Thomas W Warren wrote:

>...  Any other major conductor not use a baton?

Memory's tricky, but I seem to remember Stokowski didn't use one.

Others might not have either.  I only saw Szell conduct forty years ago.
I don't know if he had one either.  What about Furtwangler? Funny:  it's
not the thing I noticed, either in the audience or in the orchestra.  So
take all this under advisement.

Even without a baton, you can follow the real artist.  You read his/her
body language and get used to the conductor's style.

Roger Hecht