The Conductor's Art: Trust, Power, and the Mystery of the Baton

In a September 2026 Atlantic essay, composer and conductor discusses the enigmatic role of the orchestral conductor, challenging both the view of conductors as con artists and as infallible gods. The piece traces the profession's emergence in the mid-19th century, driven by industrial-era instrument innovations and the rise of civic orchestras, and explores the practical necessity of conducting for large ensembles where coordination and flexible rhythm are paramount. The author details the conductor's essential task of embodying and guiding the music's flow, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between conductor and orchestra. The essay also addresses the profession's autocratic legacy, citing historical figures like Arturo Toscanini and Herbert von Karajan, and contrasts it with modern collaborative rhetoric, quoting Stéphane Denève's 2011 remark, "I think we're still dictators but we smile more." Economic disparities are highlighted, with conductors earning significantly more than musicians, though the example of Frans Brüggen, who insisted on parity, is noted. The piece concludes with an analysis of the subtle timing between a conductor's gesture and the orchestra's response, illustrated by Carlos Kleiber's 1970 rehearsal of Weber's Der Freischütz, where he instructed musicians to "let the others start," fostering a collective instinct. The author argues that great conducting unleashes communal musical power, the opposite of violence.