There's also a third party battling for control sometimes: the leader of the orchestra - the violinist at the very front of the orchestra, closest to the conduc

There's also a third party battling for control sometimes: the leader of the orchestra - the violinist at the very front of the orchestra, closest to the conductor (they often walk on separately from the rest of the orchestra - with the conductor). You can tell how much respect the conductor actually commands over the orchestra by seeing whose lead is followed. If you've ever been at a vanity performance—where someone essentially pays to conduct a famous orchestra—you'll often see the first violinist working hard to lead the orchestra (watch how big their bow gestures are, and where the other musicians are looking for their leads), and the conductor just waving along. If you're a newbie to orchestral music (or not), just watch the dynamic between the first violinist and the conductor. Sometimes it's a battle, sometimes it's a trusting relationship. It's almost always dramatic.