There is a (probably apocryphal) story about Richard Strauss conducting Also Sprach Zaranthustra (think the movie 2001...powerful music). As it was told to me, Strauss was an introverted conductor, and during most of the rehearsal he beat time in very small gestures with his head down and one hand in his pocket. But at one point (as the story goes) he pulled a handkerchief out of that pocket and...he was blown off the podium by the fortissimo...
Expression marks are critical to any artist's (or group of artists') interpretation of a musical score. In many ways, you could say that the translation of expression marks is where the artistry comes from.
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