From a performer's perspective, the conductor is extremely important. You need someone to direct traffic, set tempos, balance and all those myriad details that the audience never sees. Playing for a weak, unskilled conductor is torture and kills the pleasure. But playing for a great, inspiring one is an incredible thrill. Mediocre ones just bore you. I've played with all three types. Sadly, the greats are in short supply.
As an audience member, important, but not more so than the composer and the music. I've heard sensational Mahler, Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and others from conductors who are essentially unknown. That's ok with them, too.
As a cd collector it depends. But there are reasons why some recordings are called "definitive". So in that respect it matters. But there are many fine recordings by obscure conductors.
There is a popular misconception that all the conductor does is stand there and flap his/her arms. But ask anyone who has tried it and they'll confess it's the most difficult thing there is to do in music. You think it's easy to accompany recitative in opera? Hah, try it!
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