The Fauxharmonic

Posted at 7:00 AM on November 12, 2008 by Gillian Martin

In the battle between humans and machines, it's nice to see the humans win once in a while.

Ten days ago, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and it's conductor Markand Thakar (also music director of the Duluth Superior Symphony) went head to head with the Fauxharmonic Orchestra, a digital orchestra that uses samples of real instruments, and is conducted by someone wielding a Wii-mote. The Fauxharmonic was developed by conductor and composer Paul Henry Smith.

In the opinion of Steve Smith of the New York Times, the live musicians came out on top, though it was closer than you might think:

The demonstration was genuinely impressive. But when the Fauxharmonic was followed by the real orchestra in successive performances...the confrontation was less Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman than Bobby Flay pitted against a George Foreman grill.

Mr. Smith's account had a realistic tone and adequate flavor, though no one would mistake the fifelike trill of his virtual concertmaster for the work of a real violinist. The orchestra, conducted by Markand Thakar, had greater warmth and substance, along with tangy nuances (and, yes, occasional blemishes) resulting from 21 individuals working together.

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