We have video of Mravinsky from 1939 through to the last year of his life.
As yet, we have not seen him work without baton.

We have app one hour of Furtwangler on film, from 1938 to 1954.  In all of
it, rehearsing and performing, he uses a baton.

Kurt Masur has developed a medical problem which makes it impossible for
him to work with a baton.  Prior to this disorder he used a baton
regularly.

On 2 March 1954, CBS Television transmitted 'See It Now -- Anatomy
of a Symphony Orchestra', with reporter Edward R Murrow.  Here is a
transcription of that interview, taken from our kinescope of same.

Murrow:
"I notice in your rehearsals that you do not use a baton or a stick.
Why is that?"

Mitropoulos:
"Yeah, I dunno why.  I felt that way and I believe that there is some
kind of communication through the expression of the hands of what you feel.
I just got used to my hands.  I think I can express myself better with my
hands.  But lots of people disagree from technical point of view.  I dunno.
I have to do what I feel and I can't help it if some people disagree with
me...  [shows hand positions]

"This naturally gesture is to reach, to reach, I make an appeal, I mean,
when I try to reach, to reach the soul of my musician who plays the solo,
let us say, at that moment, and it's just a kind of gesture that I couldn't
do with my baton and naturally I could use my left hand just, but I have
two hands to use and I feel happier that I can reach for somebody's soul,
for somebody's, in an amorous way, let us say, somebody to give me whatever
he has, to give me more than his soul, his love, maybe."

Charles Barber