Weekend vote: Is it ever acceptable for musicians to collectively refuse to perform a piece of music?
A news story caught my eye in the last week - about an orchestra that canceled the performance of a new piece.
Apparently 30 percent of the musicians of the Essen Philharmonic raised serious concerns about performing Italian composer Clara Iannotta’s violin concerto "sand like gold-leaf smithereens" at a set of concerts Oct. 30 and 31, part of Festival NOW!. The performance by German violinist Carolin Widmann was to be the premiere of the work, which was for detuned violin, orchestra and electronics. It was commissioned for the festival.
The performance of the piece was canceled 10 days before the concert (at which Widmann played the Berg Violin Concerto instead.) Widmann took to Instagram to say she was "heartbroken"; the composer Iannotta went further, saying on her website that "what concerns me most is a profound lack of curiosity. An orchestra, as one of the most powerful and symbolic bodies in musical life, cannot claim to represent our time if it accepts only one type of music."
However. The composer delivered the full score and parts to the orchestra just two weeks before the concert, on October 3. It was supposed to be in by August 2025. The work required that the musicians use extended techniques and perform on extra instruments and objects. Specifically they were being asked to bow on Styrofoam plates and to use stones in close proximity to their instruments. That's a big ask when bows are often worth thousands, and violins are worth tens of thousands.
It sounds like much of the orchestra was willing to try to make this happen, but about 30 percent raised legitimate concerns, and there just wasn't enough time for management to work out all the details to address those concerns.
"This cancellation, made after careful consideration, was based on the fact that, despite extensive efforts from all sides, the short timeframe following the arrival of the concert score did not allow for professional rehearsal and performance of the work," said the Essen Philharmonic on its website. "Furthermore, the short notice made it impossible to definitively clarify all questions regarding potential special fees."
"I acknowledge that I delivered the orchestral score later than ideal," Iannotta wrote on Instagram. "The soloist already had the full part and recorded it on September 6, while I sent two-thirds of the score to the conductor in mid-September and the complete score to the orchestra on October 3 — but I also took full responsibility for providing and preparing all the objects at my own expense (over €2,000) and worked closely with Elena Schwarz to ensure sufficient rehearsal time."
For me, all this raises the question: how much is too much to ask of musicians, and is it ever okay to draw the line? Please participate in the vote, and share your thoughts and experiences in the comments. What do you think about the use of extended techniques, extra objects, etc. in new music? How do you feel about short time-lines for preparing a performance of a new work?
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Replies
I firmly believe that musicians should be able to decline to perform music. However, I believe such refusals should be based on serious grounds, such as illness, or refusal to perform music that espouses views that are offensive to the performer.
I think that modern performers are spoiled. In the past the work may not have been completed two weeks before the performance.
In terms of extended techniques, performers have become acoustomed to their instruments as they know them. In the past there was more willingness to innovate.
Much of this relates to newly composed music. Such music can of course be of poor quality. Some extended techniques may not cut the mustard. But judging the techniques should be based on the music, as opposed to the willingness of performers.
The question is, who will pay for the damages to a fine instrument or for a replacement instrument if one is damaged in the performance of a piece like this? There’s innovation and then there’s putting one’s instrument in danger. Perhaps a compromise could be found where the orchestra acquires less valuable instruments for a piece, etc.
I won't play or sing anything by Carl Orff.
So if a piece of "music" called for a first violin to play the tuba, should the violinist be able to decline? I'd say so. Shouldn't be required to play dinnerware or rocks either.
Many years ago when I was with the Wiener Tonkunstler Orchestra, we were commissioned to perform a piece of music by a composer from Texas. During the first rehearsal, the orchestra stopped playing and said that the music was not playable. I didn't speak German all that well so I don't really know what happened but the orchestra refused to play.
They should have postponed sooner. Insisting that the terms of ones contract be fulfilled is not a "profound lack of curiosity." The Essen Phil can write her a check for her €2000 in rocks and styrofoam plates. After reading about this episode in a few places, I can't shake the feeling that the members of the orchestra gave it their best, but that there were too many questions and that it wasn't easy to find the right people to ask.
Adrian Heath: %100
Substitute instruments and bows could be solve the issue!
Gulia, good idea. When orchestras are contracted to play out in inclimate conditions, they use substitute instruments.
Is the composer gonna pay for new bow hair, after it’s contaminated with styrofoam? Will she pay for damage from stones?
Will she forgive the orchestra and the conductor if it isn’t perfect, after two weeks of practice in a different tuning?
In a professional orchestra the musicians are represented by a union which will be responsible for negotiating with the orchestra management... the orchestra can't normally simply take a vote and decide not to perform the program selected by the management and conductor.
The "composer" sounds like a hack who didn't want to take responsibility for being tardy and shifting blame on the orchestra. Typical garbage by these younger generations. Let alone the absurd "instruments". This is why I hate contemporary classical. It's like these "composers" (and I use that term loosely), come up with more and more absurd garbage thats supposedly art when theres no thought or actual art. Like the artist that stuck duct tape to a wall with a banana. Its ridiculous. I wish these so called artists actually made real art instead scamming and grifting people outta their hard earned money.
John Cage strikes again!
How often does a work by a composer of the polystyrene school take up a place in the repertoire?
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November 2, 2025 at 09:29 PM · I answered "no", but it depends on why..
If instruments (or the players!!) are at risk then substitutes must be provided.