The Dresden Symphony Orchestra has made history with a groundbreaking world premiere. For their 25th-anniversary performance, the orchestra did something unprecedented – instead of a human conductor, three mechanical arms from a robot led the musicians through a specially composed piece called ‘Robot Symphony’. The audience was captivated, with one attendee describing the performance as “fascinating” and another praising the creativity, calling the innovation “a good thing”.
Markus Rindt, the artistic director of the long-standing Dresden Symphony Orchestra, clarified that the orchestra has no plans to replace human conductors with machines, as people can “always do it better”. This includes the nuances of rehearsal work and facial expressions. “If you were to play a Beethoven piece, you wouldn’t need a robot like that; it’s pointless,” he explained. However, Rindt noted that this particular piece, with its varying tempos and irregular beats, is uniquely challenging for humans. “This doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world,” he stated.
One of the musicians who performed in ‘Robot Symphony’, who chose to remain anonymous, described the machine as “waiting for no one” and pushing the music forward “like a machine”. “It’s without mercy,” they said. The robot was brought to life by Tobian Spens, a robotics developer from the Technical University of Dresden. Spens highlighted the “incredibly energetic” and “intense” small movements required for the robot’s performance, which demanded extensive preparation. They had to strike a balance between aesthetics and feasibility for the robot.
The TUD website further explores the implications of such performances, prompting audiences to consider how they approach new technologies with the potential to transform society. “Is it possible that a new, completely unique form of musical expression is emerging from the collaboration between man and machine?” the website asks.
