German orchestra to be directed by 3-armed robot
OrchestrasTo mark its 25th anniversary, the Dresden Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by a robot in a new work at the Hellerau Festival Hall in October.
According to the orchestra, the rhythmic subtlety and cross-tempos of “#kreuzknoten” by Wieland Reissmann cannot be conducted by a human. It requires three arms to achieve the more complex passages.
You mean even two women would not be good enough, so now they replace all humanity? This is a joke beyond woke now.
Ah, but who will rehearse the orchestra? I’d like to see a robot do that!
As well as leading the rubato, balancing sections and dynamics, ensuring the right articulations for the hall and audience density (no pun intended), etc.
Might as well use Finale playback, skip the orchestra too. This reminds me of the jerk who was proud to write a violin concerto no violinist could play, ultimate extension of the arrogance of modern composition, music that is all about the composer’s ego and his use of musical tinkertoys, not listening. I would hope audiences boycott this but I doubt it.
That was Tchaikovsky, I believe.
Give me strength……I would have definitely booked myself a Sick day if I saw this on the work schedule
I bet Pierre Boulez would have found a way to do it.
Much though I always disliked him as a composer, his conducting was astonishing in picking out odd passages in difficult works. Unfortunately he was, to say the least, not a very warm and likeable human being so was not welcomed everywhere.
At least it wont be punching, sending robodick pics to, and harassing the underlings. In many ways a step forward …
Just give Robo time……to learn and perfect the three arm shime-waza
Finally a beat that might actually be worth looking up for.
Do the players have three eyes to decipher it? I’d suspect most this stuff would have been worked out at rehearsal, no?
I don’t have a third arm, but I do have a “third leg”, would that work? ; )
Given the AfD political climate in Saxony of which Dresden is the capital, perhaps the third arm is reserved for making old fashioned salutes? (Sorry, too cynical I know.)
I was told James Levine once gave a triple cue: two arms and one leg…ca.1970, Cleveland Institute….
One arm to beat time, one arm to cue, one arm to turn pages.
But seriously… I wonder if the resulting music is worth the extra trouble. I wonder if the audience will remember much of the music other than the spectacle of the three-armed robot.
A recent commentary on 20th century music made the point that increased complexity in the compositional process only resulted in the listeners’ perception of increased randomness.
The third arm is strictly for making the brass play no louder than forte.
But there are already live versions of this for decennia.
Some pieces have used 2 conductors such as ive’s 4th (at least for awhile.)