h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello Recumbentman

I was mulling over orchestras and conducting and acoustics this weekend. You know, in the way things pop into your head, without any warning when you're switched off and relaxed?

Well, anyway, I was trying to figure out how a conductor knows what his orchestra sounds like to the audience, because s/he - presumably - hears the strings rather louder than anything else? And how can s/he tell if the violins, say, are balanced from where s/he stands?

Is it simply experience and practice? And does that explain why there are relatively few young conductors?

And another thing... why so few women conductors? Especially surprising when there seem to be more and more women band-players (in Scotland at least)

I thought you might be able to help

Hope your trip was a success


Fb

The mystery of how the music sounds from an audience seat applies to all the players in an unconducted ensemble, not just to conductors. What can I say? You just feel when it's right.

Of course there are some rules of thumb. Rivchard Strauss wrote a list of hints for conductors, including "Never look at the brass at all. They are always too loud."

And I don't really feel like getting drawn into the question of why there are so few women conductors. Might be the same kind of reason there are so few women crane or JCB drivers.

Chicken!

Well, you tell me first why there are so few female crane and JCB drivers, OK?