial concert


LINKS TO ORCHESTRAS WITHOUT CONDUCTORS
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings // Tønnesen & NCO // Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
   • Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings in ...  
Elgar: Serenade for Strings Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra
   • Elgar: Serenade for Strings  Concert...  
Memorial Concert for Claudio Abbado LUCERNE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA, Andris Nelsons
   • Memorial Concert for Claudio Abbado ...  

MORE VIDEOS!!
.
CONDUCTING
Same piece, different conductor    • Same symphony, different conductor: a...  
Flipping through my conducting scores    • Flipping through my conducting scores...  
.
OPERA
Opera Antiheroes ep1: Wozzeck    • Wozzeck, opera's darkest antihero tal...  
Tosca vs Game of Thrones    • Puccini’s opera Tosca vs Game of Thro...  


This video uses two small excerpts from the following orchestras for educational purposes: Norwegian Chamber Orchestra /