Could this mean the end of human conducting in orchestras? Here’s all about the latest trending concert, “Robot Symphony”.
Symphony orchestras , traditionally conducted by a human baton, have represented a sublime expression of almost supernatural timing and coordination . Ever since conductors began using their nearly two- metre long conducting batons in the 19th century, the act of conducting has been considered an almost mystical art, only within the reach of a few virtuosos. The figure of the conductor is vital not only for setting the pace, but for capturing and transmitting the emotional interpretation of the piece . Great masters, such as Herbert von Karajan or Leonard Bernstein, have been known for their technical precision and for their ability to turn the score into a living experience. They have even gone down in history for transmitting nuances and emotions through their gestures and expressions.
In this context, so steeped in tradition and human skills, it is astonishing to imagine that a robot could take on such a role… Does that take away from its charm? Thus, with this technological feat, 2024 will mark an innovative page in the history of orchestras, since in Dresden, Germany, a three-armed automaton has conducted the Dresdner Sinfoniker. Is it possible that a robot could capture the emotional subtlety and interpretive meaning of a piece? With this almost surreal story, we will discover how technological development has given rise to an unusual protagonist who, with mechanical precision and advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, has tested the limits between art and machine.
According to the Centro Virtual Cervantes , “the word batuta was born in Italian to name those batons. At its root, there is the Latin verb battere, whose implicit meaning is ‘ to hit ‘. Here it is worth saying that from the same verb, other Castilian words were born such as: batalla, combate, abatir, debate and batería. All of them contain, in their origin, the concept of ‘to hit’.”
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The evolution of MAiRA Pro S, the robotic director
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The protagonist of this techno-musical milestone is MAiRA Pro S , a three-armed robot engineered by the German company Franka Emika, renowned for its innovation in advanced robotics and automation. This robot has been designed not only for precise and complex movements, but also to react and adapt to stimuli in real time , an indispensable feature in conducting an orchestra. With machine learning capabilities, MAiRA can interpret the movements and sounds of the musicians, thus coordinating each section of the orchestra with astonishing precision.
An artificial intelligence in symphonic music
MAiRA Pro S’s artificial intelligence is based on deep learning algorithms and a high-precision sensor system . These sensors detect changes in the musicians’ rhythm and intensity, allowing the robot to adjust its movements in real time. Although its performance is based on code and calculations, the visual result is surprisingly fluid. Some attendees said it was fascinating to see how it responded to every cue from the orchestra and adapted to the performance.
However, one of the challenges of conducting an orchestra is the sensitivity to emotional nuances and subtle interpretations that vary with each performance. To compensate for this, MAiRA is programmed with a set of preset responses that allow it to adapt to variations in tempo and intensity. Rather than imposing its own “interpretation,” the robot follows a flexible pattern of rhythm and volume, responding to the musicians’ cues and adjusting the flow of the piece as needed.
Markus Rindt, artistic director of the Dresdner Sinfoniker, explained that the goal of incorporating the robot is not to “replace humans,” but to explore new possibilities for interpreting highly complex works that would be virtually impossible for a human conductor.
The importance of human and robotic collaboration
MAiRA’s debut in Dresden should not be reduced to a spectacle of technology: it is an unparalleled collaboration between engineers and musicians. The Franka Emika company worked closely with the orchestra’s musicians to fine-tune the robot’s programming and ensure that every movement reflected the composer’s intention.
This project was also supervised by classical music experts who advised on the calibration of MAiRA’s movements so that the robot achieved a gesture that, although artificial, was in keeping with the tradition of symphonic conducting. The robot’s precision and synchronization surprised both musicians and audiences and opens a logical debate on the role of artificial intelligence in the artistic world.
The piece performed by the three-armed robo-director
The “ Robot Symphony ” concert consisted of three parts: two conducted by the human hand and one by the three robotic arms. In its turn, the MAiRA robot, equipped with three arms, holds a trio of differently colored light bars to signal the rhythm . Each section of the orchestra follows a specific color, thus generating crossed and overlapping rhythms. This system allows the ensemble to be divided into three synchronized groups, each responding independently to its color signal, which creates a unique and complex rhythmic interplay in the performance. A spectacle not only musical but also visual , reminiscent of the rhythms of science fiction films.
Andreas Gundlach is a German composer and jazz pianist known for his innovative compositions, especially in the field of contemporary music. At the Dresdner Sinfoniker’s “Robot Symphony” concert, he contributed a piece entitled Semiconductor’s Masterpiece , composed specifically to take advantage of the capabilities of the MAiRA Pro S robot . His work exploits the interaction of the robot’s three arms, which conduct different sections of the orchestra in complex, interlocking rhythmic patterns.
MAiRA is not the first
MAiRA is currently one of the most technically advanced robots in music conducting, although it is not the first to venture into this field. In 2008, a 1.2-meter-tall robot with a baton conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mitch Leigh’s “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha . Later, in 2017, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed alongside the Lucca Philharmonic Orchestra in Pisa, conducted by YuMi , a dual-armed “collaborative” robot designed to interact with humans. Most recently, in July 2023 , an android robot took on the role of conductor at the National Theatre of Korea in Seoul, further expanding robotic conducting experiments on musical stages.
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A final anecdote: the conductor who died from a baton “blow”
Jean-Baptiste Lully , celebrated Italian-born composer and a key figure in French Baroque music, died in a tragic and ironic manner . In January 1687, while conducting a performance in honor of the recovery of King Louis XIV, Lully accidentally struck his foot on his large conducting baton , a type of long baton used at the time to mark rhythm by striking it against the floor. This wound, although initially minor, became infected and led to gangrene . Lully, who was also a dancer, refused the amputation necessary to stop the infection, fearing that losing a leg would prevent him from dancing. The gangrene spread and ended his life on the 22nd.
This incident is one of the most singular in the history of music and probably contributed to the abandonment of the conducting baton in favour of lighter, more manageable batons , similar to those used today.
