Sentence:  On the basis of what they give us we can know how the young Caruso sang , appreciate the distinctive qualities of Parsifal under Karl Muck 's <WSD>baton</WSD> , or sense the type of ensemble Toscanini created in his years with the New York Philharmonic . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  a thin tapered rod used by a conductor to lead an orchestra or choir