Even with a consistent, steady tempo, someone needs to set it and keep everyone the same. For rock and jazz bands, it’s usually the drummer, but an orchestra isn’t going to have a steady drum rhythm that everyone can hear.
It’s not about the complexity of the music, but the logistics of getting lots of people playing in sync. A large orchestra is large enough that there will be fractions of a second difference between the more distant players. In some cases, the players literally cannot synchronize themselves via audio cues alone.
Also, good luck getting dozens of people to come in from silence at the exact same moment without a conductor. They’re pretty critical when they’re needed, which is very often for orchestras.
They’re not wrong. If the piece has a load of tempo changes and pauses then the conductor is pretty vital but most music doesn’t require one.
Even with a consistent, steady tempo, someone needs to set it and keep everyone the same. For rock and jazz bands, it’s usually the drummer, but an orchestra isn’t going to have a steady drum rhythm that everyone can hear.
It’s not about the complexity of the music, but the logistics of getting lots of people playing in sync. A large orchestra is large enough that there will be fractions of a second difference between the more distant players. In some cases, the players literally cannot synchronize themselves via audio cues alone.
Also, good luck getting dozens of people to come in from silence at the exact same moment without a conductor. They’re pretty critical when they’re needed, which is very often for orchestras.