Dresden Symphony Orchestra presents mechanical performance

The Dresden Symphony Orchestra has presented an innovative world premiere. Instead of a flesh-and-bone person conducting the institution’s 25th-anniversary performance alone – three mechanical arms belonging to a robot guided the musicians as they played a bespoke piece titled ‘Robot Symphony’.

The show was described by attendees as anything but robotic, with one spectator saying they were “fascinated” by the movements. Another praised the creativity, describing the innovation as a “good thing”.

The artistic director of the decades-old Dresden Symphony Orchestra, Markus Rindt, said the orchestra does not intend to replace any conductor with machines as people can “always do it better.”

This includes the rehearsal work, the facial expressions, he said. “If, for example, you were to play a Beethoven, you wouldn’t need a robot like that, it’s pointless,” he explained.

However, he said this piece, in particular, capitalises on different tempos and irregular beats, which requires effort difficult for man. “(This) doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world,” Rindt said.

One of the performers of ‘Robot Symphony’, who did not disclose their name, said the machine “waits for no one” and pulls the music forward “like a machine”. “It’s without mercy,” he said.

Technical University of Dresden robotics developer Tobian Spens helped bring the robot to life. He said the “little movements” that make up the machine’s performance are “incredibly energetic” and “intense” and require a lot of work beforehand.

They needed to find the balance of it looking good and the performance being “feasible” for the robot, Spens said.

On the TUD (TUD) website, another driver of the performance is to force audience members to ask themselves how they can approach new technologies with the potential to change society.

“Is it possible that a new, completely unique form of musical expression is emerging as a result of the collaboration between man and machine?” the website states.